Guides: Nursing: Sterilisation

eBooks

Antisepsis, Disinfection, and Sterilization types, action, and resistance. (2017) This book is a detailed and accessible presentation of the current methods of microbial control.
A Practical Guide to Decontamination in Healthcare (2012) Provides practical guidance on all aspects of decontamination including: microbiology and infection control; regulations and standards; containment, transportation, handling, cleaning, disinfection and sterilization of patient used devices; surgical instrumentation; endoscopes; and quality management systems.
Block's Disinfection, Sterilization, and Preservation (2020) The book focuses on disease prevention, rather than eradication and has been thoroughly updated with new information based on recent advances in the field and understanding of the risks, the technologies available, and the regulatory environments.
Burton's Microbiology for the Health Sciences (2020) Burton's Microbiology for the Health Sciences provides the vital microbiology information you need to protect yourself and your patients from infectious diseases.
Microbiology and infection control for health professionals. (6th edition) (2016) This resource aims to provide a comprehensive guide to microbiology, infectious diseases and infection control. It is suitable for students, clinicians and educators in the health professions.
Medical Surgical Nursing for Australian Students (2022) This resource aims to provide a comprehensive guide to microbiology, infectious diseases and infection control. It is suitable for students, clinicians and educators in the health professions.

Videos

Australian Standards

The RACGP provides a list of current Australian and International Standards for Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines. Please see the link below for the list of Standards currently being used.

Relevant Standards: RACGP

Access Australian Standards through the Intertek Platform link below. You must have a registered account with Intertek to access any Standard. Contact any NMT Library for help with registering with Intertek and/or for assistance searching Standards.

Standards Australia > NMT This link opens in a new window A complete listing of all the Australian and New Zealand Standards that you require for your work and study. FAQ's to assist you are also to be found here.

Contact NMT Libraries

Websites

Sterilisation Procedures

Cleaning and sterilising reusable equipment and instruments: NSW Health (2024) All reusable equipment and instruments that are used in a skin penetration procedure must be cleaned and sterilised in a process that can be validated (the sterilising process can be checked) before they can be reused.
Preventing and Controlling Infections Standard: Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (2021) ntention of this standard To reduce the risk to patients, consumers and members of the workforce of acquiring preventable infections; effectively manage infections, if they occur; prevent and contain antimicrobial resistance; promote appropriate prescribing and use of antimicrobials as part of antimicrobial stewardship; and promote appropriate and sustainable use of infection prevention and control resources.
Reprocessing of Reusable Equipment: St John Clinical Resources (2022) To maintain reusable medical devices (RMDs) and equipment in a manner that eliminates or minimises colonisation of microorganisms, thereby reducing the risk of infection and promoting a safe environment for patients and clinical personnel.

Safety Data Sheets (SDS)

Code of practice - Preparation of safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals: WorkSafe Western Australia (2022) This code of practice provides practical guidance on how to prepare safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals that are being manufactured or imported for use, handling or storage in Australia.
Safety Data Sheets: Safe Work Australia Almost every hazardous chemical will require Safety data sheets (SDS).

Spaulding Classification

Spaulding Classification: Nanosonics (2024) The Spaulding Classification stratifies the risk of infection transmission based on the patient tissue the device will contact during use.
Infection prevention control and guidelines: The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (2024) In general practices and other office- and community-based practices, sterilisation of instruments should be achieved by steam sterilisation under pressure (autoclaves). Other sterilisation systems that use dry heat, ionising radiation, ethylene-oxide, peracetic acid or hydrogen peroxide plasma sterilisation are not generally applicable due to cost, size or complexity.
Preparing for the new sterilisation standards (2021) A new standard The new standard, AS/NZS 4187:2014 Reprocessing of reusable medical devices in health service organisations , was released in 2014 and became operational in December 2016. It sets out more stringent requirements for the reprocessing of reusable medical devices in health service organisations, with the aim of making the standards more consistent with European and global standards for sterilisation processes.

Books

The World of Surgical Instruments; the Definitive Inspection Textbook (2023) Surgiacl instrument inspection and testing textbook. With detailed images of equipment.
Burton's Microbiology for the Health Sciences (2018) Emphasizing the relevance of microbiology to a career in the health professions, the book provides the vital microbiology information students need to protect themselves and their patients from infectious diseases.
Sterilization, Disinfection and Control (1998) This valuable resource is designed to advise, guide, inform and support those who are involved in the provision of sterile supplies and services.