Without the sterile processing department the OR would be dead in the water.
The SPD maintains all the instruments that the OR needs.
The SPD washes and sterilizes all the instruments that the OR touches.
The SPD also racks them (puts them back) to where they are to be expected so that the OR doesn’t lose their minds looking for a set.
The sterilizers have a series of tests that need to be done daily to ensure that they are ready for battle.
Or for use.
Vendor trays come in daily and the SPD has to inspect the trays, wash the trays, wrap the trays, sterilize the trays, with the vendor tags indicating the surgeon, date, and surgery the trays are to be available for.
Vendor trays are also used daily and need to be washed and readied for pick up or to wait until a rep puts them back together.
An OR such as mine go through many, many instrument sets a day.
Every surgical case needs at least 1 tray.
Often more.
And orthopedic cases need the most.
Except for the robot cases.
There are cameras.
And sets.
And scopes.
oh, my.
The point is the SPD works 24 hours a day 5 days a week, with call on weekends.
Just to ensure the OR has what is needed for cases.
Every single damned day.
Every single damned case.
There is an SPD week when they are celebrated.
Usually the second week in October.
I hope they know and understand that they are so very necessary for the functioning of the department.
Dispatches from the Evening Shift 