SELF-STUDY SERIES
October 2015 The self-study lesson on this central service topic was developed by 3M Health Care. The lessons are administered by KSR Publishing Inc.
Earn CEUs
The series can assist readers in maintaining their CS certifi cation. After careful study of the lesson, complete the examination at the end of this section. Mail the complete examination and scoring fee to Healthcare Purchasing News for grading. We will notify you if you have a passing score of 70 percent or higher, and you will receive a certifi cate of completion within 30 days. Previous lessons are available on the Internet at
www.hpnonline.com.
Certifi cation
The CBSPD (Certifi cation Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution) has pre-approved this in-service for one (1) contact hour for a period of fi ve (5) years from the date of original publication. Successful completion of the lesson and post test
must be documented by facility management and those records maintained by the individual until re- certifi cation is required. DO NOT SEND LESSON OR TEST TO CBSPD. For additional information regarding certifi cation contact CBSPD - 148 Main Street, Suite C-1, Lebanon, NJ 08833 •
www.sterileprocessing.org. IAHCSMM (International Association of Healthcare
Central Service Materiel Management) has pre- approved this in-service for 1.0 Continuing Education Credits for a period of three years, until September 2, 2018.
The approval number for this lesson is HPN 150209. For more information, direct any questions to Healthcare Purchasing News (941) 927-9345, ext. 202.
Learning Objectives
1. Discuss the types of disasters that can impact a Sterile Processing Department.
2. Describe the benefi ts of conducting a Sterile Processing Department Risk Assessment.
3. Discuss Sterile Processing consid- erations that should be part of a facility Emergency Operations Plan.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by
Internal/external disasters in sterile processing: Are you prepared?
by Mark Duro CRCST, FCS S
terile Processing staff and leadership show up to their healthcare facilities on a daily basis usually knowing what to ex- pect when they arrive at work. OR schedules, staffi ng, sterile equipment availability and de- partment expectations are usually known and reviewed in advance. However, it is possible that adverse events, known as disasters, can have a drastic outcome on all the planning that has been done for a “routine” day in Sterile Processing. This self-study article will discuss specifi c adverse events and how to manage, recover from and plan for the unexpected.
Disasters that can affect healthcare A disaster is defi ned as “a calamitous event, especially one occurring suddenly and caus- ing great loss of life, damage, or hardship, as a fl ood, airplane crash, or business failure.”1 In healthcare facilities we prepare for the unexpected by having a Disaster Prepared- ness or Emergency Operations Plan. The Joint Commission states, “All organizations must have an emergency management program, Emergency Management Plan, or Emergency Operations Plan depending on the size of the program or facility, so that an individual’s care can be continued effectively in the event of emergency situations. An Emergency Management Plan should indicate specifi c responses to the types of disasters likely to be encountered by the organization.”2
Explain-
ing Standard EM.02.01.01, which states that “The hospital has an Emergency Operations Plan,” The Joint Commission notes, “The hospital’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is designed to coordinate its communications, resources and assets, safety and security, staff responsibilities, utilities, and patient clinical and support activities during an emergency.”3 Disasters affecting healthcare facilities can
be categorized into two types: internal and external. Both types of disasters may have components that are natural in origin or man-made. Disasters of natural origin include earthquakes, fl oods, landslides, hurricanes, tornados, blizzards, etc. Examples of man- made disasters include war, bomb blasts,
46 October 2015 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS •
www.hpnonline.com
chemical leaks, riots, sewerage backups, arson, etc. An external disaster is an occurrence or incident outside the hospital in which the hos- pital is expected to assist. An external disaster can contribute to unexpected infl uxes of both surgical and non-surgical patients. Internal disasters are situations occurring inside the hospital (e.g., fi re inside the hospital, fl ood- ing, unexpected structural damage, internal environmental changes). Whether natural, man-made, internal or external, these types of disasters can have a direct impact on the Sterile Processing Department.
Facility preparation In general most healthcare facilities will have an Emergency Operations Plan in place. These plans will have policies that focus on deal- ing with internal and external disasters. Key points that are in a heathcare facility’s Emer- gency Operations Plan will be procedures for: Prevention - Those activities that a hospital undertakes in advance to prevent the occur- rence of a potential disaster. Mitigation - Those activities that a hospital undertakes in advance to lessen the severity and impact of a potential disaster. Preparedness - Those activities that a hospital undertakes to build capacity and identify resources that may be used should an emergency or disaster occur. Response - Those activities a hospital un- dertakes immediately before, during and after an emergency or unexpected disaster occurs. Recovery - Those activities that a hospital undertakes after a disaster occurs to restore services and move towards long-term res- toration.4 Most plans will have detailed information on how the facility will cope with issues inter- nally or externally and will provide detailed criteria that will defi ne how a plan is initiated or “called out.” The Joint Commission states in EM.02.01.01 EP6 that “The Emergency Op- erations Plan identifi es the individual(s) who has the authority to activate the response and recovery phases of the emergency response.”3 Dealing with disasters is a task that cannot be managed by only a few. It is common that a
SELF-STUDY SERIES
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