Jobs in Housekeeping at Hospitals Q & A

Many people looking for employment in the hospital cleaning sector search Google and other sources for “jobs for housekeeping at hospitals,” “hospital housekeeper jobs,” or “hospital custodian jobs.” While these terms often bring results, they are somewhat out of date. Today’s hospital cleaning departments are called environmental services. So if you are looking for employment in the field, don’t forget to search “environmental services hospital jobs” or the acronym “EVS hospital jobs.”

The above answers one of the most common questions people considering a career in the field people ask, which is, “How does housekeeping in hospitals differ from hospital EVS?” Below are other common questions and answers for people considering a job in the field.

Jobs in Housekeeping

Q. What are the most important areas or rooms to clean in the hospital?

A. While all hospital areas must be kept clean, those where patients are most likely to be are the most critical to keep clean and disinfected, such as patient rooms and surgical and testing areas. Frequently touched surfaces are also crucial for housekeeping at hospitals to keep clean, such as doorknobs, patient trays and bedrails, and light switches, since these can be a major source of transmitting healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

Q. What part of the hospital does housekeeping apply to?

A. Housekeeping or EVS is responsible for cleaning all parts of the hospital, from patient rooms, emergency departments, and surgical areas to offices, cafeterias, and lobbies.

Q. What types of chemicals and equipment are used by EVS for hospitals?

A. Hospital EVS teams use various products, depending on the facility and cleaning and disinfecting needs. Servicon often uses hypochlorous acid in various strengths to clean and disinfect in hospitals since it is effective, nontoxic, and gentler on the environment. Servicon most often uses this formula with single-use microfiber cloths to avoid cross-contamination. Servicon also tests cleaning formulas and adopts new technologies proven effective and efficient.

Q. Why housekeeping is important in hospitals

A. Without EVS teams on the frontline of infection prevention in hospitals, harmful viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens would be rampant. Many more people would attract and die from HAIs and other potentially deadly diseases, such as Clostridium difficile, MRSA, SARS, and SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.

Q. What times do what types of hospital housekeeping duties does Servicon provide?

A. Servicon’s EVS for hospitals provides an array of services, including—but not limited to—complete cleaning and disinfecting as needed of all surfaces, floor care, trash and sharps disposal, bodily fluid clean up, and terminal cleaning.

Q. What are some of the skills needed to be a hospital housekeeper?

A. In addition to being willing to learn proper cleaning procedures and protocols, the most successful workers have the following:

  • Empathy for what patients are going through
  • Patience—not all rooms or areas are ready to be cleaned as scheduled
  • Flexibility—cleaning assignments can change based on patient volume and needs
  • Desire to create safe, healthy environments in which people thrive.

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