“Housekeeping keeps the hospital clean so that everybody has a safe environment to work in. Nobody has to be worried about the spread of disease because we’re on top of it.
We’re really hard workers. Everybody I work with is very dedicated to keeping the hospital clean, and keeping people healthy.
With COVID, cleaning in the hospital is now separated into red zones and green zones. The red zone is the area that contains suspected COVID patients. The staff in the red zone have to stay there. At the end of their shift, they have to shower and change.
In the red zone, every patient room is on droplet and contact precaution, and in isolation. When a patient gets discharged, it’s housekeeping’s responsibility to make sure the room is sanitized to ensure there is no cross-contamination. We have to mop the walls, change the curtains, and make sure everything is spotless from top to bottom.
We use the ambulance bay for patients with COVID symptoms. To go in there, we have to wear full PPE. Cleaning in there is quite different, so we had to be trained on how to do it properly.
I’m not fearful about working in the red zone because the precautions are so high, and we have PPE to protect ourselves. It’s more overwhelming with how much PPE we go through. You can’t be as efficient as before because there’s a lot more extra stuff to do. Because of this, they’ve had to hire more staff.
The housekeeping staff just heard that we will be employed directly by the health authority. I am so happy about this. Everybody is excited – I haven’t heard anyone say one bad thing about this change. We’re gonna have better benefits, and I think communication and teamwork will be enhanced.
I also heard about the pandemic pay boost. I’m pretty hyped about that. I’m in a happier mood and more excited because I feel like now our work is finally being recognized and valued.”
- Madison, Housekeeper, part of the health care team