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Collaboration and Cohesion between the SPD and OR

Collaborating and building a working team

Successful workplace relationships among any working environment can make or break the overall success of the team. In healthcare, staff members are consistently faced with high stressed situations that are directly linked to patient outcomes, and even the outcomes of the business itself. Very few departments work as closely as sterile processing and the operating room, being that one is entirely dependent on the other, and the downfall of one means the same for the other. When relationships within the system are encouraging and effective, patient care is enhanced. Because these two units approach their work from different perspectives and with a variety of responsibilities, problems will inevitably arise, even though they share the same goal.

Breaks in collaborative relationships often happen when blame is placed following some type of error or mistake. What one teammate might assume is fault, another might not and vice versa. For example, when a case cart is missing a requested item, the OR staff might assume it was left off by mistake or it was simply an error. The SPD technician who picked that case, however was not able to add the requested item because the tray was sent out for sharpening due to a surgeons request and it being a one of a kind item. This entire scenario happens as part of the “normal operations” that come within the functionality of the two departments. While this is no one’s direct fault, there are ways to mediate the blame game before it even begins. When slip-ups occur in a complex environment like the SPD – OR interaction, it is usually more times than not unintentional and preventable. The operating room staff may not be familiar with all the steps it takes to complete some of the technical and time consuming duties within any sterile processing, and same goes for the OR staff’s complex patient care duties. Because the work completed in each department is the foundation for the work completed in the next department, these two units should unite as one together, cultivating collaboration and teamwork.

Partnership is key

A partnership is a relationship between parties that involves a mutual goal and includes some form of defined responsibilities. Because the OR and SPD have a shared goal; to provide safe treatment for patients in need of surgical intervention, this partnership should be easy to identify and sustain. There must be some type of understanding and shared commitment from all who is involved, and every personnel working in the environment should be held accountable for their piece in the puzzle, surgeons included. The role leaders play in this can also make or break a team, being that they set the example of expectations through their interactions.

The development of a partnership agreement can go along way in the world of surgery and reprocessing. By outlining each parties responsibilities it is easier to identify who is responsible for what. For example, if the operating room personnel expect their priority sets to be turned over in 1 hour and the sterile processing has set the expectation that all turn over trays take 4 hours, there is already a misconception of expectation. This would be the perfect opportunity to develop a partnership agreement, where real, actionable objectives can be set and defined, so there isn’t any confusion.

 

Cultivating Positive Relationships

Some of the most common factors that contribute to negative relationships between the OR and SPD result from errors and poor mitigation tactics. It is important for leaders of these units to work together and demonstrate a professional and positive demeanor among their teams and in front of one another at all times, even when things are escalated. Facilitating good communication, that is honest and trust worthy will go a long way with your staff members and help clarify issues when they do occur. Many times unclear instructions can lead to errors and that is when the doom loop of pointing fingers activates. Once the blame game begins, it pretty much ends up growing into “ we have always done it that way” or “it’s always their fault.”

Leaders who are inspirational and motivational can communication a clear an inspiring vision as well as demonstrate shared goals.

 

Where to begin the process;

 

  • Be visible and accessible to each other
  • Visit both areas equally and when appropriate, ask questions when you are able to
  • Ask for input and encourage dialogue among all team members
  • Facilitate good communication practices, between both units
  • Tell the OR staff something about you, tell and SPD staff member something about yourself
  • Tell each other you appreciate them and thank them for their hard work
  • Organize a fun activity for both the SPD and OR to do together – team building
  • Attend surgery departmental meetings and create collaborative staff meetings
  • Seek out occasions to attend functions with each other
  • Develop a buddy system where the scrub techs can shadow SPD techs and vice versa, spending a day in the life of one another
  • Over communicate
  • Do not point fingers or encourage the blame game
  • Remedy errors and mistakes collectively and immediately by using the S-B-A-R system