2026 articles

Engage Interdisciplinary Allies This Sterile Processing Week

By Julie E. Williamson

This article originally appeared in the Sept-Oct 2026 issue of Healthcare Hygiene magazine.

Sterile Processing Week is just weeks away (October 11–17, 2026), and the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA) urges all SP professionals to carve out quality time to celebrate themselves, their colleagues and their profession. Equally important, the week of honor provides a golden opportunity to spotlight the SPD’s significant contributions to infection prevention, patient safety, and positive procedural outcomes.

Getting other disciplines involved in Sterile Processing Week events is not just good for SP staff morale. It can also help set the stage for improved communication, partnerships and support, long after the dedicated week of honor draws to a close. While it is important to invite Surgical Services members (and other departments the SPD routinely serves) to planned events, it is prudent not to overlook infection preventionists, who can be among SP professionals’ greatest sources of support. SP leaders who have not yet forged an effective relationship with the IP(s): now is the perfect time to make those introductions, include them in your Sterile Processing Week functions, and start establishing a working framework for a more productive professional partnership.

Before the week’s official kickoff, set up a meeting with IPs to discuss the SPD’s challenges, successes and goals. Then, work together to determine the best ways to address them effectively. Could the department benefit from more full- or part-time employees? Are washer-disinfector or sterilizers frequently on the fritz? Is the standards library out of date, or is the team routinely pressured to rapidly turn around the same set of instruments because inventory does not match the increasing case volume? Are those in procedural areas failing to perform proper point-of-use treatment for instruments used during procedures? Has the SPD team expertly managed increased service demand with exceptionally low error rates? These are all critical points to share with the IP, who can then help go to bat (with data in hand) to the operating room, facility executives and other departments as needed. Their involvement can help drive positive, standards-based change and, perhaps, even help expand the SPD’s capital budget to accommodate more critical needs.

In honor of Sterile Processing Week, consider also asking the IP to write a brief statement about the SPD’s critical importance to patient safety, infection prevention and quality care. Beyond that, share some powerful statistics (e.g., low error rates, number of sets processed for the year thus far, how the department greatly reduced immediate-use steam sterilization rates; employee certification, and so on) in the facility’s newsletter or for inclusion in the SPD’s own materials/handouts created for Sterile Processing Week. IPs can also be asked to participate in a Sterile Processing Week educational session. The benefits of fostering a deeper relationship with IPs will extend well beyond the week of honor.

Damien Berg, BA, BS, CRCST, AAMIF, HSPA’s vice president of strategic initiatives, further underscored the importance of elevating relationships with administrators and those in infection prevention, surgical services, and beyond. “HSPA plays an important role in promoting the profession and its far-reaching contributions to patient safety. We actively engage with healthcare organizations and administrators as well as regulatory and standards-making bodies and other allied associations who influence and impact Sterile Processing,” he said.

“The importance of developing relationships with the C-suite so they better understand the vital role of SP technicians and the value that a well-trained, certified and competent staff brings to the organization cannot be overestimated,” he continued, noting that building broader interdisciplinary relationships begins with engaging them directly and asking them to become more involved. “This can begin with a simple conversation and an invitation to visit the department during Sterile Processing Week so they can witness firsthand all that takes place within the walls of the department and over the course of a technician’s busy shift.”

Visually highlight SPD’s accomplishments
Unleash the sterile processing team’s creativity and highlight the department’s top accomplishments by designing poster presentations with impressive statistics and displaying them during departmental tours and in corridors, breakrooms or other high-visibility areas of the facility. Did your department reach 100 percent certification? Did you make positive changes that led to error reduction, productivity increases or improved customer satisfaction? Don’t be shy about sharing those details with IPs, executive leaders and all departments the SPD serves. Sharing such details can help drive departmental support throughout the year.

For more Sterile Processing Week planning tips and resources, including free downloadable and customizable templates (posters, cards and appreciation certificates) to recognize and honor your staff, visit https://myhspa.org/resources/sterile-processing-week/.

Julie E. Williamson is director of communications for the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA).

Critical Skills to Lead Safe, High-Functioning SPDs

By Tony Thurmond, CRCST, CHL, CIS, FHSPA

This article originally appeared in the July-August 2026 issue of Healthcare Hygiene magazine.

The seemingly never-ending demands and expectations in today’s Sterile Processing departments (SPDs) can feel overwhelming and, at times, defeating. The inherent challenges of the discipline are precisely why knowledgeable, capable, empathetic leaders are so essential to the department’s success.

  New and experienced leaders (and individuals seeking leadership positions) must recognize the importance of leading by positive example, staying engaged, communicating effectively, and actively participating in the department’s day-to-day functions to support frontline team members. Today’s leaders cannot succeed behind closed doors or by focusing on numbers and siloed goals. While managerial responsibilities are certainly a leadership requirement, the mark of an effective leader is not only being knowledgeable and quality-focused but also being committed to sharing their knowledge and proactively addressing departmental and employee needs. Such qualities will help their staff members grow in their own roles in the name of professionalism, service quality and patient safety.

  It is also imperative to possess the knowledge and proper training before assuming a leadership role. If a leader was insufficiently or incorrectly trained in their previous position or organization, they are more likely to pass that same inadequate training on to their employees, setting everyone up for failure. Sometimes, a technician or educator is thrust into a leadership role prematurely, without proper direction and perhaps even without the person’s interest in assuming the position. Not everyone is cut out for leadership, so honest dialogue is necessary—and even those who are will still require ample support, training and guidance to lead effectively.

Standards address the need

Industry standards are clear about the need for qualified leaders. ANSI/AAMI ST79:2017(R)2022, Section 4.2.1, states that “all preparation and sterilization activities, including decontamination, inspection, preparation, packaging, sterilization, storage, and distribution should be supervised by competent, qualified personnel.” It goes on to recommend that “personnel assigned to a supervisory function should be prepared for this responsibility by education, training, and experience.” The minimum recommended qualifications are as follows.

• Successful completion of a sterile processing management certification examination. (More on this later.)
• Demonstration of current knowledge and adequate relevant experience in healthcare-related work.
• Participation in continuing education programs and courses, including personnel and material management programs; programs on financial management and leadership skills; and courses directly related to the management position, with special emphasis on infection prevention and control, safety and the principles and methods of sterile processing.
• Demonstration of comprehensive knowledge of pertinent state and federal regulations, particularly the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) regulations related to occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens (29 CFR-1901.1030), along with methods of compliance, such as an exposure control plan, the use of standards and transmission-based precautions, and engineering and workplace controls.

  Additionally, supervisory personnel should maintain competency throughout their tenure by:

• Participating in continuing education programs and courses;
• Participating in facility and departmental inservice and training programs; and
• Demonstrating and elevating their expertise through participation (as a member or resource) in committees within the healthcare facility (e.g., risk management, hazardous materials, quality improvement, infection prevention and control, safety, standardization, product evaluation, policies and procedures) and in quality improvement activities.

   Whether new to the role or experienced, the expectations are high, and learning and professional development must be ongoing. SP leaders will understandably be viewed as subject-matter experts, so they must know where to find the information and how to apply or disseminate it. Standards and guidelines change routinely, so knowing about and having ready access to the most current information is essential. Considering that leaders must also effectively manage and support their employees and interdisciplinary customers, it becomes clear that the leadership role is multifaceted and challenging.

  Note: As an SP leader, I strive to be available to my employees to answer questions and share their day-to-day experiences. I also try to take two or three trips through the Operating Room (OR) each day to see where we are providing our best service and identify areas where there could be improvement. The OR team has told me they see me more often than their own management does. Leaders should always seek opportunities to experience what their team experiences. This leads to opportunities for growth and allows your team to see your engagement. It is impactful when your team and customers see you are engaged with their needs and that you are not above coming to meet them and experiencing what they face each day.

Accountability and opportunities

Strong leaders know how to keep employees engaged by providing opportunities for accountability and improvement. Employees thrive when they have the knowledge, support and confidence to take ownership in their roles and decisions. Without staff input and engagement on the “why” behind what is done, it will be difficult to achieve successful outcomes. When employee input is sought, their suggestions are implemented, and they become active contributors to the department’s success.

  Those seeking a leadership role should look for professional development opportunities to elevate their skills. Individuals who hold the CRCST or Certified Instrument Specialist (CIS) certification, for example, can begin pursuing the Certified Healthcare Leader (CHL) certification (the latest edition of HSPA’s Sterile Processing Leadership Manual is now available). ST79 recommends the successful completion of a Sterile Processing management certification examination.  

Conclusion

Effective leadership requires continuous work and growth, with ups and downs and twists and turns each day. Still, having the privilege of leading a group of quality-focused individuals who are committed to providing the highest level of service to drive patient safety will be incredibly rewarding. A successful leader will translate to a successful team.

Tony Thurmond, CRCST, CHL, CIS, FHSPA, is sterile processing manager at Dayton Children’s Hospital.

Does Your Sterile Storage Stack Up for Safety?

By Tony Thurmond, CRCST, CIS, CHL, FHSPA

This article originally appeared in the May-June 2026 issue of Healthcare Hygiene magazine.

Proper storage of sterilized instruments is essential for patient safety, but it does not always get the attention it deserves. For starters, Sterile Processing departments (SPDs) may lack adequate sterile storage space, a problem exacerbated by the addition of new services and physicians who require specialized instruments.

To determine whether a facility’s sterile storage is adequate, it is essential to ask some key questions. Do you and your colleagues routinely struggle to locate instrument trays? Are they stored in a logical location or placed wherever there is an opening on a shelf (for example, do you often find bone-holding forceps in the eye instrument section)? Do you find unidentified instrument trays on shelves? Have you come across a tray that has not been used or sterilized in years? If so, it is necessary to address those problems so items are stored in the correct location and in an organized state that keeps them safe, uncompromised and ready for the next procedure.

Remember the Basics
Safe, sterile storage goes beyond just square footage and organization. Sterile Processing (SP) professionals must always remember and apply the basics of sterile storage and refer to standards, such as ANSI/AAMI ST79:2017(R)2022, Comprehensive guide to steam sterilization and sterility assurance in health care facilities, for guidance.

Sterile instruments and supplies must be stored in environmentally controlled conditions that minimize the risk of contamination. The areas must be kept clean and dry, with temperature and humidity monitored daily (at a minimum). The temperature may be as high as 75°F (24°C), and the relative humidity should be 70% or less. Additionally, there must be at least four air exchanges per hour in a positive airflow environment.

Shelving should meet specific requirements. Sterile items must be stored at least 8 to 10 inches from the floor, at least 18 inches below the ceiling or 18 inches from the bottom of the sprinkler head, and at least two inches from outside walls. Bottom shelves of storage units must be solid to protect them during environmental cleaning, and the shelving material should be metal or plastic to allow for thorough cleaning (wood or other porous materials must never be used). Shelving should be ergonomically designed for employee access, with adequate spacing between shelves and sufficient depth to prevent products from overhanging. Heavier trays should be placed on the middle shelves to make lifting safer. Shelves should also be clearly labeled, so items are easy to place, rotate and locate. To help ensure sterile items remain uncompromised, traffic to sterile storage areas should be limited to staff who work in the area or those granted permission to access it. Doors and windows should remain closed.

When organizing the sterile storage area, it is best to store specialty items (and those for surgical-based specialties) together. For example, Orthopedics can be extremely broad, so storing all power equipment together and arthroscopic items together makes it easier for technicians when pulling cases. Implant trays should be stored within the same vicinity and separated by vendor. Laparoscopic instruments should also be stored together, keeping cameras, endoscopes, and other laparoscopic equipment in close proximity when possible for easier case pulling. Doing so also allows the surgical team to find items more readily if they need to visit the SPD to pick up instruments or supplies. Note: Technician input should be solicited to ensure the sterile storage organization meets the team’s needs.
The sterile storage area should be cleaned routinely (each organization must establish and adhere to its cleaning policy). At my facility, each cleaning assignment is to be done every three to four weeks or as needed. This cleaning assignment is designed to address cleaning, stock rotation, and quality assurance checks. Staff members are required to check each tray, wrapped item or peel pack for package integrity. If holes are detected or a wrapper is compromised, it is removed from storage, opened, and taken to the decontamination area to restart the process. The same process happens if an item is missing the lot sticker or label. Once the item is released from the sterilization process, it should not be relabeled.

The cleaning assignment should include removing all items from the shelf and inspecting the packages for integrity and cleanliness. The outer indicator, whether a card in the container or the sterilization tape, must be identifiable. If there is any doubt, the package should be removed from service and taken to decontamination. The shelves should be wiped with an appropriate hospital-approved solution and allowed to dry properly before the items are returned. They should be placed in first-in, first-out (FIFO) order. The FIFO method—often overlooked and misunderstood—is a stock rotation system in which the oldest product is pulled first. The best FIFO method involves pulling from the right, meaning the newest item is stocked on the left, and older items are moved to the right. This method ensures that the oldest item is used first. Another practice that must be clearly understood is event-related sterility, which means items remain sterile until an event makes them unsterile.

Many factors can create an event, and the following must always be considered:

Product manufacturer recommendations – Most manufacturers of sterilization products state in their IFU that the integrity of the packaging was evaluated for a specific period and was not assessed beyond that period. For example, some wrappers and peel pouches are recommended only for a specific period.

The condition of the package – Remember, we often send trays or peel-pouch items to the OR that do not get used and then return to the sterile storage area.

Some questions to consider: How many people touched this product, and was it left in a safe place outside the sterile storage area? All items must be carefully inspected upon their return. If a package appears compromised or its integrity is in question, the item should be reprocessed.

The importance of proper care and handling of sterile instruments cannot be overstated. Proper attire is vital. Carrying items without a cover jacket is not acceptable. The same is true of holding sterile trays against the body or scrubs. How many times have you seen a teammate or OR staff member take a sterile tray and place it under their arms to carry it to another location? Trays should always be transported and stored upright, held with both hands away from the body to keep the items in place and prevent them from shifting. Transporting items by cart is easier and safer.

Proper management of sterile storage must be prioritized to ensure the patient receives the highest-quality, safest product for their procedure. It is every SP professional’s responsibility to ensure that sterilized items are properly stored to maintain sterility and that items are well organized, properly rotated, and easily retrievable.

Tony Thurmond, CRCST, CIS, CHL, FHSPA, is sterile processing manager at Dayton Children’s Hospital.

Infection Prevention and Sterile Processing: Partnering for Quality, Safety and Survey Readiness

By Eva Sabet Ghabrial, MBBCH, MHA, MPH, CIC, HACP, CRCST; and Casey Stanislaus Czarnowski, BA, CRCST, CIS, CER

This article originally appeared in the Jan-Feb 2026 issue of Healthcare Hygiene magazine.

Infection preventionists (IPs) and sterile processing (SP) professionals are critical members of the healthcare safety team; therefore, it is prudent that they partner strategically to use their unique skill sets and perspectives to drive quality outcomes and reduce infection risk. Through a combination of experience and expertise, IPs leverage their organizational perspective to support staff across all departments in prioritizing patient safety. To fulfill their roles, IPs must spend time across the organization’s departments, observing and auditing processes. The information gathered is used to improve processes, prepare for surveys, and inform policy development.

With time constraints and staffing issues being an all-too-common challenge across healthcare departments and disciplines, the need for interdisciplinary teamwork becomes even more pressing. Effective departmental leaders know that quality improvement, infection prevention and survey readiness are ongoing priorities. They also know that their IP partners can help them remain consistent in their specialized duties each day to ensure patient safety. IPs support SPDs and other specialized departments by promoting survey preparedness and identifying ways to improve processes. They can make the most of their time in these departments by adopting key strategies that increase staff buy-in and engagement.

Preparation and Communication Essentials

SPDs benefit greatly from regular IP visits and collaboration. IPs and SP leaders can make the most of this partnership by ensuring proper introductions, preparation and thoughtful yet focused communication. IPs and SP leaders who are new to their roles or to a facility can begin building those interdisciplinary relationships by scheduling an introductory meeting with staff from the other department. The meeting could occur during a monthly staff meeting or on a late-start day. Note: When scheduling an introductory meeting with SP staff, it is best to avoid a shift huddle, as huddles are often brief and occur in a sometimes noisy environment where employees are already facing time pressures. Time will be better spent if staff members can meet outside hectic work areas.

Whenever possible, IPs and SP leaders should schedule in-person meetings rather than virtual or phone meetings. IPs can benefit from sharing presentation slides with SP professionals to explain how IPs support the daily work in the SPD. The presentation can also explain the IP’s role in the broader healthcare system and how the IP department can help the SPD prepare for and excel during accreditation surveys. Similarly, SP leaders can use presentation slides to explain the SPD’s roles and responsibilities to new IPs.

After the initial introduction, IPs can work with SP leaders to schedule in-person visits to the department. Communication is especially important during this phase; IP visits should never be a surprise. Scheduling in advance, in collaboration with SP leaders, conveys respect and demonstrates understanding of SP professionals’ busy schedules. Visits should also encompass all shifts, ensuring that all employees receive the same information and understand the importance of shared goals and ongoing teamwork and collaboration between IP and the SPD. When SP professionals are informed of the IP’s upcoming visit and purpose, logistical details should also be addressed. If the IP requests permission to take photos during the visit, for example, it should be explained to employees that photos will not identify staff or be used punitively, but only for illustrative or educational purposes. This approach sets the stage for mutual trust and collaboration during actual internal audits.

During IP visits to the SPD, both verbal and non-verbal communication is essential to ensure employees feel at ease and able to speak candidly. An unspoken way to communicate teamwork and ensure adherence to proper safety and infection prevention protocols is for IPs always to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when observing work in the SPD. Wearing PPE reinforces the idea that IP and SP staff are on the same team, working toward the same goal. Engaging with employees where the work is happening is one of the best ways for IPs to learn and provide support. SP leaders should ensure that IPs have ready access to scrub/PPE and ensure that IPs and other visitors understand which PPE is required for different work areas.

Most importantly, those scheduled internal audits present a golden opportunity for IPs to explain the why behind each step of the process. This explanation can be provided after a survey-like question the IP asks a staff member, as part of correcting an observation, or, more broadly, through a presentation at a staff meeting. In understanding the why behind what they are required to do, SPD staff feel respected and valued as intelligent adult learners. Additionally, this concept allows them to better digest and retain the information for when they are surveyed by various regulatory bodies.

IPs are valuable partners to SPDs and other departments within the healthcare organization. Strong, ongoing interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for preventing infections and driving high-quality, safe patient care and other positive outcomes. Reaching that goal requires dedication and proactive involvement from IPs and departmental leaders, with an emphasis on teamwork, education and understanding.

Eva Sabet Ghabrial, MBBCH, MHA, MPH, CIC, HACP, CRCST, is an infection preventionist with a passion for patient safety and high-quality care.

Casey Stanislaus Czarnowski, BA, CRCST, CIS, CER, is a clinical educator for the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA).