efficiency. These containers already have longevity. With this added
benefit, though, they're virtually worry-free.
• Space. Another concern, one we also shared when we began pur-
chasing rigid containers, is storage space. Compared with blue wrap,
these sets are big and bulky and take up lots of room. Scrambling to
make way for containers can seem cumbersome, but if your turnover
demands a change, space issues shouldn't hold you back. You just have
to get creative. We re-arranged our SPD in the best way possible and
took to stacking the containers so we could maximize our floor space
as much as possible. It took time, but the change was worth the hassle,
and it's easy to settle into a new system once you've planned it out
with your team.
Checking all the boxes
When it comes to sterile processing, doing the best job you can stems
from 3 guiding principles: maximizing quality, ensuring safety and
minimizing time. Some-times, though, adhering to quality and time
constraints seem at odds with each other and, if there's a heavy
demand for turnover due to high case volume, your reprocessing
techs come under pressure and often work miracles to balance their
time. For our hospital's SPD, rigid sealed containers held the answer
to our dilemmas. Plus, the latest models save time, money and effort
without sacrificing quality. This aim should be every manager's aim.
OSM
Ms. Betarello-Hemerka (erinta.betarello-hemerka@uhhospitals.org) is the
manager of support services at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio, where
she previously managed central sterile processing.
Thinking of Buying …
TB
1 0 6 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 8
