Introduction

Introduction to Reprocessing is published by NorQuest College in Edmonton, Alberta, and was created for the Medical Device Reprocessing Technician (MDRT) Program. Carrie Willekes, an MDRT with Alberta Health Services and an instructor with NorQuest College, and Susanne Erickson, a registered nurse and an instructor at NorQuest, wrote this open educational resource (OER), which was created for an introductory course in the MDRT program. Content focuses on basic knowledge necessary for those in the MDRT Program and includes reprocessing basics, medical terminology, body systems, microbiology, infection prevention, and quality management.

We deeply appreciate the dedicated professionals and organizations that supported this project. From the program advisory committee members who helped shape our vision, to the subject matter experts who gave their time and knowledge, and to the organizations that allowed us to capture photographs that bring this book to life — we are deeply thankful for your invaluable support and contributions.

• NorQuest College MDRT Program Advisory Committee Members

• Ralph Ennis-Davis BN, RN, CPM, Prosci CMP, Executive Director, Alberta Health Services

• Donna Paliwoda, CRCST CMDRT, Alberta Health Services

• Nancy Aelick, Medical Device Reprocessing Manager, Grey Nuns Hospital, Covenant Health

• University of Alberta Hospital MDRA

• Dr. Bill Holden, Princess Elizabeth Dental

• Dr. Ali Afshar BSc DDS CAGS, Princess Elizabeth Dental

• Mary Kasper, BA, Princess Elizabeth Dental

This work is made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA) 4.0 licence.

Cover image: Photo by Rebecca Born of the University of Alberta Hospital MDRA