HEALTHCARE SELF-STUDY SERIES N
PURCHASING EWS
December 2019 he self-study lesson on this central serice topic was deeloped by ealth are. he lessons are administered by ndeaor ealthcare edia.
Earn CEUs fter careful study of the lesson complete the eamination at the end of this section. ail the completed test and scoring fee to Healthcare Purchasing News for grading. e will notify you if you hae a passing score of percent or higher and you will receie a certi cate of completion within days. reious lessons are aailable at
www.hpnonline.com.
Certifi cation he ertification oard for terile rocessing and istribution has pre-approed this in-serice for one 1 contact hour for a period of e years from the date of original publica- tion. uccessful completion of the lesson and post test must be
documented by facility management and those records maintained by the indiidual until re- certi cation is reuired. R . or additional information regarding certification contact - 1 ain treet uite -1 ebanon •
www.sterileprocessing.org.
nternational ssociation of ealth-
care entral erice ateriel anagement has pre-approed this in-serice for 1. ontinu-
ing ducation redits for a period of three years until oember . he approal number for this lesson is 3M-HPN 190611. or more information direct any uestions to
Healthcare Purchasing News 1 - et. .
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Explain how to motivate and inspire technicians
2. Describe emotional intelligence
3. Explain how to retain technicians with opportunities and promotions
Employee engagement!
Managing our best and brightest in Sterile Processing by Monique L Jelks, BA, CRCST
T
he greatest challenge for many ster- ile processing leaders is acquiring and retaining the best and brightest
technicians. Sterile processing technicians work tirelessly behind the scene of sur- gery, ensuring surgical instrument sets are complete and safe to use from one patient to the next, without ever seeing the fruit of their labor. The work pro- duced by sterile processing technicians is the foundation for which surgery stands, however, its profession and practice are still uncommonly known, aside from those who work in perioperative services. For these reasons, retaining the best and brightest technicians is crucial for sup- porting the best surgical outcomes. Sterile processing leaders must focus harder on motivating and inspiring technicians by gaining their trust and respect as well as creating goals and opportunities for their success.
Motivation and inspiration! The stress of sterile processing is often ignited by seemingly unrealistic demands to produce more sterile sets than what is available and/or the time allowed to sterilize them. No matter the demand, technicians in many sterile processing departments band together as a team and “make it happen” without recognition of a job excellently performed. Without motivation or inspiration from sterile processing leaders, this type of perfor- mance on a consistent basis will result in disengagement and eventually turnover. Without motivation, people will not help, and the effort goes nowhere1
. In order to
motivate and inspire, sterile processing leaders must gain the trust and respect of those they lead as well as understand how to manage their own emotional stressors and identify the same in others.
Sponsored by:
Trust and respect When the best and brightest technicians trust and respect their leader, only then
34 December 2019 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS •
hpnonline.com
can the leader motivate and inspire them. Leaders can gain respect by sharing their knowledge of regulatory standards and processes performed within their own department. Being able to articulate and answer the “why” and “how” questions about sterile processing is inspiring for those who learn from your knowledge. Leaders can gain trust by ensuring con- cerns are addressed by taking action and/ or providing follow-up communication. When technicians are supported, they are motivated to do a better job2
. No matter
how big or small the concern, leaders must follow through with action and/or follow- up communication for how the concern will be resolved. Often times, leaders miss the opportunity to motivate or gain trust because concerns may seem insignifi cant. For example, taking action to ensure drink- ing cups are in the break room. Although this request may seem insignifi cant to the leader, for the technician working in the decontamination area all day this is a big concern when they only have a 15-minute break and must leave the department to fi nd a drink of water. Trust and respect go hand in hand; without one or the other, leaders will be less effective in their ability to engage sterile processing technicians. Leaders must be careful to understand that respect gained is not equal to being trustworthy. Technicians may respect their leader’s knowledge about sterile process- ing standards and department processes but have no trust in their leader’s ability to support them when they ask for help. In essence, effective leaders possess the knowledge to inspire and the ability to motivate others with their actions.
Emotional intelligence Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize and manage emotions in your- self as well as recognize and understand the emotions of others3
. Leaders must
possess self and social awareness in order to create an atmosphere of trust
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