O C T O B E R 2 0 1 6 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 1 0 3
Can You Speed Up Your
Reprocessing Department?
S
ome things, like instrument reprocessing, you simply
can't rush. But try telling that to an overbooked, over-
the-top surgeon who's doing a slow burn waiting for his
tools to return from central sterile so he can start the
next case already. What's an OR manager to do?
a. automate some of the tasks your reprocessing techs have tradi-
tionally done by hand
b. buy more instrument sets
c. educate your surgeons about the washing and sterilization
process
d. all of the above
• TRUST THE PROCESS Resist the temptation — and the pressure — to skip steps in the washing and sterilization process to keep up with surgical demand.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
You can't cut corners or skip steps, but automation can help you get
sets back to the OR sooner. Dan O'Connor | Editor-in-Chief