SPECIALTY
ASSEMBLIES
Staying current with sterilization standards
By Carina Stanton
Senior News Editor/Writer
If AORN's Perioperative Standards and Recommended Practices is considered the authoritative guide for perioperative nursing, then the Association for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and Advancement of Medical Instrumentation's (AAMI) Comprehensive Guide to Steam Sterilization and Sterility Assurance in the Healthcare Setting, ST:79:2006/A1:2008 (commonly known as ST:79) is considered the authoritative guide for any healthcare professional involved in sterilization and sterile processing. However, ST:79 standards are frequently referenced in AORN's standards and recommended practices, and AORN leaders are actively involved in the development, continued updating and shared understanding of ST:79 standards.
Why? Because sterilization impacts so much of a perioperative nurses' daily practice, according to Cynthia Spry, RN, MA, MSN, CNOR, an infection control consultant, former AORN president and current co-chair of the AAMI workgroup for the ST:79 guideline. Her fellow co-chair on the ST:79 workgroup is Ramona Conner, RN, MSN, CNOR, manager of AORN's standards and recommended practices.
Understanding the current ST:79
ST:79 was released by AAMI to provide practitioners information within a consolidated text that combines five standards, which address:
- ANSI/AAMI ST:46, Steam sterilization and sterility assurance in health care facilities
- ANSI/AAMI ST:42, Steam sterilization and sterility assurance using table-top sterilizers in office-based, ambulatory-care medical, surgical, and dental facilities
- ANSI/AAMI ST:37, Flash sterilization: Steam sterilization of patient care items for immediate use
- ANSI/AAMI ST:35, Safe handling and biological decontamination of medical devices in health care facilities and in nonclinical settings
- ANSI/AAMI ST:33, Guidelines for the selection and use of reusable rigid sterilization container systems for ethylene oxide sterilization and steam sterilization in health care facilities.
Last year amendments to ST:79 were released in the ST:79/AI:2008 document. Over the past several months AAMI has hosted Webinars to introduce and reinforce the ST:79/AI:2008 standards to a large audience and to provide a forum for listeners to ask questions of several experts, including Spry and other AORN members.
"ST:79 is such a useful tool and the webinars give everyone an excellent review of the content, including those not familiar with the tool," Spry said, adding that she is seeing more and more perioperative nurses who work in the OR seeking to become more familiar with ST:79 standards. She hopes this interest continues to grow.
Staying current
"While perioperative nurses and managers are more focused on surgical procedures, they are often called upon to prepare instruments for surgery or to manage a sterile processing department," Spry said. "Familiarity with ST:79 can significantly increase the perioperative nurse's knowledge about steam sterilization and instrument processing."
Rose Seavey, RN, BS, MBA, CNOR, ACSP, agrees. She is a member of AORN's board of directors and has been actively involved in the coordinating council for AORN's Sterile Processing/Materials Management Specialty Assembly (SA) from its inception. Seavey is the president/CEO of Seavey Healthcare Consulting, Inc., and former director of the sterile processing department at the Children's Hospital in Denver. Her current work includes educating perioperative nurses and central sterile practitioners about current standards and safety practices, including awareness of ST:79 standards, as part of her work with Spry and Conner on the ST:79 workgroup.
"No matter what the size of the facility, this [ST:79] is a must-have resource for all healthcare personnel who work with steam sterilization. Every sterile processing department, operating room and infection control and prevention department should follow ST:79 have a copy of the guide in their reference library," Seavey stressed.
She led the recent AAMI ST:79/AI:2008 Webinar on decontamination, which outlines how the guideline addresses this issue. Seavey encourages perioperative staff to access the ST:79 webinar series and present one section at a time as an in-service.
Sharing knowledge
Along with Seavey, Spry and Conner, other members of AORN's SP/MM SA also participate in the ongoing development and education of ST:79. Nyla "Skee" Japp, RN, PHD, CSPDM, is a consultant for the operating room and sterile processing and is chair-elect of the SA. She said ST:79 provides one source for best practices that a facility can tailor to provide safe sterilization practices for the patient.
"Education and training of central sterile processing staff has for too long not been a priority in many healthcare facilities in the United States. Through this SA, AORN and its members recognize and participate in the ongoing educational efforts of sterile processing professionals," Japp noted. "The operating room is the biggest user of sterile instrumentation in a healthcare facility and every effort should be given to raise the level of recognition to the individuals who process the instruments."
Japp stays actively involved in AORN's SP/MM SA so she can be better informed with knowledge to present to others in the field of sterile processing, and she encourages her all of her perioperative colleagues involved in any way with sterile processing to also be involved in the SA, to stay current on ST:79 and other new standards developed to increase patient safety.
Because new updates are released on an ongoing basis, Martha Young, BS, MS, also stressed the value of actively participating in the SP/MM SA to stay connected to current information and experts involved in the development of this new information. Young is professional/practice issues chair of the SA and serves with Spry and Conner on the AAMI ST:79 workgroup. She is currently working with the group on a new set of ST:79 amendments that will be finalized this year.
"With the new amendments, practitioners can expect additional resources that will help perioperative professionals with daily sterilization practice," Young explained. "For example, a troubleshooting guide and a decision tree will guide practitioners in determining the reasons for a sterilization process failure."
To learn more about AAMI's ST :79 standards, visit www.aami.org. To stay current with new developments in perioperative sterilization standards, visit the SP/MM SA's Online Community of Practice by visiting, communities.aorn.org/COP and selecting the Sterile Processing/Materials Management Specialty Assembly.
News Alert: The Joint Commission updates position on steam sterilization and flashing cycles
The Joint Commission will now be looking more broadly at all of the critical processes included in sterilization when interpreting standards and surveying facilities, including processes for flash sterilization.
AORN staff and members, including members of the Sterile Processing/Materials Management Specialty Assembly continue to discuss the implications of this new position from The Joint Commission.
To read The Joint Commission's updated position on steam sterilization, visit http://www.jointcommission.org/Library/WhatsNew/steam_sterilization.htm. Read more+