CRITERION. What s Inside

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1 CRITERION WINTER The Official Newsletter of the CBSPD, Inc. VOLUME 16, ISSUE 1 A Message from the Executive Director By: Nancy Chobin, RN, AAS, ACSP, CSPDM Hello Everyone. Hope you all enjoyed wonderful holidays. I am sure most of you are experiencing snow bound syndrome. This has been quite a winter for almost the entire country. It is a good time to read and enlighten ourselves. There is so much happening in healthcare today. The CBSPD will have a big anniversary this year our 20th Anniversary! The CBSPD was incorporated in 1988 and delivered its first technician exam in April Since that first exam, over 23,000 technicians have earned their certification through the CBSPD! Where have the 20 years gone? So much has been accomplished and so many people have been along for this incredible journey. It is the most rewarding project I have been involved with to know the CBSPD is making a difference. And to think, when the CBSPD was first formed (at that time it was called the National Institute for the Certification of Healthcare Sterile Processing & Distribution Personnel NICHSPDP) there were many skeptics who thought it was a waste of time and money. The CBSPD has proven that if you develop and administer a quality product, people will appreciate it and subscribe to the process. In the next issue we will have much more information on this big event. Board Resignation The CBSPD Board of Directors regrettably accepted the resignation of Cindy Buell, Technician Representative to the Board. Cindy s resignation was a personal one and we wish her and her family the best. Cindy was a hard working Board Member who also served on the CBSPD s CEU Committee. The CBSPD will hold elections this summer for her replacement on the Board. International Expansion - The CBSPD continues its global expansion. The CBSPD exams are now being administered in many Latin American countries including Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama and Puerto Rico. In addition to the longstanding relationships with Peru, Mexico and Colombia (who have been offering CBSPD certification exams for 5+ years), recently Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Virgin Islands, Qatar and Chile implemented CBSPD certification. At present the CBSPD has administered its exams in Canada, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, India, Guam, Thailand, Trinidad, Philippines, Bahamas, Cayman Islands and South Africa. The Ambulatory Surgery Job Analysis Survey is being completed as this Newsletter goes to press. Next will be the new Management Job Analysis and the Flexible Endoscope Reprocessor Job Analysis. Keep checking the CBPSD webpage to participate in these surveys. Your participation is critical to keeping the exam content legally defensible. AAMI Update - AAMI formed an ad-hoc committee to work with AORN, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and the Joint Commission to develop common language about sterilization for immediate use (formerly called flash sterilization). The first joint communication is posted on the CBSPD webpage. I encourage you to read about this group s activities. Congratulations to all the newly certified personnel and for all of you who re-certified. You are in a select group and should be very proud of your accomplishments! In our Thoughts A always, we want to keep in our thoughts and prayers the fine men and women of the U.S. Military who serve and protect us every day. We owe them a great deal of gratitude for their many sacrifices. Say a prayer for those who lost their lives or returned with injuries that will impact them for who knows how long. Here s hoping for an early Spring; can t wait for the first daffodils to peek up through the ground! Update on Initiatives for Mandatory Sterile Processing Certification in Pennsylvania Michele Dawn De Meo, sterile processing manager, Memorial Hospital, York, PA, joined Pennsylvania State Representative Mauree Gingrich on Saturday, September 18, 2010 at Lancaster (PA) General Hospital for the annual KSASP (Keystone State Association of Sterile Processing Professionals) conference. Gingrich spoke about how to work with and gain legislative champions for mandatory certification for sterile processing. If successful, Pennsylvania would become the second in the nation to mandate certification for sterile processing professionals. According to De Meo, Gingrich shared with the group a blueprint on how to try to gain legislative support for a matter, specifically for certification of sterile processing professionals at the state level. "We spent the morning gaining insight into this very complex and in some ways tedious process and the commitment it will take of those willing to work towards it," said De Meo. "She shared her past experiences in seeing a bill get passed into law and the steps we will need to do if we are going to be successful in obtaining mandatory certification in Pennsylvania." "It's all about patient safety," said Rep. Gingrich. "Sterile processing procedures are the first line of defense toward preventing infection and saving lives. Improperly processed equipment and devices are a conduit for transmitting life threatening infections. Mandatory Certification for Sterile Processing Technicians will ensure high quality training that will result in high quality care while raising the bar for expectations and outcomes. I plan to introduce mandatory certification legislation in Pennsylvania, working with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, CBSPD, Continued on Page 2 What s Inside AAMI Update: Front Cover CEU Report: Pg. 2 KSA Central Supply Club: Pg. 3 Pre-approved In-service: Pg. 4 Important Web Links: Pg Exam Dates: Pg. 6

2 Pennsylvania Certification Continued IAHCSMM, AORN and other key stakeholders who are committed to patient safety." De Meo noted that she and Gingrich are currently in the data collection stages of working to create and introduce a bill for Pennsylvania. If you are interested in learning more about certification efforts in Pennsylvania, please contact De Meo at (717) or MDeMeo@mhyork.org CBSPD Board of Directors Executive Commissioners (Non-Voting) Nancy Chobin, R.N., CSPDM, Executive Director Teckla Tam Maresca, L.P.N., CSPDM; Co-Chairperson, CEU Review Committee Nora Wikander, R.N., CSPDM; Co-Chairperson, CEU Review Committee Martha Young, CSPDT, International Liaison Rep. M. Eleanor Reilly, R.N., CSPDM, Board Member Emeritus Margaret Ryan, R.N., CSPDM, Board Member Emeritus Sue McManus, R.N., CSPDM; Board Member Emeritus Karen Swanson, L.P.N., CSPDM; Test Development Committee Chairperson CBSPD Voting Board Representatives Nyla "Skee" Japp, R.N., PhD, CSPDM, Manager, CEU Review Committee Angela Jensen, CSPDS, Supervisor, CEU Review Committee Technician position: Vacant Jeanette Bakker, CSIP, Surgical Instrument Processor, CEU Review Committee Gail Law, R.N.,CASSPT, Ambulatory Surgery Tech Karen Zervopoulos, CFER, GI Scope Paul Letersky, B.A., J.D., Public Member SPS Medical Scholarships The Board of Directors of the CBSPD congratulates everyone that was awarded scholarships in 2010 from SPS Medical. A list of all winners is posted on our website on the CS Scholarships page ( SPS Medical will continue to offer their scholarships for all of the CBSPD exams. An SPS application can be obtained on our CS Scholarships page link above, or by calling SPS at Continuing Education (CEU) Report By: Teckla Tam Maresca/Nora Wikander: CEU Committee Co-Chairs. Jeanette Bakker, Nyla Skee Japp, Angela Jenkins: CEU Committee Members The CBSPD CEU Committee hopes everyone had a safe, healthy and happy holiday season. The CEU Committee has been busy during this time working on improving our CEU Approval process. Submitting your requests on line continues to be a work in progress but has been well received. Not only is it a time saver for the committee but it has made submissions quicker for our certificants to submit requests as well as to receive responses. Going green and eliminating the extra paper has been a side benefit that we hadn t initially anticipated. We encourage you to continue to use the on-line process. Winter As a reminder there are many journal in-services that are previewed before publication and have received pre-approved status. These in-services will have a note in the Earn CEU Section that it has been pre-approved by the CBSPD. When it is time for you to re-certify you will be asked to list those printed in-services you have completed make sure you record the title of the in-service, the journal it was taken from with the month and year of the publication. This information must be verified by your supervisor at the time for your re-certification. Many manufacturer s have submitted educational programs both for presentations for larger groups (Local SPD group seminars) as well as webinars and CD s. If you have any questions please contact the manufacturer s directly to assure that CBSPD CEU s are available. When professional groups are presenting educational programs they must provide you with certificates of attendance, these should include the name of the program, date(s) presented, number of hours as well as identification of the sponsoring group. If the sponsoring group has submitted the program for CBSPD Contact hours that need to be identified on the certificate with the approval number and contact hours. When you are considering attending an educational program please contact the sponsoring group to determine if they submitted the information for approval. If they have not you can submit the program for review by including the program agenda with time frames. A letter would be sent to attach to the certificate of attendance, both would need to be included with re-certification paperwork. There have been some questions regarding sponsoring groups not including your certification status on name badges or in attendee information when you register. You need to address this issue with the sponsoring group. Perhaps providing a copy of your certification status (latest certificate or card) would satisfy the sponsors, or if your work badge includes your credentials you could use that at the meeting. Unfortunately the CBSPD can not provide a list of our certificants as requested by some. We do not provide or sell our list of certificants and their information to anyone. This is a privacy issue and we choose not to disregard your privacy. We recognize the hard work you all have done to become certified and to maintain that certification. We also recognize the sense of pride your credential on your name badge provides. Since we can not control the inclusion of the credential we would suggest you take a p-touched credential (CSPDT) and put it on your name badge. As an alternative use a marker. Ultimately, it is the pride and knowledge of your achievement that matter. You know who you are and what you have accomplished. We hope that this information helps answer some of your questions. If you have any other questions for the CEU Committee please send them to us (either by mail or to the Board from the web-site). We will attempt to address any issues in future newsletters. Again Happy New Year and our wish is that 2011 is good to you. The CBSPD CEU Committee 2

3 Central Supply Club of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia The Central Supply Club of Saudi Arabia was first formed in 2004 with a few members from the kingdom. The CBSPD was introduced in 2007 when Raffy Soriano a Central Service Educator, was contracted to assist 27 hospitals comply with standards. He began by conducting a class with 17 students from different hospitals kingdom wide (Dhahran, Khobar, Dammam, Qatif, AlHasa, Udhailiya, Jubail, Riyadh, Jeddah, Yanbu, Medina and Abha). As more candidates pass they are bringing the message that CSSD is the Heart of the Hospital. Two hour Educational inservices are presented monthly (first Thursday) by a member presenting up-to-date information. 30 minutes is dedicated to certification information, making sure that the attendees understand their vital role in the hospital. The present CSCSA membership is 320 Winter kingdom wide and is comprised of Nurses, Infection Control, Dental, Endoscope and other hospital staff. CEU Credits have been awarded for the monthly meetings which then assist in their re-certification efforts. To continue and develop the program Raffy pays the charges up front and gets re-imbursed by installment payments by members. The certification process is a continuing success because candidates who passed the exam brings light to contracted and other non contracted hospitals who joined the CSCSA in the kingdom in updating the standard of care and competence to do the job safely for patient, staff and the facility. The CSCSA is proud to be associated with the CBSPD and be able to offer their members the ability to become internationally certified. Pictured below: Newly CBSPD certified technicians in KSA

4 PRE-APPROVED IN-SERVICE Care and Handling of Laparoscopic Instruments By: Jeanette Bakker, CSPDT, CSIP Laparoscopic surgeries are increasingly being utilized due to the justification that this is a safer type of surgery and the recovery time is quicker than an open procedure. As new laparoscopic procedures are being performed, the instruments themselves are also changing to meet the needs of the surgeon. The care and handling of laparoscopic instruments is of the upmost importance, of particular importance is their cleaning and inspection. Cleaning: Proper cleaning of laparoscopic instruments can prevent SSI (surgical site infection), therefore you should always follow the instrument manufacturers instructions for cleaning. The cleaning process should begin as soon as possible to decrease the chance of bioburden becoming encrusted on the instruments. If this does occur, it makes for a difficult cleaning process. These types of instruments have two major challenges; long shafts and jaw assemblies, both of which present a challenge when cleaning. In decontamination, the technician needs to make sure that any and all lumens are flushed to rid the bioburden within the shaft. A brush should be used to ensure the shaft is clean. Instruments should be disassembled (if applicable) keeping all the pieces together to avoid loss. Positive pressure of an insufflated abdomen can cause blood and body fluids to flow under insulation and into channels making cleaning difficult or impossible. Pressure nozzles and ultrasonic lumen cleaners help with the cleaning process. The sterile processing technician needs to verify the manufacturers instructions to assure that the recommended method of cleaning is followed. After cleaning, always rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of detergent. Inspection: There are two types of laparoscopic instruments; insulated or non-insulated. Special attention is needed for the insulated instruments. The layers of the insulation can break down with repeated use, damage from other instruments (e.g. trocars), mishandling of instruments (e.g. dumping onto a table) or repeated sterilization (including sterilization for immediate use-formerly called flash sterilization). A lap tester or insulation tester must be utilized to detect cracks or other defects in the insulation that might not be visible to the naked eye or even with a lighted magnifying lamp. There are two types of lap testers: reusable or single use. The single use is generally used in the OR right before the procedure is performed. The shaft of the instrument is checked for any cracks or nicks that could potentially cause a spark during the surgical procedure. The reusable tester is used in SPD. The instrument is scanned to detect defects in the insulation. Usually the tester will emit an alarm and spark to indicate a defect was identified. The testing of the insulation is an important patient safety initiative. All testing of laparoscopic instruments should be documented on a form and the records retained to prove the testing was performed. During a surgical procedure, defective insulation could allow 100% of the electric current (700 o F) to flow from the defect to organ and tissues. A small crack allows more current to escape because it is more concentrated. If the instruments have been disassembled, be sure that all pieces are present. Place the correct handles, inserts shafts and sealing caps on the tray. Rotating jaws should be in working order and should rotate with ease. The jaws should be inspected for cleanliness there should be no debris visible. After the instruments are correctly assembled, test the instruments; can the needle holder open and close easily? Can the scissors cut without snagging? Laparoscopic scissors should be tested using facial tissue rather than latex type products. Can the jaws of forceps close together correctly? Be sure all luer ports and lumens are open and /or uncapped for the sterilization process. The cleaning and inspection of laparoscopic instruments should be done by technicians with proper training with competencies verified. In-services should be provided when new instruments are purchased. Follow manufacturer s instructions for disassembly, cleaning, inspection, reassembly, testing, sterilization and use. If instruments are properly cared for and properly maintained, they could last 20 or more years. These instruments are very costly so care should be taken to protect this investment. Patient and employee safety are essential. The sterile processing technician should always handle instruments with extreme care understanding that these instruments are the extension of the surgeon s hand. References The Basics of Sterile Processing, Third Edition, Sterile Processing University, Chobin, Nancy, Care and Handling of Surgical and Endscopic Instruments. Sterile Processing University. Infection Control, November ***Keys to In-service Quiz 1; T, 2; T, 3; F, 4; F, 5; T, 6; T, 7; T, 8; T, 9; T, 10; T Important Web Links! Winter For important CBSPD announcements, go to Quiz on Page 6 If you are looking for a CS/SPD job or need to post a job opening, go to For CEU/Re-certification info, go to To download anything from our site, including exam applications, re-cert packets and more, go to Looking for CEU programs? Have a CEU program in your area that you want others to know about? Go to Looking for CS/SPD training courses? Have a course you want to suggest to us? Go to Managers! Tired of making all those certificates showing your employees passed magazine journal quizzes? How about having a table right on your computer for compiling all your CEU s? We have what is called an Ongoing CEU Record. You can download a copy at 4

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6 CBSPD In-service Continued Post Test Care and Handling of Laparoscopic Instruments This pre-approved in-service is worth 1 CEU with a passing score of 70. Your manager must generate a certificate or letter of completion on facility letterhead with your name, your manager s signature, test date, test title, and name of journal (Criterion). Please keep this with your re-certification records until it s time to recertify. 1. Proper cleaning can prevent surgical site infections (SSI) 2. Instruments should be disassembled for cleaning if indicated. 3. It is not necessary to check the jaws for cleanliness. 4. Ports needs to be closed during sterilization. 5. Cleaning should be done by a trained technician. 6. Debris can be trapped within the instrument if not cleaned properly. 7. Rotating jaws should rotate with ease. 8. The cleaning process should begin as soon as possible. 9. Always follow manufacturers cleaning instructions. 10. A lap tester should be used to detect defects in the insulation Technician Board Nominations Needed! We are now accepting nominations for our vacant technician board of directors position. The final vote for this position will take place this summer. Qualifications include the following: Must be working full time as a technician only. Must be certified by the CBSPD as a technician. Must be able to attend one board meeting a year. 3 year term of office, subject to your performance. To nominate a candidate for this position, please our office at mailbox@sterileprocessing.org or fax us at Please when ing/faxing us, be sure to note that it is for the vacant technician board position. You can remain anonymous if you wish. April 2010 CBSPD Re-certification Stats (Newly Re-certified names listed at 10/2010 & 4/2011 are not available at this time but will be posted on our website and in next Criterion. Manager: Total Eligible = 16; Total Re-certified = 12 (75%) Supervisor: Total Eligible = 32; Total Re-certified = 9 (28%) Technician: Total Eligible = 942; Total Re-certified = 344 (37%) Surgical Instrument Processor: Total Eligible = 58; Total Re-certified = 11 (19%) Ambulatory Surgery Tech: Total Eligible = 11; Total Re-certified = 4 (36%) Upcoming Certification Exam Windows in 2011 Exam Window 2 MAY 2-7, 2011 Application Deadline APRIL 26, 2011 Exam Window 3 AUGUST 1-6, 2011 Application Deadline JULY 26, 2011 Exam Window 4 NOVEMBER 14-19, 2011 Application Deadline NOVEMBER 8, NOTE - WE NOW TAKE CREDIT CARDS AS PAYMENT FOR THE EXAMS AND THE APPLICATIONS ARE NOW TWO PAGES IN LENGTH. 6 Winter

7 Sterile Processing University, LLC... NEED CONTINUING EDUCATION POINTS? NEED TO GET UPDATED IN STERILE PROCESSING? DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A STERILE PROCESSING OR AMBULATORY SURGERY TECHNICIAN BUT DO NOT HAVE A COURSE NEARBY? YOU DO NOT HAVE TIME TO ATTEND SCHOOL? Understand that mandatory certification for CS/SPD personnel is quickly being required throughout the US. Don t wait until it is mandated. Get your education now! If already certified, maintain your certification with continuing education. All SPU In-services have been pre-approved for CBSPD Continuing Education credits. SPU only contracts with certified sterile processing managers who have a minimum of 15 years experience in the profession. In addition, all educational materials are based on scientific data, recommended practices, regulations, etc. The on-line Basics of Sterile Processing course has been completely updated with more information and modules to conform to the expanded THIRD edition of The Basics of Sterile Processing (2009). We are working on the 4 th edition which will be available late summer NOTE: Working in an Ambulatory Surgery Center? SPU now offers an on-line Ambulatory Surgery Sterile Processing Technician course! MANAGERS and SUPERVISIORS NOTE: SPU now offers Management Basics for Sterile Processing. This NEW book (published December 2008) contains 16 chapters with all the important management concepts for sterile processing Managers and Supervisors. NOTE TO EDUCATORS SPU now offers an instructional CD in Power Point to facilitate teaching a Central Service/SPD course. The CD follows the course content for the THIRD edition of The Basics of Sterile Processing. If you previously purchased a CD, you are eligible for an upgrade. NOTE TO MANAGERS OF SPD AND AMBULATORY SURGERY PROCESSING AREAS SPU now offers policies, procedures and documentation forms on line! You have been asking for this and we have heard you! COMING SOON An On-line Flexible GI Scope Processing course! Visit: for all your sterile processing education needs. SPU Quality education at affordable prices!

8 CBSPD, INC. 148 MAIN STREET SUITE B-1 LEBANON, NJ USA All of 2010 CBSPD Certification Exam Stats (Passing names listed at Technician: Total Sat for Exam = 2,632; Total Passed = 2,048 (78%); Total Failed = 584 (22%) Manager: Total Sat for Exam = 73; Total Passed = 36 (49%); Total Failed = 37 (51%) Supervisor: Total Sat for Exam = 75; Total Passed = 56 (75%); Total Failed = 19 (25%) Instrument Processor: Total Sat for Exam = 169; Total Passed = 74 (44%); Total Failed = 95 (56%) Ambulatory Surgery: Total Sat for Exam = 51; Total Passed = 46 (90%); Total Failed = 5 (10%) GI Scope: Total Sat for Exam = 129; Total Passed = 121 (94%); Total Failed = 8 (6%) **Reminder to All Upcoming April 2011 Re-certs** Why retake the exam when after working full time for 5 years, you only need 10 points of education per year to recertify (except for Supervisors/Managers)? If you were originally certified on 4/27/91, 4/20/96, 4/28/01, or 4/22/06, you are due for re-certification in April Please have your completed re-certification packet with payment into the CBSPD office no later than 4/30/11. The CBSPD mails out re-certification packets 6 months before you are due to expire. If you have not received your packet yet, please contact our office to update your address and/or print one out from our downloads page at