Cross contamination?

[pixieduster]

I am almost embarrassed to ask this question.
We are a very small sterile processing dept. with 1 washer and 2 Autoclaves. Two of us are employed full time, and there are 2 others that split the day between them. (7:30am to 11:30am, and 2:30pm to 5:30pm).
Primarily I am Decontam, and the other employee does Sterile. We all are cross trained to do everything.
My question is this: Do we create an infection control issue when one of us helps out on both sides? (We absolutely at all times wear appropriate gear on decontam; removing and handwashing before going to the "clean" side.) I would really appreciate some feedback and opinions. We have been doing this for as long as I can remember. Thanks!

[djw]

We do this too. We are not a small hospital. We have 6 OR's. We do not have enough staff to dedicate to a single area for an entire shift. We also do as you do, with appropriate PPE in decontam, washing up, etc. If this is an issue, I think alot of sterile dept's will be in trouble. It would be wonderful to have enough staff, but I don't think realistically it happens very often.

[pixieduster]

Thank you! I thought so too. I was surprised and dissapointed that I was told our "sterile" person told our OR (while I was at lunch) that she could not wash a tray for them because she was on the "clean" side. Usually I plan my breaks better and someone additional is usually there to cover if this ever happens. Thank you so much for your response! It really helps to know what others are doing. We strive to do the best for our OR and be professional and safe.

[jrc]

I could not imagine a department where somebody is not allowed to migrate to where the work is. That's what teamwork is all about.

[Harvey Johnson]

We have a "migration situation" also.
People are trained on the correct procedure when exiting decontam and rentering clean as far as washing hands, changing scrubs, shoe covers, head covers, etc.

[Ray Taurasi]

As long as you are following proper dress codes for each area (change accordingly when going from one area to the other) and practice appropriate personal hygiene - then you are not creating an infection control issue.