Top 2 Strategies to Strengthen Your OR-SPD Relationship

Cindy Thomas, BSN, RN, CNOR, understands the power of simple conversation, especially in instrument processing. “Everything related to instrument care is interconnected to other departments, so that’s why we have to be interconnected, too.”

During her 32-year career in perioperative care, Thomas has primarily served as an educator and nurse manager in sterile processing at Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, LA. Early on in her SPD leadership role, she noticed the disconnects between the OR and SPD that often led to frustrations.

She took immediate action – asking to join an OR department meeting to listen to their challenges and share the needs from the reprocessing side of instrument care.

Decades later, Thomas is a regular part of the OR team. She’s established solid lines of communication that enable quick action for OR-SPD troubleshooting and daily workflow. “When everyone involved in instrument management can see the complete care cycle together, it opens all eyes to the process, the challenges and the importance of their specific role,” she said.

Here are two actions Thomas suggests any OR-SPD collaboration can take to improve instrument care practices:

1. Bring OR Staff to Shadow SPD Staff

“Seeing is believing for anyone.” That’s why we brought OR staff to shadow their SPD colleagues in their daily work. For example, OR nurses and techs visiting the SPD can see how fulfilling their part of instrument care makes a difference. They see how used instruments come in—good and bad. “Seeing instruments not cared for correctly, such as not being wiped down, sprayed with an enzymatic when appropriate, and kept moist during transfer shows OR staff the extra work it takes their SPD colleague to get that instrument thoroughly clean and ready for adequate sterilization.”

Beyond gaining this technical understanding, shadowing for just a few hours allows OR staff and SPD staff to get to know each other as colleagues working together toward a common goal for patients.

2. Take Audit Data Back to the OR

“Changes in behavior can be effectively influenced by understanding how your actions play out.” That’s why Thomas reports regular audit data from reprocessing back to the OR. Along with the data, her team takes pictures of any instruments that arrive in the SPD in sub-optimal condition.

“It’s not about doing something wrong; it’s about learning the how and why to do it right.”

Thomas says this data sharing must go both ways. For example, she asks the OR to report any trends with instrument issues such as cleanliness.

She also encourages real-time communication. “If the OR receives an incomplete instrument set and needs an immediate response, they know they can call us. Having strong connections makes this conversation positive and productive—we are not strangers griping; we are friends asking—that’s huge for the important work we do together.”