As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, annual conferences and in-person seminars are being canceled left and right—forcing SPD professionals to secure their continuing education (CE) credits elsewhere.
The good news: Industry organizations are offering webinars to help you keep your credentials up-to-date. You can easily earn CE credits while staying at home and abiding by social distancing measures.
Here’s where to find accredited webinars:
IAHCSMM
The International Association of Healthcare Central Services Materiel Management (IAHCSMM) offers webinars free to Association members and for a nominal fee to non-members. Three learning tracks, under the umbrellas of employee training, employee enrichment, and management, give webinar attendees opportunities to upskill their sterile processing expertise, learn about more advanced reprocessing procedures, and think about ways to shape the culture of their department using mentorship or gamification.
Each webinar counts for one CE credit hour that can be applied to IAHCSMM certification renewal.
CBSPD
To renew existing certifications from the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution (CPSPD), SPD professionals must accumulate 100 or 150 points (depending on their certifications) every five years. These points can be earned through continuing education, college courses, employment in the field, or holding an office in an SPD-related professional organization. (Note: Recertification approval may take more time right now due to shifts within CBSPD from coronavirus.)
“Educational Programs are to be concentrated in subject areas directly related to the examination content, and should reflect the newest advances in each area as well as any changes in the examination content,” CBSPD advises on its website.
SPD professionals seeking CBSPD recertification points can register for the Board’s September webinar series, “Sterile Processing Management, Regulations & Responsibilities.” The series costs $700 and provides 27 sterile processing contact hours (applicable for those already certified in sterile processing). The series will cover SPD management concepts, as well as regulations and recommended reprocessing standards.
The Board is also offering a free, non-credited webinar (already recorded) focused on COVID-19 and bronchoscopy, in partnership with Ofstead & Associates.
AAMI
With its virtual Summer Learning Series, the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) offers opportunities for members and non-members to earn CE credits for their certifications from the AAMI Credentials Institute (ACI), while learning from leading regulatory, health technology, and sterilization experts. Registration gives attendees access to both the live streams and the recordings of a variety of sessions.
The sterilization series has five scheduled sessions, all taking place in August, and is available to AAMI members for $125 and non-members for $175. Sessions will look at ways to overcome the challenges of extracting samples from flexible endoscopes, the collaboration of sterile processing and health technology management departments, sterilization failures and quality management, and the importance of proper cleaning agents and procedures.
AAMI is also offering tracks in cybersecurity, health technology management, regulatory/accreditation, and professional development, among others—providing your entire facility with opportunities to build on existing knowledge and expertise.
More Opportunities for IAHCSMM, CBSPD, and Nursing (Re)Certification: Continuing Education with Censis
In lieu of Censis’s annual in-person conference, CtUC, we’ve teamed up with Beyond Clean to launch our inaugural continuing education webinar program, True Grit, True You. The program offers attendees opportunities to earn CE credits and certifications from IAHCSMM, CBSPD, CNOR, CSSM, and CNS-CP.
The first webinar, “How to Remain AAMI Compliant & JCO Ready with an Electronic Tracking System,” is scheduled for July 16 at 12 PM EST, 11 AM CST. Presented by Censis’s Jacob Long, business development manager, and Jeff Rockett, client services manager for government services, this session will focus on ways an electronic tracking system can be used to ensure proper sterilization record keeping and compliance with AAMI ST79 and ST90.
Ten other webinars are currently scheduled into the fall. Planned topics include loaner management, data operations, scope management, lean methodology, and leadership management. Censis plans to extend this educational programming into 2021—giving healthcare professionals ample opportunities to keep certifications current, while upskilling expertise and staying on the cutting edge of their field.
