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…
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…
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…
Here is the two step cleaning training video I participated in as a technical consultant. We filmed this video at the new beautiful Mercy Medical Center in Merced California. The purpose of this video is to help Environmental Services staff save lives. We believe it is not enough to simply clean with a disinfectant anymore….
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…
The major difference between cleaning a medical facility and any other building is the focus on the un-seen enemy, bacteria. Environmental Service’s job is to not only provide good visible results, but to reduce the number of surface bacteria to a safe level in order to control cross infection. This is an extremely important responsibility…
In Environmental Services, we are aware that first impression of our facility is very important to our clients and other staff, so we strive daily to provide a clean, safe and attractive environment. We also ensure that patient rooms are cleaned to the highest level to prevent cross contamination. The hospital, staff and patient depend…
One of the organizations I am a member of, and actually the first that I joined, is the International Executive Housekeeping Association or IEHA. Since 1930, the International Executive Housekeepers Association (IEHA) has been a non-profit organization committed to raising professionalism in the cleaning industry and providing a cleaner, safer, healthier environment. IEHA members are…
The most important staff related task we have in Environmental Services is training. Almost every challenge or difficulty we face can be reduced or eliminated with great training. I’m going to list steps that will help you conduct successful training. This is not meant to be a perfect or complete list, just use this as…
We know that our primary purpose is cleaning. We train our staff to recognize dirt and soil in so many forms and to remove it. We educate, coach and celebrate our successes. We also know that good strategies for combating infection and cross contamination include things such as hand washing and personal protective equipment. In…
Housekeeping management is often viewed as a straightforward position and can be an overlooked area for training. While everyone thinks they know how to clean, the management of housekeeping is more complex than people realize and has critical impact on guest satisfaction. To help tackle your job, cover these 10 areas: Guest experience Multicultural understanding…