Vendor Certificate Course: Certified Central Service Vendor Partner (CCSVP)
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
As a vendor, it can take a long time to set an appointment with a Sterile Processing (SP) management team. You have to make a commitment to make a connection and are lucky to receive even a few minutes of their undivided attention. Having in-depth knowledge of SP operations, procedures and terminology can be the keys to establishing a professional link with the department’s decision-makers.
CCSVP CERTIFICATION
One of the best ways to improve your SP knowledge is to become a CCSVP. The CCSVP certification program is designed to recognize vendors who have demonstrated knowledge of SP concepts and processes, including the decontamination, inspection, assembly, packaging, and sterilization of reusable surgical instruments. The CCSVP program will give you an inside look at the world of Sterile Processing, building your knowledge across all areas of the discipline. You'll achieve a deeper level of connection and credibility with your customers because you're more than a salesperson; You are a solutions provider. To earn CCSVP certification, candidates are required to successfully demonstrate knowledge through the:
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Successful completion of an online course
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Successful completion of an examination developed to measure the understanding of general sterile processing and infection prevention topics
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Submission of two rounds of clinical Sterile Processing department observations (32 hours minimum)
Individuals holding a CCSVP are required to renew their certification annually through the completion of six continuing education (CE) credits.
ABOUT THE COURSE
COURSE ACCESS
The CCSVP educational course is designed especially for healthcare vendors to provide a means to obtain information about the processes of the Sterile Processing department (SPD) and the role of the vendor as it relates to this specialized area of the hospital. Whether you are just beginning to interact with SPDs or have been providing support to these departments for some time, this course is designed to strengthen your insight into your customers’ worlds.
Although no one knows more about your products and services than you do, your in-company training likely focused directly on how your product or service interfaces with a specific aspect of the SPD. With that in mind, the CCSVP is designed to provide a broader picture of the SP environment and present you with information about the factors that influence SPD protocols and purchasing decisions.
HSPA knows you are busy, so we designed this independent study course to fit your schedule. The combination of reading assignments and online presentations and quizzes makes it possible to complete the course at your convenience within a 12-month window.
COURSE STRUCTURE
There are two main components to the CCSVP course:
- HSPA’s Sterile Processing Technical Manual, 9th edition
- Course modules accessed through the online course portal
The CCSVP course is comprised of thirteen online modules, each including a reading assignment from the Sterile Processing Technical Manual textbook, a PowerPoint presentation, and a quiz. You must pass each module and quiz with a minimum score of 70% before the next quiz will open. Note: While your scores on the quizzes will not count for a grade, they will provide you with a good indication of whether you have mastered the information contained in the lesson.
Upon successful completion of the final module, you will have access to a final practice exam. A minimum score of 70% is required on the final practice exam for successful completion of the course. Once you have completed the modules and practice exam, you will be able to print a certificate of completion for the online course. Note: The course is preparation for the certification exam; passing the course does not equate to certification.
WHAT COMES WITH THE COURSE
Upon purchasing the course, you will receive an email with instructions for accessing the online course portal. This email will include your log-in credentials and course expiration date. The course fee includes:
- Sterile Processing Technical Manual, 9th edition (shipping included, mailed via UPS)
- One year of access to the online course portal, including training modules, lessons and quizzes
- Online course final practice exam to prepare for the certification exam
- Certification exam fee (one attempt)
Your access to the course will begin once you receive your email notification and you will have one year to complete the online course, hours of observation and certification exam. Extensions are not provided past this expiration date and additional fees will apply.
COURSE FEE - $375
The CCSVP 9th edition course is open for registration.
Please note: The cost of the course includes one attempt at the CCSVP certification exam at a Prometric Testing Facility. Any necessary retake exams are subject to the exam fee of $140 USD.
Required Hours of Experience
How many hours of hands-on experience are required?
Clinical Observation Component
Following the course, your next step is to observe what you have learned in action by completing 32 total hours of required observation, signed off by two different hospital/surgery center locations. Each CCSVP applicant is responsible for partnering with two separate healthcare facilities to set up their Clinical Observation. Please note: Clinical Observations may be completed over a period of time; however, applicants will not be allowed to schedule their certification exam until the Clinical Observation component has been completed and approved.)
32 hours of experience must be completed in two Sterile Processing departments (SPDs), on a paid or volunteer basis.
All hours of observation must be completed in full before applying to take the exam. Hours must have been accumulated within the past three years. Hands-on experience provides an invaluable resource with which to better understand the standards, knowledge and practices needed to be successful in an SPD and on the exam.
These hours are broken down into the following areas of experience (must be completed twice, at two separate facilities):
- Decontamination (5 hours)
- Inspection, Assembly, & Packaging (5 hours)
- Sterilization (4 hours)
- Sterile Storage & Distribution Systems (2 hours)
Please be aware that HSPA does NOT provide placement services. It is your responsibility to find a department in which to complete your hours.
Following the acceptance of your clinical observation, you may submit the exam application. Details for scheduling an exam date will be provided to you upon approval of your application.
Verification of Examination Requirements
Hands-on experience is required for your examination, and documentation of that experience must be provided on the exam application as indicated. No other documentation is necessary or acceptable.
The sections of your application documenting your experience must be completed by your department’s immediate manager/supervisor. An individual may never document their own experience.
Provided they are in a position above your own then experience hours can be documented by:
- Lead technicians, coordinators, or supervisors
- Managers, chiefs, directors, or administrators
- Hospital-based educators or trainers
Hours cannot be documented by technicians or private instructors. In order to verify experience, all contact information provided for the manager or supervisor documenting your hours must be current or your application will be rejected.
Hands-on hours can be accumulated on a paid or volunteer basis and you need not be currently employed or volunteering with a facility in order to test.
Applications requiring hands-on experience may be subject to verification before processing. Once selected for verification an application cannot be processed further until the manager/supervisor documenting the applicant’s hours of experience can be contacted and the experience confirmed. If the listed manager/supervisor cannot be reached for confirmation the application will be returned, unprocessed. If the manager/supervisor is reached but refutes the information submitted in any way, the application will be sent to the Certification Council for further investigation and review.
Applicants who have submitted a completed application and who are notified that they do not meet the eligibility requirements may appeal this decision by sending a written notice of the appeal to the Certification Council within 30 days of the time stamp on the eligibility decision. Appeals that cannot be resolved to the applicant’s satisfaction will be forwarded by the Certification Manager to the Certification Council for review along with any relevant information from the initial review of the application. Written notice of the final decision will be sent to the applicant within 30 days of the review. The decision of the Certification Council will be final.
Content & Composition of the Exam
Exam Content Outline
Once the prerequisites (online course, practice exam, and clinical observation component) have been completed, applicants will be eligible to apply for and sit for the HSPA CCSVP certification exam.
The CCSVP exam will test your proficiency in the following areas:
- Introduction to the Sterile Processing Department
- SP Processes: Decontamination
- SP Processes: Assembly & Packaging
- SP Processes: Sterilization
- Inventory Management/Distribution Systems & Vendor Relationships
- The Impact of Regulations & Standards on SP
The exam is computer-based and no writing instruments are needed (a written version of the exam is not available). The test is comprised of 150 multiple-choice questions and you will have 2.25 hours to complete the exam. Questions can be marked for review and answered or changed later in the exam. A 15-minute tutorial describing how to take the exam on the computer precedes the test and is also available online, below: