Central Services PREP (A Curriculum for Sterilization Technicians in the Workplace). Final Report.

A workplace literacy curriculum for entry-level hospital workers who sterilize medical equipment for doctors and nurses was developed, tested, and published in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. An assessment was conducted to identify the needs of the hospital's management and the literacy skills needed by its central services prep department, and available instructional materials were reviewed and evaluated. A curriculum was then designed and written. The curriculum included lessons on the following topics: microbiology, soaps and detergents, procedures for cleaning patient supplies, procedures for cleaning machines, packaging, safety, general biology, and infection. Each lesson was developed to be self-contained. A pretest/posttest was also developed to help instructors identify employees requiring help in developing their work-specific vocabulary. Because the hospital could not release workers for a structured class, the lessons had to be presented to and reviewed by individual students who had attended the hospital's adult basic education/General Educational Development classes. The lessons were modified based on the feedback received. (MN)