5 West Nursing

For the last two nights, I’ve notice an alarming trend and I’m sure you’ve noticed it too. Just like peanut butter on a previous post “SERVICE EXCELLENCE in a bottle”, the epidemic has not only spread out to the nursing department, but to others as well.

Take for example our precious HOUSEKEEPING department or “ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES” (fancy name ain’t it?).

If there was any one department that needs to have an army of soldiers ready to fight the battle, it should be them. I’m not so sure how much value our institution places on the housekeeping or environmental services, but I’m sure our valued patients and visitors will agree… once you come into the hospital you can’t help but notice the service they provide, i.e., stellar floors, clean bathrooms, emptied trash cans, immaculate nurses’ station and lounge, and quick service. I just wish they could be 100% consistent and reliable, however, I found out that they too suffer from the “thin is in” trend.

On one of my nightly tours of duty, I discovered that we only have 2 (two) environmental (friendly) services personnel (AKA housekeeping) covering the whole hospital. They are responsible for cleaning up rooms of patient’s dismissed or transferred, etc, among other things. For a hospital of this size I’m thinking, WOW… big savings right there (see the pig above… Do I hear a Ka-ching?!$$$).

Question: Are they able to perform such a feat with only 4 feet?

Answer: They can…but on who’s expense?

On ours obviously!

When was the last time you’d have to wait for a patient’s room to be cleaned just so you can transfer a patient to another floor? Or, when was the last time you delayed an admission because the room “isn’t clean yet”? When was the last time you had told environmental services that another room had to be cleaned, only to find out that she left after cleaning one room, then wait a couple more hours before they send someone back to take care of the other room?

We are only as strong as our weakest link, and I admire the dedication our environmental services people have, however, I think it’s about time we beef up and start the ball rolling. Like that fat pig above, we can’t sit here and do nothing about it, or else sooner or later… we might just get slaughtered!

On my first day of orientation they told me that MMC aims to be the “Ritz-Carlton” of health care. Call me an idealist, but I think we should re-evaluate our goals especially when a patient of mine (when I was just starting out) tells me that this is like “Motel 6″. There is a lot of things that go on at the “Ritz” that frankly, we don’t even come close. Sadly enough, we don’t even try, and even more so, nobody cares! If that was the case, I think it’s about time, we step up to the plate. How will anyone know what the “Ritz” is like, if they haven’t been there? I haven’t, have you? (Maybe our fat friend above has ) Here’s an idea… how about we send the “employee of the month” for a one night all expense paid stay at the “Ritz”. Hopefully this will expose our people to what we are trying to achieve and bring back a piece of what is truly… “SERVICE EXCELLENCE!”

Sounds like a plan?