Responsibility for equipment cleaning
Cleaning patient equipment is the shared responsibility of many healthcare associates, including:
- Sterile processing/patient care equipment staff
- Environmental services staff
- Patient care associates
- Ancillary services
Each individual user of equipment is responsible for ensuring that the equipment is clean before using it on a patient. If the equipment is not identified as clean, it should be considered dirty. Dirty equipment must be properly cleaned before using it on a patient.
Cleaning schedule for patient care equipment
At a minimum, equipment should be cleaned whenever it is visibly soiled. Patient care equipment should be cleaned before and after use on different patients. Equipment should be cleaned at the predetermined frequency as determined by facility policy (eg, daily, weekly, etc.).
Strategies to determine if equipment is clean
Each facility will have measures in place to identify properly cleaned patient care equipment. Methods may include:
- Covering clean equipment with a plastic covering
- Storing only clean equipment in a clean, unoccupied patient room
- Storing only clean equipment in the supply room