SPECIALTY ASSEMBLIES
Count sheets, indicators on the agenda for update meeting at Congress
By Carina Stanton
Senior News Editor/Writer
Taking the opportunity to educate and promote dialogue surrounding hot button issues in the world of perioperative sterile processing, leaders of AORN's Sterile Processing/Materials Management Specialty Assembly (SP/MM SA) will provide interactive continuing education contact hours at their Congress Update meeting in Chicago.
Sterilization of count sheets, Class 6 indicators, TASS, certification of central service staff and updates on practice standards will be addressed at the meeting through presentation of new evidence and research, followed by open discussion with meeting participants.
"We hope people will come to this meeting ready to talk openly and honestly," said Stephen Kovach, BS, education chair of the SP/MM SA and director of education for Healthmark Industries. "We all bring different perspectives, challenges and innovations to this SA and this meeting will be a chance to share this information while learning about new evidence members can take back to their practice settings."
Kovach emphasized that the value of AORN SA update meetings is the face-to-face networking opportunities with colleagues from across the country. The education provided at the meeting is a way to jump-start targeted discussion on critical issues practitioners are dealing with right now, he added.
Kovach and his colleagues serving on the SP/MM SA coordinating council gathered the hot topics from questions posted on AORN's member talk forum, as well as other online forums, and through questions addressed to the SA's council throughout the year.
Count sheet sterilization
One of the issues Kovach is particularly excited to discuss at the meeting is the safety of sterilizing printed count sheets with surgical instruments.
The possible transfer of ink from
count sheets included with instruments
through the sterilization process is a
concern among perioperative professionals,
whether the sheets are inside containers or
attached outside, as seen here.
A new AORN investigation of this issue, which appears in the March issue of AORN Journal, will be discussed at the meeting. Currently, AORN's Recommended Practices for Selection and Use of Packaging Systems for Sterilization, Recommendation IV, states that "count sheets should not be placed inside wrapped sets or rigid containers … [because] chemicals used in the manufacture of paper and toner ink pose a theoretical risk to reaction in some sensitized individuals."
Class 6 indicators
Another hot button issue slated for discussion at the SP/MM SA update meeting will be the use of the class 6 indicator-a cycle verification indicator that confirms the presence or absence of specific time and temperature parameters during a steam sterilization cycle. This new FDA-approved technology has not yet been addressed by standards-creating groups, including the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) and AORN, but practitioners are asking questions about its use in sterile processing of surgical instruments.
"We are trying to have an open and honest discussion about class 6 indicators and that is it. By sharing its history and current use as part of our educational presentation, we can open the discussion up to members who can talk to each other about this new technology," Kovach said, though he admitted the conversation won't be easy because many people have different positions on the subject. "But we need to have this conversation because nurses in operating rooms and sterile processing departments need to know what is going on with this new technology."
While AORN has not released any formal recommendations on this product, Ramona Conner, RN, MSN, CNOR, manager, AORN Recommended Practices, will participate in the SA's discussion.
TASS
Although the acute, noninfectious inflammation of the anterior segment of the eye, known as Toxic Anterior Segment Syndrome (TASS), is not a new subject for perioperative nurses working in ophthalmic surgeries, it is an increasing concern for sterile processing practitioners, according to Jackie Thomas, RN, BSHS, CNOR, CRCST, chair of the SP/MM SA and manager of central sterile at MCV Hospital of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. That's why she and her SA colleagues will be discussing this topic at the SA's Congress update meeting.
"This condition can be caused by improperly processed surgical eye instruments, which are often delicate and can be difficult to handle and clean properly to remove small particles. We feel it is important to discuss TASS and provide needed information about proper cleaning and sterilization techniques of eye instruments," Thomas stressed.
ST-79
In addition to reviewing proper cleaning of eye instruments, the SP/MM SA will address other standards outlined in ANSI/AAMI's ST-79 2006/AI:2008 Comprehensive Guide to Steam Sterilization and Sterility Assurance in Health Care Facilities, commonly known at ST-79.
Thomas said this document is the guiding standard for sterile processing and perioperative professionals and is a valuable resource to revisit and discuss among SP/MM SA members.
Kovach added that AORN's standards and recommended practices are in line with ST-79, but in some cases ST-79 may provide more detailed recommendations. "Perioperative nurses can benefit from getting more familiar with ST-79, especially those who work with instrument cleaning and sterilization in the OR environment. Every OR and sterile processing department should have copies of both AORN's Perioperative Standards and Recommended Practices and AAMI ST-79," he said.
Certification of central service staff
A key issue for many central service professionals across the country is certification of central service staff because sterile processing professionals need to have the basic background on cleaning and sterility. They also need to access resources to keep up with ongoing evidence and education for their practice, Thomas stressed.
New York is currently trying to pass legislation that requires licensure of central service staff. New Jersey currently has a regulation that requires certification of central service staff.
AORN is currently part of a task force with the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management (IAHCSMM) and others to offer support and education for those interested in taking steps to communicate with and educate legislators about sterile processing practices related to proposed legislation for certification of central service staff.
"When people have surgery, they worry about their care during surgery, the doctor and surgical staff, but they rarely think about the proper sterilization of the instruments that will be used in their surgery," Thomas explained. "So education is a key component of this legislative advocacy-we need to take steps to educate the public and legislators about the critical importance of safe cleaning and sterilization of equipment and instruments in the healthcare setting."
Find more information about AORN's support of this legislative issue.
Looking back and ahead
Beyond the hot topic education that the SP/MM SA covers at its Congress update meeting, the SA members work together throughout the year discussing key issues their specialty faces and seeking ways to improve practice.
In the year ahead, the SA members plan to focus on establishing sterile processing competencies that can be used to prepare both sterile processing and perioperative professionals who work with cleaning and sterilizing surgical instruments. The group also plans to include sterilization parameters with the competencies.
Additionally, the SA members hope to be able to offer an intensive education session before Congress 2010 and also look forward to reaching out to more SA members throughout the year.
The SP/MM SA update meeting will be held during Congress in Chicago on March 16 at 11:30 a.m.
Learn more about the SA and visit the SA's online community of practice to network and discuss practice issues throughout the year by visiting communities.aorn.org/COP.
Read more news in AORN Connections.