Stories From The Field (Moab Healthcare)
Sterile Processing Department (SPD) Challenges: Unprocessed Trays at 0700
The Dirty Truth
If you have managed SPD, you know the drill: Monday morning, dirty trays are at a minimum and things are generally “caught up”. Each day thereafter, the quantity of dirty, unprocessed trays increases exponentially, and you fall further behind. As the pile grows, so do physician complaints, case delays, errors, and “call ins” The weekend finally arrives and you pay a bunch of overtime to play catch up but come Monday, rinse and repeat!
It is undeniable that there is a direct correlation between unprocessed trays and many of the problems in SPD. Are you counting and tracking unprocessed surgical trays each morning? If not, we highly recommend you start asap!
Here are 3 reasons why
Labor Management: Unprocessed trays are the number one indicator that you likely have a problem. Most hospitals Do Not have an adequate number of experienced SPD technicians. Let me repeat: Staffing levels in Sterile Processing rarely align with demand!
Cost Savings: There are several “buckets” to consider. How much are you spending onOvertime? What is the cost of staff turno...
