Who's Behind a Sterile Processing Breakdown? Holding Your (Accountability) Horses

摘要

A few months ago, after an airline passenger made it through a security checkpoint in Atlanta GA, boarded a plane, and landed in Tokyo, he notified officials that he had carried a gun on the plane. As could be expected, the public was shocked and the government's response was both predictable and immediate, with the Transportation Security Administration saying it would "hold those responsible appropriately accountable." The public was encouraged to rest assured: The persons responsible were being dealt with; there was nothing more to see here. In the sterile processing industry, people may have seen a similar scenario play out, even in our own departments. A particular process breaks down, something that should never happen does happen, and all administrative eyes turn on the department to see who will be held accountable. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the answer to this question is too often focused on a person rather than a process. It becomes a perfect example of putting the accountability cart before the horse.