ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

What are the main challenges facing healthcare cleaning personnel today? And what can be done to make their lives easier? Ann Laffeaty finds out.

CLEANERS IN THE HEALTHCARE sector have had a tough few years, to say the least. Working throughout the global pandemic was stressful and life-threatening enough, but this was closely followed by the cost-of-living crisis which made it difficult for the lower-paid to make ends meet.  And add to this the stringent new cleaning regimes put in place after Covid-19 which forced cleaners everywhere to learn exacting new protocols.

So, how are they coping with the stresses of the job? And what are the biggest challenges they face? The new standards implemented in the wake of Covid have made life particularly tough for healthcare cleaning personnel, according to IPC by Tennant Company sales manager Francisco Ortiz.

“These are causing physical, mental and emotional exhaustion among staff members – particularly when seen against a backdrop of historically poor working conditions and limited professionalisation in the sector,” he said.

Staff shortages are also putting huge pressure on hospital cleaners, says Ortiz. “The demands of the job have become a major barrier to attracting new personnel,” he says. “And this has been compounded by the heightened risks posed by Covid. Consequently, many situations are arising where the workload needs to be distributed among a reduced number of workers, which only exacerbates their discomfort.”

Healthcare cleaners in general often lack adequate training and direction, he believes. “There is a prevailing notion that proficiency in household cleaning will translate into competence in other environments, but the healthcare cleaning sector requires specialised knowledge and training,” he said.

According to Ortiz the short time-frame often allocated for healthcare cleaning coupled with a lack of appropriate tools and guidance can add huge pressure on operatives. “The right tools and training can significantly enhance efficiency and while time is a critical factor, it is intricately linked to the availability of proper equipment,” he said.

However, it is the historically low rates of pay that pose the main challenge for the sector, he says. “This tends to result in an influx of staff members who may not have optimal qualifications as well as a high turnover of employees,” he said. “And it also discourages any ongoing training and professional development.”

A combination of low salaries, the increased cost of living and additional burdens brought about by Covid has created fatigue and demotivation among healthcare cleaning personnel, says Ortiz.
“This obviously has potential repercussions on their commitment and the quality of their work,” he said.

“Working conditions therefore need to be improved to attract new talent and to retain and motivate existing staff. This should involve enhanced training programmes plus the provision of ergonomic procedures and equipment that minimise physical strain on operators while also boosting efficiency.”

Many environments

Healthcare cleaning staff need to adapt to a range of different environments such as patient rooms, operating rooms, waiting areas and laboratories says Kärcher’s senior consultant professional cleaning solutions Gundula Braun. “However, each area has its unique challenges which may include the need for cleaning delicate equipment, sensitive surfaces or hazardous materials that require specialised training,” she said.

“Healthcare settings are also often busy and fast-paced places where operatives have a limited amount of time for thorough cleaning. They therefore need to be able to work efficiently while also balancing the requirement for a quick turnover of patient rooms and common areas. And these time constraints can have an impact on cleaning quality and increase the risk of cross-contamination.”

She says healthcare facilities need to maintain high standards of cleanliness to prevent the spread of infections. “Cleaning personnel must adhere to strict protocols in order to effectively clean and disinfect surfaces, equipment and patient areas,” she said. “The challenge here lies in staying up to date with evolving infection control guidelines and ensuring a level of consistency in cleaning practices.”

Challenging situations

Another issue is the fact that cleaning staff in healthcare settings are likely to encounter emotionally challenging situations, adds Braun. “These could include cleaning up after traumatic events or working in areas where patients are critically ill,” she said. “Staff therefore need to manage their emotional well-being and cope with the potential stress and psychological impact of their work.”

Staff shortages are an additional challenge, she says. “Healthcare cleaning departments often face staffing shortages or high turnover rates, and limited personnel numbers can lead to an increased workload plus difficulty in maintaining cleanliness standards,” says Braun. “Adequate staffing levels, ongoing training and effective communication are all crucial to addressing this challenge.”

Many healthcare cleaners may also lack adequate training and direction, she says. “The complexity of healthcare environments coupled with the evolving nature of cleaning means that ongoing education and training is required for cleaners,” says Braun. “But keeping up with new guidelines, technologies and best practices can be challenging, particularly if the resources for continuous training are limited.”

Kärcher’s senior consultant professional cleaning solutions Christoph Scheiwiller adds healthcare operatives often have too little time to thoroughly clean a healthcare setting. “The fast-paced nature of healthcare facilities, combined with the need for a quick turnover and the high demand for cleaning services can leave insufficient time for thorough cleaning,” he said.

“Language barriers are also an issue since that can hinder effective communication between cleaning personnel and their supervisors, co-workers and other staff members. Misunderstandings can then lead to mistakes, delays and inefficiencies because proper communication is essential in healthcare settings for maintaining safety protocols.”

Creating a supportive work environment is crucial to the well-being and job satisfaction of healthcare cleaners, says Scheiwiller. “Comprehensive training and education is essential and should cover proper cleaning techniques, infection control protocols, handling of hazardous materials and the use of cleaning equipment and products,” he said. “And morale and job satisfaction can both be boosted by recognising the efforts of staff through regular feedback, rewards and opportunities for advancement.”

Time and budget are both key issues when cleaning in healthcare facilities, says Essity’s communications director Jenny Turner. “Cleaning needs to be carried out correctly within the established guidelines because lives are literally on the line,” she said.  “So it requires a minimum amount of time to accomplish.”

The role of the hospital cleaner is more important than many people realise, she says. “Cleaners are often the people the patient sees the most because they come in every day,” says Turner. “They interact with the patient and make important connections that have a greater impact on the facility than their cleaning work alone.

“And the visible cleaning they carry out provides patients and visitors with peace of mind and reassures them that the facility is hygienic and safe.”

Staff shortages are creating extra pressure on facilities, she says. “Anything we can do to help save cleaners time will enable them to provide those little extra services that enhance the patient experience while also freeing up the healthcare staff to carry out other tasks.”

She adds healthcare cleaners must be properly trained in order to carry out their jobs effectively – but finding the time and the resources to train them is always a challenge. “Staff time needs to be focused on the cleaning jobs in hand which means carving out time for training is not always easy. And the fact English isn’t always the cleaner’s first language means there may be a communication issue, particularly where training is concerned.”

Recruitment headaches

The biggest challenge facing healthcare today is the increasing difficulty in recruiting, training and keeping staff according to Greenspeed marketing executive Rosaliene Verhoef. “This means many vacancies remain unfilled which puts a great deal of strain on current healthcare cleaning personnel,” she said. “Unfortunately it also results in lower cleaning frequencies - particularly in non-critical areas such as office spaces within hospitals.”

These staff shortages put hospital cleaners under immense pressure, Verhoef says. “And this understandably impacts on their ability to deliver the highest standards of cleanliness.”

The issue also has a knock-on effect on training, she adds. “Due to high staff turnover, new hires have to be trained on the job each time,” she said. “This contributes to a cycle of insufficiently prepared cleaning personnel while budget cuts have reduced the time available for training. Moreover, a growing number of staff members face language barriers which adds an additional layer of complexity to an already challenging training situation.”

Cleaners are often given insufficient time to thoroughly clean healthcare settings, she said. “Staff members are expected to be flexible and handle additional tasks, which leaves them significantly less time to thoroughly clean the various departments.”

Like other commentators she believes an increase of non-native speakers into the workforce has created a language barrier problem. “And another issue is that while the number of hospital beds hasn’t changed significantly, the number of patients is increasing,” she said. “These patients tend to stay for a much shorter time in the hospital than before. And this adds a new layer of urgency to the cleaning process since each patient area needs to be thoroughly cleaned every time someone leaves.”

The crux of the matter lies in an urgent need for more training opportunities, Verhoef concludes. “Digital resources such as instructional videos are able to provide accessible and flexible learning options for healthcare cleaners. And allocating more time for on-the-job coaching can further support the development and improvement of any operative’s cleaning skills.”