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…
5 practical reasons to get up early everyday: Productivity– Waking early gives us a head start on our goals. We have the time, the solitude, and the space to think clearly and really get absorbed in our goals. Momentum– Waking early gives us higher level of momentum. If we start the day productive, we…
It was more than five years ago that we changed from cotton towels and mops to microfiber towels and mops. The difference has been dramatic. Fresh mops for each patient rooms instead of going to the closet and dumping your big bucket every three rooms. Towels that clean better and don’t deactivate the disinfectant. Less…
Inpatient infection rates are down, but there is still more work to be done. In a report released Friday, the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council said 21,319 of the 1.89 million patients admitted to Pennsylvania hospitals in 2010 acquired an infection. That is a rate of 1.13 percent, down from 1.20 percent the previous…
“Don’t join an easy crowd. Go where the challenge is great and the emotions are high. Go where the expectations are so strong that they provoke you, push you, and urgently insist that you not remain in one place. That way, you will grow and change.”…
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…
You need to develop and improve your managerial skills on an ongoing basis as your career develops and as you meet new managerial challenges. Whether you manage a department or a project team, it’s important to know how to get the work done right. When you’re asked to achieve something with the help of others,…
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, there are problems with individual performance. As a manager, you have to deal with these promptly. If you don’t discipline, you risk negative impacts on the rest of the team as well as your customers, as poor performance typically impacts customer service, and it hurts the team and everything that…
Good management means understanding how teams operate. It’s worth remembering that teams usually follow a certain pattern of development. It’s important to encourage and support people through this process, so that you can help your team become fully effective as quickly as possible. When forming teams, managers must create a balance so that there’s a…
The process of physical cleaning of environmental surfaces using detergent (soap), water, and friction is the critical step required prior to surface disinfection. The combination of the cleaning and disinfection processes is designed to remove and kill vegetative microorganisms on surfaces. Disinfection will not be effective in the presence of dirt, blood, or other bio…
The key is that sanitation, safety, and quality cannot be assured for items – particularly paper, textile products such as mops and cloths, and chemicals – that are kept in janitor/housekeeping, soiled utility, and other such areas. When it comes to soiled utility rooms, it might be good for the EVS profession to stop using…
For any healthcare administrator to discount quality results – with documented evidence – and revert to justification based on square footage borders on the unconscionable and very possibly unethical. To ignore your results and measures and revert to staffing levels and budget levels based only on square feet of floor surface will certainly have a…
I consider myself a very progressive person who stays current with the latest technology and methods for cleaning and disinfecting healthcare facilities. I learn and share best practices. I communicate with my peers all over the country and I have more than a few years experience in healthcare cleaning. That said, I am getting more…
I had a great question last Friday… How would you review a housekeeping operation? Here are some of the steps I said would be important in reviewing their existing housekeeping operations or developing new outsourcing initiatives. Two key phases of review include: Analysis Interviews with administration/housekeeping/staff Facility inspection FTE analysis Existing support contracts Departmental policies…