The current reality in most organizations is that IPC is often seen as reactive rather than a partner. The OR / SPD feels inspected, not supported. They are told to fix it but are not given any resources( money, people, time) which is why the problem exists. And the OR / SPD feels constrained by‘ rules’ that do not account for workflow realities.”— David Taylor
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preparation rather than as part of daily operations.” He adds,“ This fosters mistrust and reinforces the perception of IPC as an enforcement body rather than a partner. Collaboration improves when IPC is structurally embedded in perioperative governance, participates in routine OR / SPD meetings, and frames its role around shared risk reduction and patient safety goals rather than compliance alone.”
Taylor continues,“ The current reality in most organizations is that IPC is often seen as reactive rather than a partner. The OR / SPD feels inspected, not supported. They are told to fix it but are not given any resources( money, people, time) which is why the problem exists. And the OR / SPD feels constrained by‘ rules’ that do not account for workflow realities.”
Taylor suggests the following ways to improve dialogue between stakeholders:
• Structural changes, assigning a dedicated OR / SPD focused IP to these areas
• Establish IPC / OR / SPD huddles
• Include IPs in perioperative governance
• Shift from compliance enforcement to risk partnership
• IPs should spend time listening before recommending
• IPs should invite OR / SPD to infection control meetings and planning
• Joint dashboards: IFU compliance, sterilization errors, SSI tracking, etc.
• Move away from blame and toward system-level accountability Education and training of healthcare professionals is often cited by experts as the cornerstone of patient safety and optimum outcomes, no matter the job title or department. But sometimes it can miss the mark.
“ Right now, most education that OR and SPD teams get from IPC is high level and compliance focused, like annual modules, reminders about attire or traffic, that sort of thing,” Wood observes.“ What’ s missing is the kind of practical, meaningful teaching that actually helps them understand why something matters and how to make it work within their real-world workflow. As IPs, we can teach the OR how their point of use instrument care affects every downstream step in SPD. We can teach them about biofilm and why those pointof-use treatment steps matter. We can explain airflow basics in a way that isn’ t abstract, why door openings matter, how pressure shifts happen, and what that means for the sterile field. And for SPD, we can help translate the evidence behind IFUs, explain the rationale for drying, and walk them through the microbiology of biofilm in a way that connects to their daily tasks. We can also help them advocate for what they need by teaching them how standards are written, how surveyors think, and where the organization’ s risk truly lies.”
“ The level of education and training on IPC principles and practices that is not occurring is foundational,” Parker says.“ As we like to say,‘ infection prevention is everyone’ s job.’ No matter where you work in the hospital, you have a role in patient safety. Everyone should ask,‘ In my role, how can I break the chain of infection?’ What you do matters. This can be remedied by having a questioning mindset. You should not be on autopilot, no matter what the job. Take the time to recognize the importance of your role. Increase your knowledge
through education and certifications.”
Taylor explains the disconnect:“ Many OR and SPD professionals received limited education on the‘ why’ behind infection prevention practices, while IPs often lack hands-on training in the perioperative and reprocessing workflows,” he says.“ This knowledge gap reinforces silos and weakens mutual respect. Remedying this requires bidirectional education that integrates IPC principles into OR / SPD competency programs and providing IPs with immersive, experiential learning in sterile processing and surgical operations.” He suggest the following strategies:
• Cross-training programs
• Shadowing and rotational experiences
• Joint case reviews of SSIs tied to reprocessing and / or OR practices
• Co-develop education modules rather than siloed training
DeGraw says that“ While IPC principles are a part of SPD training, they are on the most basic level. It would be beneficial for IPC departments to provide more in-depth information and to find ways to directly relate it to SPD’ s work. Also, SPD personnel may not fully understand the other responsibilities of an IP. While spending a day job-shadowing an IP may not be feasible, there may be opportunities to join process audits in other departments the SPD serves.”
Reference: Barnes S. The role of the infection preventionist in the OR. AORN Connections. Vol. 100 No 2. August 2014.
Image courtesy of AORN
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• www. healthcarehygienemagazine. com • march-april 2026