STE404 Foundations of Sterilising Practice Assessment 2 2026: Microbial Resistance, Spaulding Classification and Tikanga Māori | Open Polytechnic

STE404 Foundations of Sterilising Practice Assessment 2: Blood-borne Microorganisms, Reprocessing and Tikanga Māori

The second STE404 assessment moves from PPE to the science and culture of reprocessing. Learners explain the hierarchy of microbial resistance, Spaulding’s classification and why spores demand sterilisation, then respond to a decontamination-room incident that is unsafe both for infection control and under tikanga Māori, linking tapu and noa to te Tiriti o Waitangi principles.

Task 1: Infection Control and Blood-borne Diseases

You are training a new colleague in the sterile services unit. They ask why blood-borne viruses like hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV can sometimes be destroyed with disinfection, while other microbes require sterilisation.

1. (a) Describe the hierarchy of microbial resistance from least resistant (easiest to destroy) to most resistant (hardest to destroy). (10 marks)
   (b) For each level, give one example of a microorganism and briefly state the type of infection it can cause (include at least one blood-borne virus in your examples). (10 marks)
2. Explain how Spaulding’s classification of reusable devices helps determine whether cleaning, disinfection or sterilisation is required to prevent transmission of blood-borne viruses. Include examples of critical, semi-critical and non-critical items you reprocess that could carry blood-borne viruses, and make clear how reprocessing decisions help break the chain of infection and prevent transmission of blood-borne microorganisms. (10 marks)
3. (a) Describe how bacterial spores differ from viruses in structure and resistance to reprocessing methods. (10 marks)
   (b) Explain why instruments contaminated with bacterial spores must always be sterilised, even though disinfection may be sufficient to inactivate most blood-borne viruses. (10 marks)

(Word count guideline 500 words; Task 1 total: 50 marks)

Task 2: Infection Control and Cultural Awareness

You are working in the decontamination area. A co-worker places contaminated instruments on the floor temporarily while moving a load between sinks. Another staff member notices and comments that this is not only unsafe for infection control, but also disrespectful in terms of tikanga Māori, because contaminated instruments (which have been in contact with human tissue) are considered tapu.

1. Explain why this action (placing instruments on the floor) is unsafe from both (a) an infection control and (b) a cultural (tikanga Māori) perspective. (10 marks)
2. Describe how you would respond professionally to your colleague who placed the instruments on the floor. (15 marks)
3. (a) Explain how applying tikanga (tapu and noa) in your practice helps uphold one or more of the te Tiriti o Waitangi principles (partnership, participation, protection). (15 marks)
   (b) Suggest one practical team-wide improvement that would reduce the risk of this situation happening again. (10 marks)

(Word count guideline 500 words; Task 2 total: 50 marks)

Marking Schedule

Each question is marked in five bands. Top-band answers give an accurate, complete resistance hierarchy in the correct order with correct terminology, a correct example and infection for every level including a blood-borne virus, and well-reasoned links between reprocessing decisions, cultural safety and practical improvements in the sterile services unit.

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