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Tip of the week: Hire designated cleaning staff members for ER

Infection Control Monitor, April 11, 2008

A hospital’s ER is full of opportunities for infectious disease transmission. High turnover in patient rooms and bays leaves little time for proper environmental cleaning, making it difficult for cleaning staff members to fulfill their responsibilities, says Gwen Rogers, RN, BS, MS, CIC, clinical manager of epidemiology and infection prevention at Maine Medical Center in Portland.

In some cases, hospitals have called on clinical staff members to help by taking on cleaning tasks in addition to other responsibilities. This presents obvious problems, says Rogers, because cleaning may not get done when more pressing patient care issues arise.

At Baton Rouge (LA) General Hospital, the facility revised its practice and hired a dedicated environmental services staff person.

To learn more about IC challenges in the ER, go to www.hcpro.com/content/208506.cfm. The cost is $10. Briefings on Infection Control subscribers received this story with their subscriptions.

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