Attention all Sterile Processing technicians, experienced and new, this is for you.

All of us have value, and we can all add value to a Sterile Processing Department. You can use your experiences and voice to elevate change in the industry. As Technicians, we are empowered to effect change. Advantage Support Services has an acronym for Techs. TECH -To Effect Change. You are the reason behind SP education and the build of a leadership ladder, and you deserve every opportunity to succeed and climb.

Forward Focus

As we move from the angst of the pandemic to the new normal, we SP professionals have many opportunities to move forward. Before the pandemic, there were a limited number of knowledgeable technicians, many of them were retiring, and fewer were entering in. The opportunities were extensive and vast, as the need grew for experienced technicians and leaders. As we move forward to the new normal in healthcare, there are still a vast number of opportunities to enter and grow in our profession. The pandemic has helped us all to evaluate our work-life balance. Many have left due to support needed at home with kids in and out of schools. Others have left for risk of exposure or because of the low compensation in our industry. All of these are rational and justified reasons for leaving the SP profession.

As we move forward, let me share some of my and others’ reasons for staying. The pandemic provided all of us with daily life changes, with a wonderful realization and perspective of “what’s important” or a determination “to make the important things important.” Most of us re-prioritized our daily activities to accommodate ease in our day-to-day lives.

Allow me to share some of my realizations, as I re-evaluated my own work-life balance. These brought me a better way to move through my day and reminded me of how I approached my job and why I began in the first place. Why do I stay in this SP world of work? My reason began with need and quickly was focused on others. Helping technicians to grow where they are and seeing their excitement in becoming certified or reaching their professional goals is just one of my many reasons.

SP is a mission field for serving others. It’s not an accident that you are in this profession. Whether you chose SP or SP chose you, most of us are meant to be here. Technicians effect change, not only as the heart of the hospital, but in each community we serve.

TECH – To Effect CHange

You are here in this profession for a reason. Most of us who choose to work in SP have a methodical, detailed nature and want to know the right way - step by step. Sterile Processing Technicians are detail oriented with the inclination to pragmatically move through their day. The tasks necessary to process instruments require attention to detail. As we gain experience and a level of expertise in these tasks, technicians develop creative ideas and instill careful thought that make these tasks more efficient and effective. The ultimate service we provide to our patients and customers offers better outcomes for both.

To help effect change, many SP managers have chosen to invite customers into their department. In doing so, they provide a service to promote education to the end-users we serve. According to an article, “ Celebrate the Critical Role of the Sterile Processing Profession in Infection Prevention . (n.d.). Infection Control Today, Julie Williamson states, “In many facilities, SP professionals remain the “unsung heroes,” primarily because members of other health care disciplines often lack understanding of what SP entails and how challenging the jobs are”…”There may be opportunities to invite other health care professionals to tour the department and see for themselves what it takes to process instruments; they can ask questions and even participate in or contribute to some education.” In doing so, we can effect cultural changes between departments.

It's a Good Day to Have a Good Day

We want our team partners to have a good day. SP Technicians are servers by nature, and we want our customers and teammates to have a high level of satisfaction. Service to all is our goal.

We have all heard that effective patient care cannot be provided without SP and storage/distribution. We effect change. As we gain more knowledge, technicians become creative and forward thinkers. As we understand our customer and department’s one-way workflow, we can determine better ways to accomplish instrument goals. For example: When a case cart is being delivered to the decontamination area, technicians may identify practices that are not in the scope of best practice. Our experiences and expertise can help effect change by sharing observations and suggestions to department leadership.

Technicians can easily identify processes within their department that can be performed more efficiently and effectively. As we learn the science of sterilization, that knowledge can aid technicians to creatively make the changes needed within their department to serve in daily tasks and overall.

Closing

In short, we want you to have every opportunity to succeed. Our purpose is for you to develop a voice to elevate change in the industry, in your department, and most importantly, in yourself. To help you effect change, we hope to give you all the tools to be able to accomplish that goal.

In the continuation of this article, Forward Thinking: Part 2, we’ll discuss your next steps to stay on track for upward movement in the industry, how to look at fear and failure, and we’ll also touch on some goal setting to propel you in the right direction. SP is a profession that offers growth, and there are many opportunities to advance to the next level, if you desire.

References

Celebrate the Critical Role of the Sterile Processing Profession in Infection Prevention . (n.d.). Infection Control Today. https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/celebr...