DECONTAMINATION
or assistance with compliance issues – such as the interpretation of standards or quality systems,” Gillian explains. “We have seen high demand for our training services. Budgets are becoming increasingly challenged in hospitals – not just in terms of paying for courses but also in terms of releasing time to take part in training. Managers are in a difficult position; they have a finite resource to work with. We provide service agreements for over 70 NHS Trusts and the vast majority have access to free of charge training as part of these contracts. “We offer an outsider’s view and advice, which can be much easier for staff to take on board. The training reinforces the essential requirements for patient safety, but best practice may look different from site to site, so we guide teams on optimising procedures and processes for their department, according to their individual circumstances.” Zoë FayersRust is the divisional manager for iM Compliance and has conducted site visits across a large number of Trusts. Previously a senior research scientist with 2030 Labs, she joined iM Med with extensive knowledge of sterilisation and decontamination processes for medical devices. She has a track record of designing experiments for hospitals and manufacturers to evaluate efficacy of reprocessing, device storage, protein detection and other critical steps to ensure patient safety. This scientific investigation has given Zoe a broad understanding of the most effective approaches, as well as the opportunities for
improvement for hospitals. “These are busy departments under pressure to quickly turnround and deliver devices to clinical staff, but they cannot compromise on safety. Understanding how to best balance efficiency with safety is crucial,” Zoe comments. She believes a gentle approach to compliance audit and training is required – a third-party organisation can help prevent difficult relationships between colleagues and disrupt the view: ‘this is how we have always done it’.
“Inhouse training can be like Chinese whispers – if one person’s knowledge is imperfect, mistakes can be replicated throughout the team. The end result may not be unsafe practice, but it may not be optimal. A fresh perspective can identify gaps in knowledge and deviations that have crept into practice, while re-training provides a ‘factory re-set’ taking departments back into compliance. “We ask Trust operators: ‘what have you been doing?’ and invite them to reflect on why are you doing it this way, are these practices based on scientific fact, is it safe, or are these historical issues that have built up over time?
“I initially talk to the managers and ask them where they think the gaps are and any areas of concern. The endoscopy decontamination equipment maybe reporting lots of errors or there may be an issue with how the operators connect up the scopes. It is not about telling operators they are getting it wrong but prompting discussion on how
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they can do it a better way. This helps puts people at their ease,” she explains. She adds that decontamination staff often do not receive the recognition they deserve for the work that they do, so it is important to make them feel their contribution is valued: “Asking questions, listening to them, letting them vent about their challenges is important; they may feel they may want more support in certain areas, and I can offer this. I ask them ‘what can I do for you to help make your life easier?’ This may include creating visual aids, such as laminated sheets that act as a quick guide, helping operators to reduce mistakes and eliminate variation,” Zoe continues. iM Med Compliance has found the greatest demand is for training on equipment, such as endoscope washer disinfectors, drying cabinets, flushing systems and packing systems. This typically includes a mix of new operator training and refresher training, while staff are also annually assessed for competency. “Staff may undertake a quiz at the end of the training session to ensure they have fully understood the key elements. In addition, new operators may need hand holding and to be shown how to use the equipment. They are provided with a workbook that they can refer back to and I talk them through the equipment. I check the workbooks at the end of the day in case they have missed something or have misunderstood. However, Trusts sometimes require training on bespoke areas where issues have been identified. “We find that having an outside person
OCTOBER 2020
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