ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES TECHNICIAN (PRN)

Environmental Services Technician

The Environmental Services Technician performs environmental services cleaning work in a health care setting with a high priority placed on customer service and will interact with patients, staff, and the public daily. Employees will perform cleaning routines in an acute setting to include but are not limited to patient care areas, restrooms, specialized procedure areas, public areas, offices, clinics, and other ancillary areas. Employees will work in areas where they will follow infection control and PPE procedures / guidelines. Employees will handle soiled linen and regular and medical waste.

Employees will work in sensitive areas where the utmost privacy and confidentiality must be maintained under HIPPA guidelines.

Employees will maintain a high level of cleanliness and safety in their assignments and will receive specific training with regard to a healthcare environment.

Work with medical staff, other ancillary professional staff, departmental service staff, patients, visitors, and the general public. Use a high degree of professionalism focused on customer satisfaction at all times. Use proper scripting while in contact with patients, family, and guests. Maintain strict confidentiality and the utmost privacy of patient information, as required by HIPPA guidelines. Greet people with a smile and refrain from negative talk and public venting at all times while in MU Health Care facilities.

Follow directives of the Environmental Services management team related to work assignments, workloads, and areas needing improvement. Training will be provided and it is expected that employees will master these skills within their initial evaluation period including work routines, chemicals, equipment, scripting, and customer-focused skills.

Perform cleaning activities within a healthcare environment to ensure that infection control guidelines are met. This will include but is not limited to dusting wall surfaces, floors, ledges, and furniture, disinfecting wall surfaces, floor ledges, unoccupied beds, bathrooms including toilets and showers, furniture, and high-touch surfaces. Remove bed linen and remake beds according to standards. Clean rooms around patients in occupied beds and after patient discharge. Perform cleaning routines in an acute setting to include but not limited to patient care areas, restrooms, specialized procedure areas, public areas, offices, clinics, and other ancillary areas according to proper procedures and standards.

Follow proper infection control guidelines for the cleaning and disinfection of areas assigned and follow all body substance precautions and PPE guidelines. Handle soiled linen, regular waste, and medical waste following all precautions required for personal safety and the safety of others.

Perform clean linen activities such as delivering clean linen exchange carts daily to assigned areas and stocking ancillary department closets. Use electronic devices such as handheld or desktop computers to enter daily par-level usage numbers. Operate approved software programs for data entry to determine linen usage by area and linen that has been injected into the system or discarded.

Perform health care cleaning tasks requiring standing on stepladders and or ladders and follow all safety requirements at all times. Follow all hospital protocols for body substance precautions and PPE use when working around patients, in isolation areas, and when handling soiled materials such as soiled linen, regular waste, and medical waste. Maintain and operate equipment safely. Avoid safety issues with staff, patients, and the general public such as keeping carts and items out of traffic ways and ensuring items are locked when not in eyesight. Report any safety issues discovered promptly to the supervisor. Use wet floor signs properly and in all locations where someone might come into contact with a wet floor such as stairwells and rooms entering into a wet floor area. Keep the vacuum in good working condition and check the cord daily for safety issues.

May be requested to assist in floor care processes to assist Floor Care Technicians and in the development of staff.

Maintain work area safely and cleanly according to regulatory agencies. Ensure the work area is inspection-ready from any regulating agency. Take immediate action to correct any deficient area when notified by the supervisor or from inspections such as tracer findings. Keep equipment clean, tidy, and in good working condition, and clean and restock equipment at the end of the shift.

May complete unit / department specific duties as outlined in department documents.

Required qualifications : None

Preferred qualifications : High school diploma or an equivalent combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities can be acquired. Additional license / certification requirements as determined by the hiring department.

Physical demands : The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met with or without reasonable accommodation. The performance of these physical demands is an essential function of the job. This position is very active and may require ambulating, remaining in a stationary position and positioning self to reach and / or move objects above the shoulders and below the knees. The employee must frequently lift and / or move objects up to 10 lbs. and occasionally move objects up to 25 lbs. or more. This role may also routinely comes into contact with patients who may have contagious illnesses. This position is in a health care facility open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Rotating shifts as well as holiday and work during inclement weather will be required.