Staff members at some organizations think coworkers on the
cleaning staff have no real connection with operational success. It’s little
wonder that a cleaning staff person may say in describing his or her job, “Oh, I’m
just a custodian,” as if a custodian's contribution is not important in the fulfillment of an organization's mission statement.
A former public school principal, I always emphasized the significance
of every employee’s role in the success of our school. Instead of
celebrating Secretary’s Day, Teacher Appreciation Week, or Boss's Day, our entire school
celebrated Staff Appreciation Week honoring all staff members, including custodians, cafeteria workers, volunteers, and even the street-crossing guard and regular
mailperson. We were all valued links in a strong chain in which everybody’s input mattered. This motivated and empowered all of us in achieving our
common goal of successfully educating students. This respect for everyone’s line of work became embedded in our school culture.
Healthcare organizations can also benefit from such a
culture. This research focuses on hospital cleaning staff communication with seriously ill and dying patients. While communication between these two groups is
seldom recognized, many opportunities are presented in hospitals and other healthcare organizations where
cleaning staff members interact with patients and cope with
their dying and deaths. This research included cleaning
staff participants in interviews and a focus group discussion. In addition, managerial cleaning staff participated in
a separate focus group. The results are beneficial for care of
dying patients.
Some readers may be surprised to know that cleaning staff members described their relationships with patients as meaningful and fulfilling aspects
of their work. About half of participants indicated that patients talked with
them briefly every day. While conversations were usually casual and about everyday topics,
patients also discussed their illnesses and even their future deaths with
cleaning staff.
Unfortunately, when patients addressed illness and death, cleaning staff often felt uncomfortable and helpless because they did not know how to respond to patients. Cleaning staff communication with patients could improve if they had some basic training in how to sensitively support patients regarding illness. This kind of information would be helpful to anyone and would certainly enhance hospital and other healthcare cultures in achieving patient-centered care supported by all employees.
Frances Shani Parker, Author
Becoming
Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available
in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and
offline booksellers.
It takes very little money or effort to train these often eager staff members. They have been an integral part of a resident's daily life and deserve to be included and equipped to continue that support.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right. That inclusiveness is important for all staff members in establishing a workplace culture where the input of everyone is respected.
DeleteAt Hosiped, we value all our caregivers because we know how hard they work for the success of our organization.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work! Happy endings!
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