Cleanlink News November 4 2009
Seasonal Flu, H1N1 Cause Extra Precautions in Hospitals
According to The Purcell Register, putting extra cleanliness precautions into place has been the main directive of the housekeeping supervisor at Purcell Municipal Hospital, Purcell, Okla. The regular influenza and the H1N1 threat has made this year at the hospital a little more tedious when it comes to repetitive sanitizing. Sheila Jester is housekeeping supervisor at the hospital. She has been employed there for 34 years, serving as supervisor for over 26 years.
“Our staff works very, very hard to keep a safe environment for our patients, visitors and staff,” Jester said.
To do this, Jester said extra hand sanitizer dispensers have been placed throughout the hospital. Each hospital room is cleaned with special microfiber mops and rags, then thrown away not to be used again.
“This keeps from cross contaminating any of the rooms,” Jester said.
During flu season, the whole staff is cautious of every surface that may be touched, such as telephones, doorknobs, counters, keyboards and other items. This precaution is reiterated by repeatedly wiping down these surfaces with cleaners and sanitizers. Both the housekeeping and nursing staff does this.
The emergency room is one of the places that would be most affected by flu germs. Jester said she and her staff have provided extra cleaning and sanitizing to this area as well. Masks are also provided in the emergency room for those individuals coming in with a productive cough.
“They are even asking people to use the hand sanitizer before picking up an ink pen to sign paperwork,” Jester said.
Jester said they are going through a great deal of soap and sanitizer, but the outcome will be worth the time and expense. Precautions are in place, and it is just a matter of both the day and night shifts targeting areas over and over again, Jester said.
“We do not want the flu to spread,” she said.
Starla Givens, RN/RSN, who is also in charge of the nursing staff, said precautions are in place for the whole staff.
“Until the flu is ruled out, we treat it as if it were the flu,” said Givens. “We have a protocol to go by if anyone has the flu. And, we follow the protocol.”
Givens said patients, who are admitted with the flu, are put in isolation. The staff caring for them then puts the protocol in place.
The hospital has recently received a $3,500 grant to purchase personal protective equipment and supplies for H1N1, Givens said. The equipment includes gloves, gowns, face shields, masks, respirators and hand gel.
Givens said the hospital has had one testing positive for the flu, but had not confirmed it was H1N1. The only way the hospital tests for H1N1 is if the patient expires or if they are admitted, Givens said. The test is very expensive and it takes about five to seven days to receive the results, she said. Most of the individuals, who have come into the emergency room with flu-like symptoms, have been treated on an out patient basis.
The entire staff at the hospital is working overtime to keep the patients, visitors and staff healthy.
