The first (and most important) job of a Sterile Processing Manager or Educator, is maintaining a high level of quality in their department.  Unlike other “processing” fields which work on a batch or assembly line, Sterile Processing is a Quality Assurance department before anything else.  Patient safety is the #1 priority, and improving a department’s positive outcomes should always come before trying to boost productivity.  Here are 5 easy ways to get started:

1. Engage Staff in the Process – Arguably the most difficult step in the process, engaging your staff to “buy-in” to your quality improvement initiative is absolutely imperative. Front line staff are the ones who are doing the hard work, and they deserve a voice in any department improvement project.  Let them know what your goals are, and ask for feedback on how to make it happen.  Asking for their input will make them a part of the process, and engage them on a personal level to the end result.  Once your team is on-board, it’s time to…
2. Implement an effective Quality Assurance Program – You have the team ready for a positive change. Now it’s time for the nuts and bolts.  The implementation of a quality assurance (QA) program is the most essential step to improving your department’s quality outcomes.  By taking the simple step of letting staff know that their work will be monitored for errors, most departments see a 10-15% decrease in errors over the first 30 days.  Knowing that someone will be examining your work tends to be a great motivator for quality.  And by posting results and progress, staff will naturally begin shooting for higher and higher percentages, shifting the entire department focus toward quality end results.  Now that you have that QA ball rolling, it’s time to...
3. Strive for Excellence – While 100% accuracy is a noble goal, it’s often not an attainable one. You are a human being, and prone to mistakes & errors.  Your staff is as well.  When first implementing your QA program, you will get a baseline of results for the number of errors you are seeing.  (Our numbers were in the 66% range initially... hopefully yours are better).  Present your initial findings to staff and ask for a modest improvement for the following check-in (30 days is a reasonable amount of time to gauge improvement).  Then return at a later date and update those numbers.  Ask again for a modest improvement.  Rinse and repeat.  And while your staff is continuing to strive for excellence, you can...
4. Stress Quality over Productivity – Let’s get real… a Manager or Educator can’t fix all the problems of a department, no matter how badly they wish they could. And since being all-powerful isn’t an option, what can a SPD leader to do help?  They can create a culture of safety.  Patient and employee safety should always be the department’s focus.  Holding staff accountable for the quality of their work, rather than focusing on productivity, is the most effective way to shift accountability in SPD.  Ask your staff to slow down, and make sure they feel their work is 100% accurate before completing a task.  Instead of shooting for 100% productivity, staff should always be striving for 100% accuracy, and a clear, consistent message from leadership will point the ship in the right direction.  All that’s left now is to...
5. Reward your Team – Congratulations! You have a team who has bought into a quality improvement initiative & you’ve seen a boost in positive outcomes.  You are an excellent Sterile Processing leader, if I do say so myself.  But by holding staff accountable for their work, you may not be the most popular person in the department.  And what’s in it for the staff who has done all the hard work in making these improvements?  If you want these positive results to continue, you’re going to have to make sure you are acknowledging the achievements of your staff.  Let them know they are appreciated every time they reach a quality goal.  It doesn’t have to be a pizza party or enormous cake (although I’ve never heard of a department who complained about these things).  It can be as simple as a thank you to staff at a department meeting, or a banner signifying the achievement on the bulletin board.  Create a list of staff members who maintained 100% accuracy over a 30-120 day period and post their names for all to see.  Create a SPD Tech of the Year award for the staff member with the highest QA percentage.  Just little things to let your staff know that you see their work, and appreciate it.

I guarantee the patients you serve will as well.