EVS Staff Speak Out at Scripps Green Hospital
A critical member of the staff at Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla California talks about her job and the rewards it offers.
I’m closing your hallway door, Mrs. Smith. We always want your room to be as quiet as possible. We always strive to clean your bathroom twice a day. It’s really second nature for us to always make sure you understand your medications. It’s customary for our team to always answer call lights within five minutes….
Another Question and Answer: Q. In the healthcare or residential setting, what does the “environment” or “environmental surface” mean? A. The environment refers to the patient or resident’s surroundings. When we talk about cleaning the environment, typically we are referring to cleaning and disinfecting objects, like housekeeping surfaces (e.g., floors, tabletops) and medical equipment. It…
The most important staff related task we have in Environmental Services is in training. Almost every challenge or difficulty we face can be reduced or eliminated with training. To help you I’m going to list steps that will help you conduct successful training. This is not meant…
Sure it seems like a never ending cycle of cutbacks, reductions and expectations to do more with less. Some hospitals reach the breaking point sooner because they have been more efficient to begin with. Eventually even the over-staffed facilities will feel the challenge to keep up. Patient satisfaction scores are one measure of performance. While…
You’ve heard the saying…. “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” – Mark Twain. That Mark Twain saying, may seem kind of cliché… but think of it that you are hearing it for the first time; It’s pretty powerful. The quality of ‘fierceness’…
The goal of any Environmental Services Department within a healthcare facility should be to prevent the spread of infectious agents among patients and healthcare workers by meticulous cleaning and appropriate disinfection of environmental surfaces. To reach this goal, the EVS department will need to have a comprehensive training program, the objective of which should be…