Beyond Clean Podcast

In this CE-approved episode of Articles On-The-Go, Hank Balch identifies the key habits and commitments that set highly effective Sterile Processing departments apart from average ones: "As with all habits, these behaviors and commitments did not mature overnight, and some were years in the making. Even so, implementing and encouraging these seven habits among your team can and will change the qua...

On this week's episode of Confident Certification™ Sarah B. Cruz and Bobby Parker discuss what it really means to "be your own biggest fan" on the journey toward certification. They talk about celebrating small wins and milestones, finding motivation in purpose, and leaning into a growth mindset when faced with failures or imposter syndrome. Sarah and Bobby explore how self-belief ties into being...

Join us this week as we wrap up Season 22 "All 'Bout Consumables" with guest Robby Miller, Manager of Sterile Processing at Dignity Health's St. Joseph's Hospital, sharing his strategies for managing consumables at a high level. Robby shares tips on stewarding department resources through education, the place of consumables in process improvement, and leveraging vendor relationships to drive effic...

Who's got your back on the road to certification? Why does it matter? On this week's edition of Confident Certification™, host Sarah B. Cruz talks about the importance of finding a supportive community when pursuing your certification goals. Tune in to hear key tips on how to build your network, connect with fellow Sterile Processing professionals in the same season of study, and find the right sp...

Join us this week on Beyond Clean as we chat with Rory Burke, Lead Medical Supply Technician and member of the Beyond Clean Advisory Group, about consumables such as protein residue testing tools in Sterile Processing. On this episode, we discuss the differences between ATP and protein methods, workflow considerations, guidelines and standards around testing, and best practices for investigating f...

In this CE-approved episode of Articles On-The-Go, Hank Balch discusses the career advancement opportunities the "Great Resignation" presented for Sterile Processing professionals: -- "If you are willing to stick with your current employer through this season of employment upheaval, you position yourself very powerfully to be strongly considered for that next step up the department career ladder....

Are you that brave, adventurous type of Sterile Processing technician? Do you prefer to go your own pace, and set your own goals? Then self-study for the certification exam may be for you! Join hosts Sarah B. Cruz and Bobby Parker on this episode of Confident Certification™ as they provide tips for creating your own curriculum, outlining key topics, and incorporating formal and informal education...

What's blue and has flaps? A bluebird. What's blue and can be folded? Blue jeans! What's blue and can save lives? Now THAT's a good question. Join us for this episode of Season 22, featuring Sterile Processing Educator and member of the Beyond Clean Advisory Group Sean Weir, as he joins us to discuss the iconic blue wrap - a polyproplene material used to package surgical instruments all around the...

In this CE-approved episode of Articles On-The-Go, Hank Balch discusses why IFUs, not sales reps, should be trusted when it comes to instrument reprocessing: -- "…it is imperative that we build a culture and expectation among our team that we welcome rep-based education, but always take everything we hear with a big grain of salt. In other words, listen for insights, but verify everything with a m...

Tired of staring at the same textbook page for hours? On this week's episode of Confident Certification™, Sarah B. Cruz feels your study pain and is dishing out tips to make every minute of certification prep count! Find your prime study spot - whether it's noisy or quiet, solo or in a group. Learn how to get real about your schedule and build in flexibility as Sarah gets real about her own distra...

Clean? Really Clean? Just a Dream? What does "Clean" even mean? Join us for this week's new release from Season 22 on Beyond Clean, featuring Pawel de Sternberg Stojalowski, an expert in decontamination science and cleaning verification fanatic! We pitch Pawel some of the most important questions related to clinically relevant test soils, optimizing washer loading techniques, and adopting a critic...

In this CE-approved episode of Articles On-The-Go, Hank Balch discusses the impact that attendance and tardiness can have on a department: -- "If the shift start time is seen as an option, and the end of the tardy grace period is seen as the real start time, then leaders and co-workers are handcuffed in a way that they cannot begin their shift handoffs until after the grace period ends, wasting va...

Sharpen those pencils and grab your favorite highlighter because this week's Confident Certification™ podcast is a back-to-basics guide to note-taking for your certification success! 📝 Sarah B. Cruz gets real about why writing it down matters when you're prepping for your exam. From bulleting key concepts to recording your own audio study guides, you'll be armed with pro note-taking tips to retai...

You won't want to miss this week's jam-packed episode of Beyond Clean - as we get hyped about biological indicators (BIs) with the one and only Adam Okada! Tune in for all the #CleanFreak facts about BI spores and essential tips for proper testing in your Sterile Processing department. In this interview we learn how to crush the common errors and misconceptions around BIs and talk about how you ca...

In this CE-approved episode of Articles On-The-Go, Hank Balch discusses lessons healthcare can learn from the fast food industry, including how to handle compensation -- "As wages increase in other industries, it puts a dramatic squeeze on current SPD staff retention and shrinks the available applicant pool as these candidates consider other higher-paying jobs outside of the healthcare..." To list...

If you want to PASS your Sterile Processing certification exam, you're NOT going to want to miss this week's Confident Certification™ podcast release! 📚 Sarah B. Cruz and Bobby Parker get REAL about why you've absolutely gotta crack open that textbook for certification success. They'll be diving into why you should value your manual far above workbooks and online quizlets. Plan on grabbing a high...

"If there's a hole, brush it." That's the brushing philosophy of  Carol   Malone , AAB, CSPDT, CRCST, CIS, CHL Supervisor, Sterile Processing Education at UH Hospitals as she joins this episode of Beyond Clean to share her wealth of expertise on all things Sterile Processing brushes. Discover right and wrong brushing techniques, brush selection tips, and how to prevent reuse abuse. 🧼 In this epis...

In this CE-approved episode of Articles On-The-Go, Hank Balch highlights a curious bit of lingering vocabulary that won't seem to go away  -- "Yes, the processes of rinsing something in a scrub sink then popping it into an autoclave has almost universally ended (thankfully). But the language of flash has simply taken on a new, albeit more compliant, meaning. What we are left with are two terms (fl...

Taking tests can be stressful, but with the right strategies you CAN build your confidence. In this week's episode of Confident Certification™ with Sarah B. Cruz, we discuss managing uncertainty, active guessing, and the process of elimination when sitting for your Sterile Processing certification exam. Tune in to learn how to use practice tests to identify weak areas in your knowledge and underst...

Get ready to go Beyond Clean and dive deep into all things chemical indicators on this week's new release! 🧪👩‍🔬  Breanna   Paul , member of the Beyond Clean Advisory Group, joins us to share her expertise and insights about types of indicators, proper use, troubleshooting issues, and best practices for consistent success.  From placement tips to training tricks, she'll spill the tea on how to o...

Are you a part of innovating the industry's instrument cleaning brushes? Do you want to be? On this week's Beyond Clean Vendor Spotlight™ podcast, we're joined by industry veteran Dan DeShane with Sharn by Marketlab, as we discuss  the critical need for education around specialty brushes and the urgent call for intentional, purpose-driven innovation in this space. Dan's  expertise is focused on ed...

In this CE-approved episode of Articles On-The-Go, Hank Balch discusses the importance of Sterile Processing in on-time starts in surgery:  -- "I eventually realized that there was actually a bright side to being listed as a primary contributor to case delays; you're invited to things like executive meetings where the sole focus is fixing those problems. This ultimately means you get what every st...

Get ready to train your brain for certification success in this week's episode of Confident Certification™ with Sarah B. Cruz! Tune in as Adam Okada, Clinical Education Specialist at Healthmark Industries AND Founder of the Sterile Education mobile app, joins us to share his favorite techniques to boost memory, retention and confidence as preparing for your exam. Learn how to break old habits and...

How well do you really know the Bowie Dick test? Join Don Tumminelli as he kicks off our Season 22 premiere and unpacks the history, science, and purpose behind this crucial daily sterilizer challenge test and one of the least understood SPD consumable. Learn proper test pack placement, cycle parameters, result interpretation, and troubleshooting steps for failures. Discover the difference between...

In this CE-approved episode of Articles On-The-Go, Hank Balch warns against the danger of misinformation and SPD group-think on social media:  -- "Because we often do not know the people on the other end of these social media platforms—what they know and what they don't—putting the lives of our patients on the line to trust their answers is not a wise or sustainable solution. As helpful as most of...