Beyond Clean Articles On-The-Go
22 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago -Don't have time to sit down and read an article about the Sterile Processing industry? No sweat. We've got you covered with "Articles On-The-Go!" Think miniature audiobooks filled to the brim with tips, insights, and commentary on #FightingDirty every instrument, every time.
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Episodes
Every Heart and Mind: 4 Crucial Tips for Cultivating "Mission-Believers" in your Sterile Processing Department
May 05, 2021 09:00 - 6 minutes - 8.79 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, tune in to learn about why mission matters in Sterile Processing: "But if you've been a CS/SPD leader for more than five minutes, you know that getting all members of the team to "buy-in" to the larger mission and vision of your department is not an easy feat. However, cultivating a team full of these mission-believers is one of the most important things you could be doing as a CS/SPD leader. If you get this right, you can see transformation of your tea...
Back to School: An Insider's Guide to Being a Student & an A+ CS/SPD Tech
April 28, 2021 09:00 - 5 minutes - 8.19 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, tune in to learn about how to balance schooling and working to get to where you want to be in Sterile Processing: "Whether that's starting an Associates program for surgical technology, finishing off a Bachelors in nursing, or putting the finishing touches on a Masters in Business -- working, schooling, and dealing with life is always a delicate balance in the world of CS/SPD. I started my own career in Sterile Processing as a frontline technician worki...
Against the CC-Shotgun (and Other Email Etiquette Tips for Sterile Processing Professionals)
April 21, 2021 09:00 - 5 minutes - 7.74 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, tune in to learn about what NOT to do when it comes to email communication in Sterile Processing: "Is this everything you ever needed to know about email? Not even close. But hopefully it will help save you from one of those long walks of email-shame I had to take early on in my SPD career. You don't have to learn the hard way like some of us have. And remember, at the end of the day, each email you send becomes a part of your living, breathing resume -...
Don't Just Do Something, Stand There: Why Activity (Alone) is Not the Answer to your SPD Problems
April 14, 2021 09:00 - 6 minutes - 8.45 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, tune in to learn about why activity alone won't save your department: "So, how do we cope with this ever-present flurry of processing activity? Vendors wanting meetings, surgeons wanting answers, staff wanting attention, bosses wanting efficiency, and us wanting to succeed. Before I throw out a few answers to this, let's take a look at the most common, but least effective response to the overwhelming nature of our jobs as modern-day microbial dragon sla...
10 Ways Hospitals Put their Patients and Sterile Processing Departments at Risk
April 07, 2021 09:00 - 10 minutes - 14.8 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, tune in to learn about how your hospital may be putting it's Sterile Processing team and their patients at risk: "Chances are high that there may be unmet needs sitting in plain sight in your facility's CS/SPD department. Even if this team made it through your most recent infection control tracer or tri-annual survey, there may still be issues that need addressing, capital that needs investing, and collaboration that needs implementing. Because many CS ...
90 Days of Sterile Processing Glory: Taking Dominion of CS/SPD Onboarding
March 31, 2021 09:00 - 6 minutes - 8.35 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, tune in to learn about onboarding best practices for Sterile Processing technicians: "With limited time and resources, most hospitals just can't afford an extended orientation process for frontline instrument technicians. So what are you to do? How do you take the raw material of an earnest, critical thinking new hire and turn them into the next Sterile Processing Leonidas, to stand against the invading forces of bioburden (and win)? Here are a few onbo...
How Could Pay for Productivity: Change the Game for Your SPD Team
March 24, 2021 09:00 - 6 minutes - 8.78 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, tune in to learn about linking productivity with pay days in Sterile Processing: "If you're not already on the phone to your Director of Finance I've got even more ammunition for you. These numbers we're talking about aren't even touching the savings you could see in doing away with the need for costly overtime (at time and a half -- upwards of $3,000/month) and the competitive edge it would give your department both in retaining and recruiting the abso...
Don't Let Vendors Monopolize Your Storage Space: How to Get your SPD Out of (Consignment) Jail
March 10, 2021 10:00 - 5 minutes - 7.36 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, tune in for encouragement around taking control of out-of-control consignment inventory in your Sterile Processing department: "If you feel like you're drowning in consignment trays, I hope this post gives you a few ideas on how to start the long, hard swim to the shore. If you're wanting to put your data collection and consignment process into overdrive, check out a few of the loaner/consignment management systems on the market -- and look into leverag...
Sterile Processing Travelers: Your Mini-Guide to Contract Agency Staffing in Your SPD
March 03, 2021 10:00 - 8 minutes - 11 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, tune in for a game plan for excelling as an SPD Traveler AND a department who hires them: "When a new traveler arrives to begin a contract at your facility, don't forget these folks are not robots. They may be highly trained and highly experienced technicians, but they are still human beings. Their onboarding process may have to be accelerated, but it needs to be there, nonetheless. You should factor in adequate time for them to get acquainted with your...
You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone: How Incomplete Surgical Trays Kill Your Culture
February 24, 2021 10:00 - 5 minutes - 7.94 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, tune in for tips on tackling your missing instrument challenges: "Few things are more frustrating for front line techs than to be processing along at full speed, noticing an instrument is missing, and then knowing it will take them forever to find the proper replacement. Whether you utilize a drawer system, peg board, or bin storage for your backup instrumentation -- the key to success here is organization. Personally, I'm a fan of bin storage because i...
Winning the OR Culture Wars: Sterile Processing & Surgeons… How You Can Spread the Love
February 17, 2021 10:00 - 8 minutes - 11.1 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, tune in for ideas on how to win over your surgeons to become advocates for your Sterile Processing team: "There are few better ways to set off a stressed out surgeon than to consistently fail him or her in the area of surgical instrumentation. Whether it's a set that's unsterile for her first case, a scope that is cloudy for the umpteenth time, or an untimely delay in delivering the additional needle holders he needs to replace the ones that aren't lock...
One Book to Rule Them All: 5 Creative Ways to Read the AAMI Standards & Not Get Bored
February 10, 2021 10:00 - 6 minutes - 8.89 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, tune in for creative encouragement to read your copy of AAMI ST79: "You've heard it said that it takes a village to raise a child. I would argue that it takes a village to read the standards. Not only was ST79 crafted by a diverse group of Sterile Processing and healthcare leaders across the country, but that's also the best way to read it! Why not get your local or regional Sterile Processing organization to do a monthly conference call where you all g...
So you want to be a Sterile Processing Technician? Here are 5 Tips to Create a Competitive Resume
February 03, 2021 10:00 - 5 minutes - 7.9 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, tune in for tips on how to create a competitive Sterile Processing resume: "This resume you are working on could be the road map for all kinds of future career growth. Although you may be thinking it's just for an entry level Sterile Processing position, if you were to land the job, you could very well become the most viable candidate for that supervisor or manager position a few years down the road. The point is, your resume is more important than this...
Sterile Processing Service Excellence: 5 Tips to Become the Chick-fil-A of Your Surgical Team
January 27, 2021 10:00 - 5 minutes - 7.73 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, tune in for tips on becoming the Chick-fil-A of your surgical team by focusing on service excellence in SPD: "You know your customers better than anyone else, so be intentional about hiring SPD techs according to your overarching department emphasis on customer service. Include questions in your interview process about how the candidate has handled an irate customer in the past, or ask them to describe a time when they had to communicate complex informa...
Go Out Among the Hedges: The Place for Sterile Processing Leadership in Recruiting All-Stars
January 20, 2021 10:00 - 5 minutes - 7.2 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, tune in for encouragement and recommendations on your hunt for Sterile Processing all-stars at your hospital: "Not only is the physical location of the Sterile Processing department in the basement of the hospital, but it is often in the basement of the broader healthcare consciousness. Society knows about doctors and nurses, x-ray techs and anesthesiologists - but who ever heard of a sterilization tech? Is that, like, for people? Even with these excuse...
Is Time On Your Side? 5 Tips for Winning the Race Against the Reprocessing Clock
January 13, 2021 10:00 - 6 minutes - 9.36 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, tune in for tips on addressing all the "time" requirements in your Sterile Processing department: "While the days of pocket watches may be behind us, and wrist watches are a no-no for infection control reasons, the decontamination area of your SPD should still be replete with plenty of ticks and tocks. Besides knowing how to clean (which is challenging all by itself), frontline reprocessing technicians must also be given the tools to know how long to cl...
On Sticks & Stones: How to Rescue Your SPD from a Culture of Failure
January 06, 2021 10:00 - 6 minutes - 8.27 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, listen in for insights around overcoming service failures in your Sterile Processing department: "In the world of Sterile Processing, you rarely get the opportunity to build your reputation or the reputation of your departments from scratch. And even if you could, because mistakes are part of human nature, your SPD team will have to overcome a process failure at some point in their professional experience. But those failures should be seen as the except...
Cultivating your Team: How to "Grow Your Own" Sterile Processing Leaders
December 30, 2020 10:00 - 6 minutes - 8.99 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, tune in for insight into preparing your department's Sterile Processing technicians for growth opportunities right where they are: "As you interview for entry level SPD tech positions, always be thinking about what inherent qualities this person has for future leadership opportunities -- and, if you can, try to hire folks who are smarter than you. This will mean that you look for more qualities in a potential candidate than just the ones that will make ...
Let's Stop Kidding Ourselves: What's the Problem with Tracking Sterile Processing Productivity?
December 23, 2020 10:00 - 5 minutes - 6.87 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, tune in for insights on the challenges of tracking Sterile Processing productivity: "How many of your facility administrators really know what your Sterile Processing team does? Or, perhaps a better question, how many of them know how long it takes for your team to do what they do? How long should it take? Is there even a good answer to that question? First, let's start with some bad answers to these Sterile Processing productivity questions...." Subs...
Want to Recognize Sterile Processing Technicians? Pay Them What They're Worth
December 16, 2020 10:00 - 3 minutes - 5.11 MBOn this series premiere of Articles On-The-Go, listen in for an important conversation around Sterile Processing compensation: "Like it or not, we live in a universe where money is used to signify value. While the best things in life may very well be free, the hard work of a skilled tradesman should not be. There is a reason that many of the best and brightest of our departments are leaving to rep for device companies, work in equipment sales, and take up contracts as traveling/agency techni...
The Weakness of the Power of Positive Thinking: Why Reality Matters in Your Sterile Processing Dept
December 09, 2020 10:00 - 5 minutes - 7.49 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, listen in for an important conversation around Sterile Processing inspiration: "[A]midst all the challenges, we also experience tremendous victories as a Sterile Processing team. We save lives. We preempt the horrible suffering that could occur due to a surgical site infection. We provide sterile and functional tools to the anatomical artists in the OR who reconstruct broken bodies and broken bones. We help find tumors, deliver babies, and restore sight...
Social Media Overdrive: How to Get the Most Out of Your SPD Linkedin Presence
December 02, 2020 10:00 - 7 minutes - 10.5 MBOn this episode of Articles On-The-Go, learn about how to use Linkedin to benefit yourself, your career, and your future as a Sterile Processing professional: "As the old cliché says, "Anything worth doing is worth doing right." If you want to "do" Linkedin right as a CS professional or vendor, you must come to this platform with a strategic plan. Even if your ultimate goal is just building the most vibrant network of knowledgeable CS leaders like yourself, to share best practices and best p...