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I N F E C T I O N
P R E V E N T I O N
than just an aesthetic issue. Some experts are concerned that residue
might facilitate the formation of biofilm, which could shield and protect germs from disinfectants.
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Protect your staff. Patient safety isn't the only concern.
There are documented cases of healthcare workers getting C. diff
on the job after working with infected patients. When you're disinfecting, you're dealing with chemicals, so make sure you teach people to
use gloves, goggles and other necessary personal protective equipment. You might also consider limiting the use of aerosol sprays in
your facility.
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Motivation is crucial. The people doing the clean-
ing and sanitizing have a crucial, challenging and sometimes
thankless job. So it's tremendously important to ensure that your service staff members feel appreciated, recognized and empowered as
part of the team. When their performance isn't perfect, tell them you
know that what they're doing is difficult and that you're going to help
them improve on the great job they're doing. There should be constant training, monitoring and feedback, so they never lose sight of
the ultimate goals — the safety of the patient and their own safety.
Make it a collegial atmosphere and make sure you give credit where
credit's due. Everybody should be on board. If you have an administrator or a nurse shouting, "I need this room!" that pressure can lead
to shortcuts and unsafe situations.
To show appreciation for our environmental service staff's hard
work, we've sponsored contests at our facility. We put a poster on the
wall, with paper race cars for each person doing the job. Then, when
we did spot checks, whoever had the best scores got their cars moved
toward the finish line. The ones who crossed the finish line first were
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O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | J A N U A R Y 2014
