How to Build a Successful and Motivated SPD Team
By Mary Olivera , MHA , CRCST , CHL , FCS
Starting a new job as a sterile processing ( SP ) manager can be stressful . There are many unknowns — including a new team , new director , and a new set of challenges — and the expectations are high . As you ’ re reviewing your team ’ s personnel files , you may discover labor-related problems that you were not aware of prior to accepting your role . For instance , you may see repeated violations and citations for bioburden found on instruments , poor attendance , lack of productivity , and disrespecting coworkers .
Personnel problems can significantly impact the success of the department . But it ’ s not always clear whether labor issues should take precedence over updating department systems to ensure adherence to and best practice ? As a manager , what tools can you use to identify challenges , define priorities , and implement solutions ?
To create a process improvement plan for the department , the new SPD manager must first identify possible causes of each problem and assign a degree of importance to each area . Problems can be organized into the following categories : equipment , processes , materials , environment , and people . There are many tools available that can help identify the root causes of a problem , but not all of them consider the people . The fishbone diagram , on the other hand , considers how staff performance affects department success .
For the purposes of this article , let ’ s concentrate on people . We may think that surgical instruments or reprocessing equipment are the most valuable assets in the SPD . But the real value lies in the technicians , who enrich their organizations with incredible knowledge , experience , and abilities . Then why are people a problem area in many organizations ? Perhaps it ’ s because we have not recognized their value . In an SPD , the technicians are often overlooked . However , though they may not interact with patients or customers , the quality of their work touches almost every life in the hospital . Improving processes in the SPD is critical to the overall positive patient surgical outcome , but if the technicians are not recognized as an integral part of the process and they are not motivated to perform , productivity and quality will be affected .
Changing the status quo
When SPD managers try to implement a process improvement program , the technicians often say , “ we ’ ve always done it this way , so why change ?” The reality is , people feel comfortable following familiar processes , even if the processes are not adhering to standards and best practices . There is a sense of comfort and control in performing tasks according to the status quo . On the other hand , new processes can bring about feelings of uncertainty and uneasiness . We must challenge the status quo by creating an environment in which we encourage technicians to share ideas on improving processes . Similar to how large companies solicit custom feedback to improve products and services , SPDs should encourage technicians to provide feedback on processes . In other words , process reengineering gets advanced by the people who are doing the work .
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