Description

Lexington Regional Health Center

Title: Environmental Services Assistant

Supervisor: Environmental Services Supervisor

Effective Date: September 9, 2020

Department: Environmental Services

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Principle duties and responsibilities

1. Completes laundry and housekeeping duties via daily checklists for facility and other duties as assigned; disinfects as needed to help achieve high patient, visitor and employee satisfaction.
2. Answers phone calls and overhead pages immediately to respond to patient and employee requests.
3. Washes and sorts laundry with and without chemical usage as necessary and labels accordingly. Delivers laundry to patients as requested.
4. Cleans patient rooms upon dismissal to ensure the room is ready for the next patient.
5. Communicates patient and employee complaints from other departments. Informs Environmental Services Supervisor of complaints related to Environmental Services received from patients or employees.
6. Stocks departments with appropriate cleaning chemicals as needed.
7. Cleans the Operating Room daily in accordance with the "Total Cleaning Checklist".
8. Restocks linen closets throughout the facility as necessary.
9. Monitors chemical outdates and disposes outdated chemicals appropriately; ensures all chemical products are labeled correctly.
10. Orders department supplies as needed.
11. In conjunction with supervisor, counts inventory periodically.
12. Responsible for ensuring the environment meets appropriate governing body standards.
13. Responsible for completion of duties in post-patient care situations that could include blood exposure and risk to bloodborne pathogens (eg: traumas, obstetrics, surgical procedures, handling of blood-contaminated specimens, etc.)
14. Responsible for safe bagging, disposal and packaging of biohazardous waste.
15. Maintains patient and staff safety through the use of patient safety tools (Teamstepps, Just Culture, etc.).
16. Regular attendance at the assigned work location is required.
17. Performs all other duties as assigned.

Minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities

1. Requires basic ability to use the computer to carry out various duties. The ability to read and write proficiently in English is necessary. This is typically acquired through completion of a high school diploma or equivalent.
2. Basic Life Support certification via American Heart Association required within six months of hire.
3. Ability to communicate and work with all departments in the hospital (e.g. communicating with co-workers, following directions, exchanging information amongst departments, comforting patients and families, etc.).
4. Analytical skills and attention to detail when reading directions and mixing chemicals, counting inventory, ordering supplies, etc.
5. Ability to maintain strict confidentiality with regard to protected and sensitive information.
6. Ability to complete reports and correspondence at a professional level.
7. Ability to immediately respond to common inquiries and complaints from patients, employees and regulatory agencies. Communicates any complaints or issues as needed to the Environmental Services Supervisor and/or Executive Director of Ancillary Services to address.
8. Ability to effectively communicate with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
9. Successful completion of required knowledge and training of standard precaution and transmission protocols and when to apply during principle duties and responsibilities.

Working conditions

1. Workers in this area are required to complete both laundry and housekeeping duties.
2. Housekeeping requires transferring a cleaning cart down hallways up to 600 feet in total distance within the hospital. Trash is required to be taken out regularly when bags are full, weighing up to 25 pounds, carrying up to 500 feet to trash bins outside, down 8 steps. A mop bucket is also pushed around to use mop in appropriate areas and rooms, requiring upper extremity gross motor function for mopping. A vacuum is utilized and is stored on end of housekeeping cart; vacuum weighs 21 pounds and needs to be lifted 9 inches to be placed on cart, as well as, using the vacuum with pushing/pulling as appropriate. Workers will clean rooms, requiring overhead movements of varying heights and reaching near the ground to clean surfaces. Workers will transport a sprayer into rooms for disinfecting, requiring frequent grasping for spraying.
3. Laundry requires frequent gross motor upper extremity use for pushing, pulling, lifting, and folding laundry, standing up to 4 hours at a time and for the majority of shift. Worker will transfer laundry carts from emergency room 2 times and from acute care floor 1 time per day, requiring up to 20 horizontal force pounds 300 feet in distance. Movable laundry shelf is transferred from laundry room to hospital floor, requiring 40 pounds of horizontal force to initiate movement and movement over thresholds, 300 feet in distance, and 2 person assist to push and pull and steer. Laundry bags weighing up to 20 pounds are removed from large tubs and carried 10-20 feet to be placed in washer. Laundry is removed from washer that is 24 inches high at bottom of opening and requires up to a 30-inch reach into washer to pull articles out to be placed into tubs/carts. Full tubs require 15 pounds of horizontal force 30 feet to transfer laundry into dryer that has opening of 32 inches high and is 30 inches deep. Articles from laundry are folded on a table 38.5 inches in height and folded articles are transferred to appropriate tubs or carts for dispersal through hospital.
4. Exposure to chemicals and other hazards related to care of environment. Appropriate safety precautions, such as safety glasses, gloves, gowns, etc. must be used to minimize risk of injury.
5. Direct exposure to body substances during daily activities and on contaminated surfaces such as patient equipment, etc.

Management responsibilities

1. None

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Job description statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this job title. They are not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required.