Sterile processing departments are often understaffed, undereducated, and mostly undercompensated. Support from upper management often is lacking, and to a large extent, the processes and functionality of the department are misunderstood. Next man up is a common approach when staff exit the department to look for better jobs and careers. The Human Resource Departments tend to focus on personnel without experience or education in the sterile processing field to help fill openings and quotas quickly. This leaves the department in a cyclical process of replacing staff often.
Fast Food Restaurants
It's hard not to notice the "now hiring" signs at local fast-food chains. These signs are often a result of poor working conditions. While there are a few exceptions, the overall working conditions are intense, hot, and often lacking in respect from both customers and management. Recently, a fast-food worker had hot soup thrown in their face by an angry customer who claimed it contained plastic. The fast-paced environment, high turnover, and minimal training can make it challenging to maintain quality. Unfortunately, it's rare for me to receive the correct order or high-quality food at fast-food restaurants near me. This is why an advertisement for Wendy's hot and crispy fries caught my attention. It's a reminder that we often expect low-quality food from fast-food chains, which is why we check our orders before leaving.
Sterile Processing Departments
Having worked both in fast-food restaurants and sterile processing, I find similarities. The working conditions described above are the same or similar in sterile processing departments. Turnover is high, and quality is challenging. The customer expectations don't change and shouldn't. Patient safety is at risk. Just as in fast-food service, sterile processing departments have no control over their workload volume. It is sometimes like having a bus pull up to your door. If you have never worked in fast food, that is a worst-case scenario. On other days, you get the heads up that loaner trays are coming in by the hundreds. You can try to plan for it, but I find it similar to when I worked in fast food, and at the end of training camp in the NFL, the Washington Football Team would place an order of unimaginable amounts of Kentucky Fried Chicken. We came in early, in the middle of the night, to meet their needs.
Staff Pay
In today's world, the pay rate in fast food restaurants is competitive with many sterile processing departments. The 2023 HPN Salary Survey for sterile processing lists an average pay for technicians at just over $21 hr. This is up from 2020 when the average pay was $17hr. Fast food workers' average pay in the United States averages $19.51. Staff in sterile processing often work a second job to make ends meet. Overtime is offered consistently but overtime is overrated. It does help staff pay the bills and that is important, but often at the expense of exhaustion.
Comparing Work Models
The time it takes for a sterile processing technician to become proficient in their work is significantly longer compared to a fast-food worker. It can take years for a sterile processing technician to become fully competent, whereas fast-food workers can become competent in a matter of days or weeks, depending on their trainer or training. I have trained staff in both professions and can attest to this. Quality expectations in sterile processing are much higher, and failures have more serious consequences. The environment in sterile processing is also more hazardous due to the reprocessing of surgical instruments, compared to working with food. I would even go so far as to say that the equipment in sterile processing is more hazardous, although mishandling a Henny Penny cooker can also be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.
Quality of Work
Why do our expectations of work quality differ so much when the work environments are similar? We often consider the quality of work at fast-food restaurants as the norm, but I applaud those who don't. I've grown tired of the poor service and have reduced my visits. When it comes to sterile processing, where there are patient safety consequences, sometimes even life and death, we cannot accept the same standard. Despite the similar work models, sterile processing departments have higher quality expectations, and their staff are exposed to harm from contaminated waste and chemicals for reprocessing. It's no wonder the staff is looking for new jobs.
At Evolved Sterile Processing, our consultants have a greater focus on sterile processing. With our decades of experience, we will help you develop better processes and educational resources for your staff.
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