The Medical Device Reprocessing Department (MDRD) is essential to hospital safety, ensuring medical equipment is cleaned, sterilized and prepared for use. Despite its critical role, maintaining competency in this field is challenging. Michener addresses this need with an innovative MDRD competency course designed to meet the demands of this evolving field.
MDRD: The Backbone of Safe Patient Care
AnneMarie Tyson, Director of MDRD at UHN, describes the department as the “heart of the hospital.” The MDRD team ensures that medical devices, from surgical instruments to advanced technology, are sterile and ready for patient care. Errors in reprocessing can have severe consequences, from infections to the transmission of diseases. With advancing technology and evolving regulations, ongoing education and competency testing are essential. “Our field has evolved significantly in the last 20 years,” Tyson notes, “making competency testing non-negotiable.”
Addressing a Growing Need for Competency Testing
National standards now mandate that MDRD staff not only be certified but also undergo annual competency assessments. Yet for many hospitals, ensuring these standards are met can be overwhelming. At UHN, one educator supports over 150 MDRD staff, a task that becomes increasingly challenging in such a fast-paced and high-stakes environment.
Recognizing this need, UHN partnered with Michener to create a course that automates and streamlines competency testing. Unlike traditional college certification programs, the focus of this initiative is on annual recertification and lifelong learning. Tyson emphasizes, “This program supports staff ownership of learning while alleviating pressure on educators and supervisors.”
Why Standards and Education Matter
Sterilization, infection control and reprocessing techniques are not just procedural steps; they are the foundation of patient and staff safety. Tyson explains that even a small error, such as missing a drop of blood during cleaning, can compromise the entire sterilization process, leading to catastrophic outcomes. Similarly, improper reprocessing techniques can damage delicate instruments or render them unsafe for use.
Redundancies in the system, such as automated washers and rigorous inspections, help mitigate these risks. Still, the ultimate goal is to minimize errors at every step through robust training and competency validation.
Onboarding plays a crucial role in building a solid foundation. New staff must quickly adapt to the high standards and complexity of the MDRD environment. Comprehensive onboarding, combined with ongoing education, ensures employees gain confidence and skills to meet these demands effectively, setting the stage for long-term success.
The benefits extend beyond patient safety. Proper reprocessing protects staff from exposure to dangerous pathogens during their work. By aligning with regulatory standards and leveraging innovative education models, the new Michener course equips both employees and organizations with the tools to meet these critical challenges.
The Hybrid Advantage: Supporting Learning and Work
Designed with a hybrid model, Michener’s MDRD course accommodates the needs of adult learners. The course allows employees to refresh their knowledge, build confidence, and stay current with new technologies and standards. For hospitals, this approach reduces liability, supports regulatory compliance, and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.
“In MDRD, competency isn’t just about passing a test,” Tyson concludes. “It’s about ensuring every tool that leaves our department is safe for use. This program ensures we have a well-trained, confident team providing the highest level of care.”
A Collaborative Effort
The success of this program is the result of a dedicated team effort, with expertise drawn from key contributors Lystra Shah (Infection Control – Microbiology), George Rendevski (Preparation Instrumentation), AnneMarie Tyson (Sterilization), Oren Hanuka (Decontamination), Kevin Wan (Sterile Storage), and Chelsea Keeping and David Antiqwere (Documentation, Best Practices, and Quality).
Meeting a Critical Need in Healthcare
This one-of-a-kind course stands apart by addressing a critical, hospital-driven need: automated annual competency testing. As AnneMarie notes, “There’s nothing like this program that I am aware of—at least in Ontario. To be able to say that Michener has a program that automates the process of competency testing is incredibly valuable.”
Learn more about Michener’s MDRD course and register today
Michener offers individual pricing for the course, and we will work with hospitals and organization to set a fee for the number of employees in a Medical Device Reprocessing Department. The course can be part of onboarding new employees or offered as an annual competency and safety measure to keep a Medical Device Reprocessing team’s practice as current as possible.
Contact Ivetka Vasil, Manager, International, Bridging, MELA, Continuous Enrollment & Certificate Programs, at ivasil@michener.ca to set up a meeting and discuss MDRD course options, or visit our program page.