When a problem strikes in Sterile Processing or the Operating Room that puts a patient at risk, the knee jerk reaction is to what? To fire the person responsible. On this Season 7 premiere  episode, we talked with a mathematics major on a full scholarship-turned-Sterile Processing leader about the cultural shift that needs to happen in order to make lasting change in our departments - a shift that looks at the processes that are in place that set your staff up for failure or success. Marjorie Wall talked us through planning for process improvements in a way that will gain support and engagement from frontline staff as well as gain financial and budgetary resources from administration. There’s a point as an industry and as individual leaders where change is imminent. Catch this re-release episode to see how you can be a change agent in your department.

You wake up this morning, grab your cup of coffee and head into work. You get there to greet a new department - one that you have very little familiarity with - the Sterile Processing Department. You have a couple of days to observe the state of affairs and then congratulations the department is yours to manage! What would your strategy be? How would you tackle complicated issues like lack of standardization of IFUs and low employee engagement scores? On this Season 7  episode 4 of Beyond Clean, we talked to OR leader-turned-Sterile Processing leader, Aimee Space, about her experience taking on the responsibility of a whole new department and the challenges and successes associated with everything from employee engagement and accountability to cost reduction. Aimee shared the tools she implemented to not only create success in the department but also measure that success. If you have or are a new Sterile Processing leader you're certainly going to want to catch this conversation!

In 2011, Christina Fast, an internationally certified Sterile Processing Educator, volunteered on the Africa Mercy—the world’s largest floating hospital. While docked in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Christina visited the Sterile Processing department of a local healthcare facility where she witnessed health care workers responsible for reprocessing surgical instruments who had never received training. Upon her return to Canada, Christina shared her vision of starting an organization to help decrease the risk of surgical infections in resource-constrained countries. Christina founded the Sterile Processing Education Charitable Trust (SPECT) in 2013 and has since educated over 1400 sterile processing professionals in 14 different countries. For all of you wanting to learn about how you can make an impact on patient safety, both locally and globally, and support the mission of SPECT, tune in to this episode of Beyond Clean for a double dose of motivation and inspiration!

On October 1, 2017 a gunman opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers on Route 91 in Las Vegas, Nevada. 10 minutes later the deadliest mass shooting in US history had transpired within the blink of an eye. Little did this week's podcast guest know that the training he pursued in the military and surgical services would set him up for success finding organization in the midst of tragedy and chaos. Tune in now to this new episode of Beyond Clean where we interview Dwayne Taylor about the pivotal role he played that horrifying night. Dwayne shares the greatest lessons he learned in the basement of a trauma center. Is your hospital prepared for disaster? You're not going to want to miss this emotional edge-of-your-seat interview as we explore ways healthcare facilities can be prepared when disaster strikes.

Two words: Shift wars. Each shift in a hospital department is riddled with interpersonal dynamics but the interplay between shifts is a topic we are finally shining a well-deserved light on. It's something that is a reality for many healthcare professionals and on this week's episode of Beyond Clean, we talk to 2nd shift Sterile Processing leader, Sarah B. Cruz, about her experience taking on the responsibility of the nuanced relationship between shifts. Sarah talks with us about the challenge that any sterile processing shift leader faces to keep their staff motivated and focused on department goals and provides a detailed account of informing and motivating her staff to set them up for success. If you are a new Sterile Processing shift leader you're certainly going to want to tune in now!

It's the end of your shift, you've inspected and prepared what felt like thousands of tiny screws in an orthopedic tray. You grab the caddy, stand up, catch your foot on the anti-fatigue mat and the moment every tech dreads happens to you - the screw caddy falls and the screws are sent flying across the room... Orthopedic screw caddies are commonly used in healthcare facilities and on this Season 7 Rewind podcast episode, we talked with Terry McAuley, Director, STEAM Consulting Pty Ltd about the effects of repeated reprocessing on single-use screws in screw caddies. The Australian study discussed in this episode will shed some light on different perspectives on single-use, single-packaged implants. We hope you can tune in now!

As healthcare professionals, we go to great lengths to make sure that our Operating Rooms are safe and that the sterility of medical devices is maintained to prevent harm to patients. What if, after all that effort, the culprit for spreading illness is actually your HVAC system? A potential breeding ground for biological growth, mold and mildew, the design of your HVAC system takes on a critical role in the Operating Room. On this episode of Beyond Clean Season 7 Podcast, we talked to HVAC expert, David Schurk, about a topic that has been top of mind for healthcare professionals everywhere in recent months- MOLD! and all things temperature, humidity and airflow in surgical services that help minimize infection and keep staff comfortable. Tune in now to this timely and thought-provoking interview.

If you’ve ever been a new hire in the sterile processing department, this Season 7 Rewind of Beyond Clean may bring back some...interesting...memories. We’re talking about the onboarding process and setting Sterile Processing professionals up for success from day one. Our guest, William Bryant, discussed the topic of getting onboarding right and building it on a competency-based model. Onboarding in sterile processing has serious implications and the dangers of a poor onboarding process range from low job performance and satisfaction to patient harm. William champions sterile processing from the perioperative perspective so if you’re a new hire, a leader responsible for the onboarding process or an administrator responsible for providing the necessary resources for a successful onboarding process - you’re not going to want to miss topic!