Elements and Performance Criteria
- Elements define the essential outcomes
- Prepare to clean used items
- Follow safe work practices and infection prevention and control in accordance with legislative and workplace guidelines
- Sort reusable medical devices and safely dispose of single use devices
- Segregate and dispose of waste according to organisation and legislative requirements
- Disassemble reusable medical devices and equipment for cleaning and disinfection according to manufacturer’s instructions
- Clean and dry used items
- Maintain work flow protocols in reprocessing area
- Interpret safety data sheet (SDS) and select required cleaning products
- Select cleaning processes based on manufacturer’s recommendations and evaluation of reusable medical devices construction and composition
- Use cleaning methods that avoid the generation of aerosols
- Make accurate calculations for the preparation of cleaning chemicals
- Dry and inspect reusable medical devices for cleanliness and damage
- Prepare and pack items for sterilisation
- Open and unlock reusable medical devices with hinges or ratchets
- Prepare instrument trays in accordance with workplace protocols
- Package or wrap reusable medical devices in a manner that prevents damage to delicate items
- Use chemical indicator according to standards
- Pack, secure and label sterile barrier systems (SBS) to comply with aseptic removal principles
- Sterilise loads
- Interpret and apply manufacturer recommendations for cleaning and checking of steriliser and accessory equipment.
- Correctly use the numerical and other features of the steriliser and operate in accordance with manufacturer instructions
- Assign cycle and batch control number and complete documentation.
- Load steriliser to ensure sterilant contact and according to standards
- Remove sterilised load immediately on completion of cycle
- Follow criteria for release of processed items considering manual task risk factors
- Comply with quality management requirements
- Interpret and adhere to operational monitoring and testing, performance qualification and maintenance of sterilisers and associated equipment
- Comply with documentation requirements for sterilisation cycles, batch control and load release
- Report and document all steriliser faults, malfunction and load non-conformance
- Store documentation in accordance with organisation procedures