CS Week is Oct. 8-14: Celebrate big, even on a budget

Each year, staff members from the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management (IAHCSMM) hear from discouraged CS professionals who state they would like to celebrate CS Week, but lack the budget to do so effectively. The message the Association always shares is this: some of the best ways to honor the team cost little or no money and can leave a lasting impression. In fact, as IAHCSMM President-Elect Damien Berg, who also serves as Sterile Processing Manager at St. Anthony Hospital & Ortho Colorado Hospital, points out, some of his most successful events were done on a shoestring budget.

What follows are Berg’s top low-cost CS Week event suggestions:

1. Host an open house in the CS department. Ask your facility’s infection preventionist and director if you can set some space and time aside to conduct quick tours and allow some hands-on tasks (such as practice wrapping a tray or building a simple set) for visitors in your department. Invite senior leaders and other departments in the facility that use your services for this open house, and have your “bunny suits” ready.

2. Send out an SPD Jeopardy email, not only for CS staff but for the OR team and others in the hospital. Have them answer questions (e.g., how many trays do you process in a month? How many hours does it take to get certified and maintain certification? How long does it take to build a tray?). This is a good way for others to begin learning what CS professionals do, but in a fun and familiar method. Candy or other small and inexpensive items can be given as prizes.

3. Reserve a room in the facility and conduct an annual CS Olympics. Have CS staff engage in some friendly competition by wrapping some tough items (triangles), assembling a basic set, or doing some other reprocessing-related functions, all in the name of spirited fun. The person or team who does the tasks correctly and in the least amount of time can be awarded a simple prize or printed award. The goal is to have fun in a team-building environment.

Combining (friendly) competition with education

In addition to Berg’s recommendations, IAHCSMM urges CS professionals to tap their creativity and offer events that blend fun and gratitude with beneficial education – not just for the CS department, but for CS customers, infection preventionists, facility executives and even the general community.

CS Week is a perfect time to promote teamwork and camaraderie, and many facilities rely on friendly competition to keep events fun, while demonstrating on-the-job skills. The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, OH, has two full sterile processing departments in the same building that work separately (despite having joint staff meetings and educational offerings, and following the same processes and practices). For this year’s CS Week, the two teams will unite through fun and friendly competition.

One day, daily productivity will be counted, and the next day, employees will offer suggestions for departmental improvements, with the winner being the person with the best suggestion that would have the most positive impact on the department, explained Tony Thurmond, CRCST, CIS, CHL, CS Manager at The Christ Hospital. “We also plan to have races for wrapping and for pulling case carts,” he said, adding that the two departments will also compete on how many technicians are certified.

“So far, we have a total of seven technicians hoping to gain their certifications before this time to help their team,” Thurmond continued. “The nice thing to see is that the other certified technicians are assisting those who are [working toward certification]. We feel all this will allow technicians to identify areas of improvement, have fun and help the department at the same time.”

Jo Wood, CRCST, CIS, SP Training & Development Manager at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, recalled a CS Week activity at a previous place of employment where the facility raffled an expense paid trip for one technician to attend the IAHCSMM Annual Conference & Expo. “Tray audits were done and for every perfect tray, the technician who did that tray had their name entered into the raffle,” said Wood. Another CS Week-worthy suggestion offered by Wood: Hold an open house and have the technicians conduct the tour instead of the manager. “Technicians care about their work and really take pride in what they do.”

CS professionals should also be sure to tap one of their greatest assets: vendors. These product and service experts can provide valuable education to help make the most of CS week event planning and participation. Many vendors look forward to CS Week each year and are eager to honor CS professionals in interesting and inspiring ways — so CS departments that haven’t already pulled these star players off the sidelines and into the CS Week event planning would greatly benefit by doing so now.

Ideally, CS professionals will reach out to their vendor representatives ahead of CS Week (at least two to three weeks beforehand) to arrange inservice training during the celebratory week. If multiple vendors are contacted with enough advance notice, nearly every day of CS Week could include inservicing or some other form of focused education.

The gift of gratitude can also not be overestimated. CS managers, interdisciplinary team members, infection preventionists and facility executives should also be sure to dole out plenty of praise and recognition for the hardworking CS team. It’s one of the most meaningful forms of appreciation any CS professional can receive.

“A simple yet heartfelt ‘Thank you for all you do’ always goes a long way,” reminded Berg. “We should show that gratitude and appreciation all year long, not just during CS Week.