Housekeeping wish list

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Please list the things you wish housekeeping would do or stop doing.

Make sure there is always toilet paper, paper towels in the nurses bathroom.

Haha. Housekeepers in the NHS SUCK.

I wish they would:

- Mop up urine, feaces or vomit (their union says they don't have to! The nursing staff - have to do it).

- Stock up the staff bathroom (they are not there for the staff, only the patient areas)

- Strip and clean/make up beds (nursing staff job)

Basically... they mop floors and dust. They don't clean toilets, either. And I wish they would stop asking me to do stuff like the above when I am busy.

Specializes in Spinal Cord injuries, Emergency+EMS.
Haha. Housekeepers in the NHS SUCK.

I wish they would:

- Mop up urine, feaces or vomit (their union says they don't have to! The nursing staff - have to do it).

.

nothing to do with the union and everything to do with job descriptions, as requiring them to clean up body fluids would change their AfC score and may put them up a band ...

Why in the heck can't housekeeping strip discharge beds? Who made the stupid rule that it's a nursing task? No, they walk all over the hall looking for the nurse to come do it, even coming into other patients' rooms to get the nurse. Don't you dare tell them you'll be there after you finish suctioning your patient or when you get the patient off the toilet. That's a reportable offense where I work. Then housekeepers stand in the hall and yak to each other while you pull the sheets off the bed.

I suppose I am lucky, everywhere I am affiliated with has good housekeeping personnel!

Housekeeping "Knock,Knock"

Me: "Patient care,please come back"

Housekeeping: "Im just gonna get this trash out" (as they continue walking in!)

It never fails that when I have a patient in an awkward position changing a dressing or foley, thats the exact time they want to take out the trash (cause it really couldnt wait 10 minutes??!!)

Specializes in Gerontology.

Our housekeeping personal ROCK! I wouldn't change anything! Except to have more on when we have a lot of isolation pts!

I used to work in housekeeping and I was an aide in LTC as well. Anyway, I had to strip the beds and clean them, dust, mop, clean toilets, vacuum, fill paper towels and toilet paper.

Our housekeeping staff where Im at is awesome as well!! :up:

However...as for stripping the beds, HCA's do that, as well as some PN's, the odd RN...it is not part of our housekeeping staffs job. That said, they do bedwashes (a certain number a week). Usually the bedwash they do will be a bath the day of the scheduled bed wash.

HCA's, PN's and RN's empty garbage as when we do pt care we do not want to leave soiled garbage in a pt room, that would just be unsanitary. However housekeeping mops, cleans bathrooms, waxs floors, etc. We have a special stock person that stocks up TP, and other needed items in pts rooms. HCA's usually stock pads, cloths, soap etc...some nurses do help as well, the day can be going smoothly or it can go crazy. Even on crazy days though one may find many of us pulling together near the end of a shift helping each other out! Its called teamwork :)

1.) If you see multiple people in the pt's room barking orders/suctioning/drawing labs/applying o2, mopping the floor can wait. No need to mop our feet at this time. (they SMASH our feet with the mop while we are doing pt care, even in those more acute situations.)

2.) The dirty utility room is full, and you are on your 3rd lunch break. I have not had a chance to think (let alone pee/eat/breathe) and I am cleaning all the supplies I need to care for my pt's.

3.) You are on your 4th lunch break, and there are no more precaution room gowns in front of any precaution room, I still have not peed, and can hear my kidneys screaming in agony as I search for a gown.

Sorry for the rant...this was a good topic thread...

Specializes in Surgical, quality,management.

notice that the curtains were stained and needed changing. We have no access to the linen room where the curtains are stored but they do, however they will not get curtains. We have to send out wardsperson down for them!

wait until after I have showered my patients before you clean the bathroom. I am just going to flood it.

understand that it is NOT being mean to keep pts fasting. it is vital if they have a bowel obstruction. I'll call you when they vomit and need an NGT then?? DON'T say to me "sister, that pt would like a drink." I Know they would but they don't want to be vomiting in ten seconds either. So zip it!

+ Add a Comment