Report warns sterile processing staffing crisis threatens surgical safety

Editor's Note

Sterile processing departments (SPDs) face chronic staffing shortages and underinvestment that put surgical patients at risk, according to a Surgical Directions September 18 report. It emphasizes that sterile processing technicians, who decontaminate, inspect, and sterilize every surgical instrument, remain under-recognized despite their central role in surgical safety.

Per the report, up to 5% of surgical patients experience surgical site infections, many tied to improper instrument sterilization. Hospitals report that SPD vacancies often remain open for months due to low wages, limited advancement opportunities, and complex certification requirements. Technicians require knowledge spanning microbiology, infection control, sterilization science, regulatory compliance, and advanced instrumentation, yet compensation typically fails to reflect these demands.

Operational consequences are significant. Staffing gaps and workflow mismanagement drive surgical delays, cancellations, surgeon dissatisfaction, revenue losses, and even regulatory penalties. Without investment in training, pay, and integration into safety strategies, health systems risk compounding infection and compliance issues, warned an expert who was quoted.

To address the crisis, the report outlines five strategic actions:

• increasing compensation
• investing in structured training and ongoing education
• building career pathways
• elevating SPD visibility as a safety partner
• integrating SPD leadership into governance and infection prevention discussions.

Understaffed and under-supported SPDs create a high-risk environment that jeopardizes both patient outcomes and hospital performance, noted the outlet, adding: “Every instrument that enters a patient’s body passes through the hands of [an] SPD technician. Investing in these professionals is not optional—it is essential to safeguarding patients and protecting hospital performance.”