EBME Forums Forums Management Equipment Libraries EOUIPMENT RETURNS

I AM EXPERIENCING MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH EQUIPMENT RETURNS SUCH AS GETTING SYRINGE DRIVERS AND INFUSION PUMPS AND ALSO RECEIVING PR MATTRESSES IN A VERY UNTIDY CONDITION. CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF THEY HAVE HAD THESE PROBLEMS AND HOW THEY HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH IT?

Martin,
DB 2003(05) Management of Medical Devices Prior to Repair, Service or Investigation says that the user has the responsibilty to clean and decontaminate any equipment prior to repair or even transportation.
Refuse to accept it if if has not been cleaned and give this notice as your reason. Plus your infection control people might object to unclean stuff being transported. I know you said untidy but the two often go hand-in-hand.
Robert

Martin,

Do you have a policy for the library? If you don't, you're welcome to a copy of ours, just email me. Its also worth getting the support of the Nursing Directorate in helping to run the library, after all its for their benefit as well as everyone elses.

We also have a robust decontamination policy which the Library policy refers to, a decontamination certificate must be signed, if its not, an incident report is completed, even if the certificate is completed and the equipment is found to be in a dirty condition an incident report is still completed. Our reports come complete with pictures of the incident, its surprising how quickly they comply!

As RoJo rightly points out, the equipment is quite often transported by staff who are not aware of the status of the equipment (ward clerks, porters), therefore they have a right to expect that the equipment is clean before they touch it.

Hopefully with my 'heavy handedness' they will get the message that the equipment must be cleaned between patients as well

Why is it us techie people seem to be able to understand decontamination more than some of our clinical colleagues, maybe something to do with electrickery, just because you can't see it, don't mean it ain't there, same with bugs.

WE DO HAVE A DECONTAMINATION POLICY BUT I SUSPECT IT IS NOT ADHERED TO, MY WORRY IS BEING INFECTED WITH SOMETHING OR CARRYING INFECTION TO OTHER PARTS OF THE HOSPITAL. HAVE ANY OF YOU GUYS BEEN GIVEN INJECTIONS AGAINST INFECTION?

Hello
We have hepatitus B and C injections to protect us from nasties. But the decontamination policy should be enforced.

Only Hepatitis, you cannot be immunised against all the bugs in a hospital.
Unless you are going to get Gulf war syndrome... or so the rumours say.
Robert

PAUL, I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD EMAIL TO ME A COPY OF YOUR DECONTAMINATION POLICY.

Hi Folks,

I have had some problems with decontamination and have the same concerns about catching something nasty. I have received injections to protect against HepB but As someone else has pointed out the best protection is to insist on the primary decontamination being carried out by the nursing staff. I can off a coy of our policy document if this will help.

On another topic I am willing to offer help on demonstating how this Library has been set up and managed.
I am currently a SATO grade and like another respondent on this site am looking for other directions to develop my role and the Library and have become involved in the trialling of new equipment in conjunction with the reps. I am willing to share how I do this if anyone is interested to know more.


Regards,

Brian Willis

Martin,
We kept a weekly account of equipment not cleaned/decontaminated and sent it to the head of clinical governance who brought it up at the monthly governance meeting. (name and shame) It has reduced the number of occasions but it still happens. We are now putting a business case forward to get our own equipment cleaning staff. This should improve the cleanliness of equipment and free up nursing time.

John,

We were discussing doing that ourselves, the only problem is we think is it will take the onus off the nursing staff of what they should be doing in the first place. Cleaning equipment prior to sending back to the library, or allowing non-clinical people to touch equipment that needs to be transported must be carried out by the ward, are they cleaning equipment between patients even?

I don’t think that is an excuse saying they don’t have time, surely its part of their nursing duties, therefore time should be made, we had a discussion with one of our Practice Development nurses and she was in agreement it is one of their duties.

The root cause of the problem needs to be tackled, why are they not cleaning equipment?

The patient has a right to expect the equipment was cleaned before being used on them.

I’ll watch with interest how you get on.

Good luck

Paul.