Sterile Processing Week: Top ideas for recognition, education and collaboration

Each year, beginning the second Sunday of October, Sterile Processing Week presents a fresh new opportunity to celebrate the department’s dedicated, hardworking and knowledgeable team members and, ideally, help set the stage for even bigger positive developments the remainder of the year (and beyond).

With October 11-17, 2020, just around the corner, IAHCSMM urges Sterile Processing (SP) leaders to start planning now to ensure every professional within the department is not only thoughtfully honored for their vital daily contributions, but also reminded of the importance of continuing education and standards-based practices that promote patient safety and quality service.

Although there’s no secret recipe for a successful Sterile Processing Week, the association has shared some of its top celebratory tips over the years and has sought planning and event details from its board members and countless other SP professionals. The result? A wide and varied collection of can’t-miss ways to celebrate, educate and collaborate. No SP department (SPD) needs to reinvent the proverbial wheel in order to make the very most of the dedicated week and, thankfully, some of the best ways to pay tribute to the team and the collective discipline cost very little (or nothing at all).

Feed the mind

While it’s true that a party just isn’t a party without good food and beverage (it’s often what drives people to join in the festivities – and keeps them there longer), an even better approach is to build some form of education around the snacks, and not just for each day, but for each shift.

Consider a Jeopardy-inspired trivia game for the department’s employees, with answers based on standards and best practices, for example, or host a scheduled educational event, such as a vendor-provided inservice or an SP educator- or Infection Prevention-led discussion where donuts, pizza or other treats are provided. Another successful strategy: Having a combined open house/ice cream social where employees from virtually every department in the facility – including those in the C-suite – can tour the SPD, meet the team and learn more about all that takes place within the walls. It also creates a golden opportunity to share impressive statistics, (e.g., average number of instruments/sets processed per month, low error rates, professional certifications held, etc.) with a diverse and captive audience.

While you’re at it, consider asking the facility’s infection preventionist and/or a member of the surgical team to contribute to the education. SP professionals are integral to infection prevention and positive surgical outcomes; however, not all healthcare professionals or members of the general public are fully aware of that. Having these allies participate in Sterile Processing Week functions and educational offerings can help not only advance their own knowledge and understanding of what takes place in the SPD, but can also help support that message with administrators and other healthcare departments.

Note: Infection Prevention Week (Oct. 16-22) overlaps Sterile Processing Week slightly this year, so it’s a perfect time to partner up and commemorate the events in a meaningful way. SP professionals should reach out to their IPs to see how they can assist with their week of honor, and then reach out in a similar way to the Operating Room in November to help support nurses during Perioperative Nurses Week.

Expand reach of recognition

It’s long been said that SP professionals are the unsung heroes of healthcare (although IAHCSMM has been singing their praises and offering countless levels of support since the association’s inception in the 1950s). We sincerely hope that every facility and, certainly, every SP leader takes time to thoughtfully express gratitude for each SPD team member’s daily hard work and contributions. Before the start of Sterile Processing Week, leaders can snap digital photos of all SP employees across all shifts and pair them with a brief writeup that highlights key professional aspects for each employee (such as certifications, tenure at the facility, total years of experience, favorite aspect of working in SP, future goals and an example of a success story or achievement in their role). This information can then be used to develop a “team document” that can be shared with the facility’s Human Resources department and, perhaps, published in an employee newsletter or other community site. This approach helps put faces and names on the inner workings of the department, which can boost employee morale and help improve understanding and collaboration from SP professionals’ various healthcare customers.¹

Consider also carving out time to share with each employee during Sterile Processing Week how they have contributed to and benefited the department. Beyond that, privately ask each employee about their career path goals and any career ladder opportunities you might envision for that individual given their strengths (or how you can help them reach career aspirations they may have set for themselves, such as attaining more certifications to become an instrumentation specialist or, perhaps, assuming a leadership role). Even though these types of discussions generally happen during annual employee reviews, Sterile Processing Week is a great time to reinvigorate previously outlined goals or identify new ways to support employees. The leader can then summarize the discussion for each employee, keeping one copy on file and including another with a heartfelt Thank You note, along with a small token of appreciation (if budgets don’t allow for even inexpensive purchased items, consider homemade certificates of excellence that can be customized to each employee).¹ Every employee wants to be heard and valued, and keeping the conversation positive and in the spirit of Sterile Processing Week will help them feel supported and motivated – long after the week draws to a close. 

Want more ways to show your team how they impact the department, the facility and patient care? IAHCSMM created a number of no-cost Sterile Processing Week templates for celebration materials (including posters, Thank You cards and more) that can be customized, downloaded/printed and shared. Visit https://www.iahcsmm.org/events/sp-week.html and click the ‘USE OUR TEMPLATES’ tab underneath the Sterile Processing Week Sample Documents section.

Reference:

1. Williamson JE. Sterile Processing Week 2020: Celebrating Your Critical Role in Patient Safety. PROCESS. Sept./Oct. 2020. IAHCSMM. Chicago, IL.