1. Building a Blueprint for Certification
March 31, 2012
Natalie Lind, CRCST, CHL, FCS
IAHCSMM Educational Director

2. Building a Blueprint for Certification

3. Times are changing…
…so is CSSD education!

4. Today’s Sterile Processing
Requires highly skilled technicians and managers.

5. Are you…
…ready for the future?

6. Is your Department ready?

7. TECHNOLOGY
How will you prepare?

8. “Education helps one cease being intimidated by strange situations.”
~Maya Angelou

9. “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
~Alvin Toffler

10. Build your department’s future.

11. Certification
Training

12. Certification

13. AAMI ST79 (2010)
“It is recommended that all personnel performing sterile processing activities be certified as a condition of employment. At a minimum, all such personnel should successfully complete a central service certification examination within two years of employment and should maintain that certification throughout their employment.”

14. AORN Position Statement
Allied Health Care Providers and Support Personnel in the Perioperative Practice Setting (accessed online )
Allied health care providers should be graduates of accredited education programs or should successfully complete a specialty certification process. Allied health care providers in the perioperative setting include, but are not limited to,
 anesthesia technicians and technologists,
 biomedical technicians,
 endoscopy technicians,
 materials management personnel,
 medical assistants,
 nursing assistive personnel,
 sterile processing technicians, and
 surgical technologists.

15. What is Certification?
A practice-based educational program that will help you understand your job better and will prepare you to make good technical decisions.

16. IAHCSMM Certification Program Topics include:
Medical Terminology
Microbiology
Infection Control
Cleaning
Disinfection
Instrument Inspection and Assembly
Packaging
Sterilization Methods
Sterilization Quality Assurance
Sterile Storage and Handling
Inventory Control and Distribution
Regulatory Requirements
Human Relations and Customer Service

17. Certification Concepts…
…Go Hand in Hand with our department’s education needs.
Incorporating Certification into staff training should be every department’s goal.

18. Congratulations! You’ve just completed the hardest part!
You’ve made the decision to develop a certification based training program.

19. Now What?

20. Is it possible to do it in your Spare Time?

21. Roadblocks to Staff Certification
Time
Money
Commitment (yours or others)
Buy-in from Staff

22. “Whether you think you can or can’t, you are right.”
~Henry Ford

23. Making the Transition
Let’s examine some ways to incorporate certification concepts into your existing system.

24. Review the CS Technical Manual
Use portions as references for procedures.
Assign portions as reading assignments during training.

25. Incorporate into Competencies
Competency: Inspection and Evaluation of Surgical Instruments
Employee Name:
 Competency Met:
 Improvement Plan Activated:
(Date and Signature of Preceptor)
Learning Resources:
1. Job Description
2. Department Orientation Manual
3. Policies and Procedure Manual
4. Manufacturers sterilization instructions
5. IAHCSMM CS Technical Manual, Seventh Edition, Chapters 11 and 12

26. Incorporate into Training Plans
Name:
Reading: 
IAHCSMM CS Technical Manual, Seventh Edition
Read Chapters 7, 8 and 9*
Video:
Envision Video – Decontamination*
*Complete Review Questions

27. Microbiology
A HUGE part of our jobs is the destruction and control of microorganisms.
Departmental education in concepts of Microbiology is usually minimal.

28. Incorporate Microbiology into Training by:
Incorporating micro terminology into procedures and training documents.
Using real-life examples to help new employees understand the growth and transmission of microorganisms.
Inviting your Infection Control Professional to visit with staff in the work area.
Developing a basic reference library for trainees.
Incorporating computer tutorials into training processes.
Asking a hospital lab professional to share some basics with your staff.

29. Anatomy and Physiology
A basic knowledge of A & P will help us communicate better with our customers and will help us understand procedures and instrument functions.

30. Incorporate A & P into Training by:
Developing a glossary of terms that technicians see routinely.
Placing a basic (simplified) Anatomy chart in the work area.

31. Medical Terminology
A knowledge of basic medical terms helps us communicate with our customers and it helps us understand the items we handle.

32. Incorporate Medical Terminology into Training by:
Developing a glossary of surgical terms that technicians routinely encounter.
Incorporating medical terminology into procedures as appropriate.

33. Infection Prevention

34. Incorporate Infection Control into Training by:
Using real-life examples of bacterial transmission.
Designing a “so that” tutorial that walks new employees through CS infection control protocols and explains why each is important.
Involving employees in departmental infection control rounds.

35. Decontamination

36. Incorporate Decontamination Theory into Training by:
Creating Labels for the work area that provide the generic classification of each chemical and explain the abilities (limits) of each.
Incorporating terminology from certification materials into procedures and protocols.

37. Patient Care Equipment

38. Incorporate Equipment Handling into Training by:
Providing all technicians with a general overview of equipment management, even if their job is only to decontaminate or dispense it. Technicians need to see how their role in equipment management fits into the overall picture.

39. Instrument Management

40. The Financial Impact of CSSD
Share costs of new instruments.
Share refurbishing and repair costs.

41. Instrument Handling

42. Inspection & Assembly

43. Implants Incorporate requirements for sterilization and monitoring.
Incorporate information about procurement and Inventory Control.

44. Scope Handling
Incorporate process terminology from the certification curriculum.
Develop protocols that reference the text.

45. Ancillary Department Support
Use this area to insert information about Customer Service, Quality (Six Sigma) and Human Relations.

46. Sterilization Develop procedures that use certification terminology.
Enhance procedures to include not only how, but why.

47. Factors Influencing Sterilization

48. Develop a training document that:
Explain what happens during sterilization cycles.
Lists common causes for sterilization failure.
Provides technicians with a checklist for item preparation.
Lists the impact on sterilization that each departmental process can have (i.e. decontamination, packaging, etc.)

49. Quality Assurance Don’t just teach color changes, etc.
Explain the reason for each test and explain what each test is designed to measure.

50. Good Work Practices Include the reasons “why” into procedures.
Explain how good work practices impact patient safety.

51. Distribution Systems
Include basic information about inventory management and distribution into your department’s procedures.
Use CSSD curriculum terminology to describe processes.

52. Surgical Support Describe the role of CSSD in surgical support.
Partner with Surgery to help technicians see how their job impacts OR.

53. Technology is increasing at a rapid pace!

54. Patient Safety depends on CSSD Education.

55. Certified CSSD Technicians are a valuable part of the patient support team.
Prepare for certification by building bridges between everyday work practices and certification curriculum.

56. Don’t be Overwhelmed Take things a step at a time. …Now …Next Month
…Next Year
…5 Years from now

57. “Think Out of the Box” Look at your department’s needs.
Develop a system that meets those needs.

58. Involve Staff Get Input
Give everyone a chance to show what they can do.

59. Create a Learning Culture
Information Boards
Directed Discussions
Reference Books
Industry Publications
Incorporate Certification Terminology and Concepts into daily activities.

60. Create Learning Ladders

61. Seminars and Workshops
If you can’t afford to send people to a conference, create a mini-conference in your facility.

62. Things won’t always go as planned.
Make adjustments.
Pick up where you left off.
Revise your schedule.
But keep moving towards your goal!

63. “Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day
“Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime.”
~Chinese Proverb

64. Some Closing Thoughts

65. Moving Forward Requires Change
“I put a dollar in one of those change machines. Nothing changed.” ~ George Carlin

66. “To say my fate is not tied to your fate, is like saying, your end of the boat is sinking.”
- Hugh Downs
From, My America, What My Country Means to Me by 150 Americans from all Walks of Life

67. Staff Education is the Key…
…to your department’s future!

68. Staff Development…
…is a worthwhile investment.

69. Remember, when it comes to staff development…
…Planning is Everything!

70. Building a Blueprint for Certification
Will make you’re the next steps easier to take!

71. Thank you!

72. International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management www.iahcsmm.org