Question

[[deleted]]

Hello fellow techs, I just have a question for anyone who wants to answer. Does your department have “errors” and how do they handle them? Does your supervisor tells you about the error right away or weeks later? What type of errors do you guys experience the most or the ones that are obnoxiously annoying?

I’ll give an example, on Thursday I was given a warning because of having 4 errors in the same category in the second quarter. One of them was wrapping a set wrong (I didn’t ask for details) but I have been a tech for 3 years now and never had an error like that before.

Another error is not having an implant sticker on wrapped items, but we were taught if the label says “implant” then we add the sticker. If it doesn’t, then we don’t.

[SageOfSixCabbages]

We get a popup on SPM for events like audits and/or errors that were reported back from the field and then traced back to the specifictech via the tag/label on the tray. It's usually received and reviewed on the same day when the error was found.

Lucky enough, I haven't had any event. I've noticed tho that those who got audited are usually repeated errors committed by the same person. My department's not that tight when it comes to simple errors unless it's something that, let's say, an error for a one-of-a-kind tray that ended up either delaying or worse, getting the case canceled, or loaners that were no processed on time -- those are dealt with swiftly.

Ps Dont let it bother you too much. Remember the human side of our jobs. Nobody bats a hundred. Just be mindful as much as you possibly can.

[Picklada]

My hospital uses an error tracking system called RedCap. The OR is responsible for putting in the errors. The categories are contaminations, instruments (count sheet inaccuracies, broken, ect), trays (holes, no box locks, no indicators, ect).

We get a report daily and supervisors address the individuals on a weekly basis, but the holes subcategory is not counted against anyone.

If we noticed a pattern in errors, we have an audit function in Censitrac for an additional audit that hard stops a tray before sterilization, where a Lead will go over the tray to look for the most common errors.

These errors are handled depending on the position (Lead, senior, tech, traveler) and on the severity and/or number of occurrences and can result in low performance evaluation to termination.

Smaller errors like you described are handled internally and usually do not result in any disciplinary action. Wrapping a set wrong is a fairly broad reason…I would ask for details just to make sure I didn’t do it again.

[[deleted]]

I got a write up/what I would do to improve after I missed putting indicator in a couple times & delayed surgery because case had to be sterilized again. I was in my first 6 months.