Laundry and linen service is challenging enough when textiles undergo normal usage.
However, there are times when goods are used for the wrong task (e.g., mopping up a spill with bed linens), thrown or given away, or several other improper usage situations.
This linen abuse/misuse makes processing and maintaining stock even more difficult.
American Laundry News communicated with two healthcare laundry operations to discover some of the types of linen abuse/misuse they encounter and how they work with customers to improve their usage.
LINEN ACCOUNT MANAGER POLL
Liz Remillong, vice president of business development, and Pamela Barnett, project manager, with Core Linen Services headquartered in Huntersville, North Carolina, polled more than a dozen of its account managers who are out in the field with Core’s customers addressing linen abuse/misuse every day.
The following are some of the answers provided.
What are the most common types of linen abuse/misuse?
- Throwing away linen instead of using the “reject” bag.
- Ambulance transfers.
- Clean linen in the room after discharge.
- Construction/flooding clean up.
- Telemetry stickers and taping of linen.
- Taking scrubs home.
- Discarding heavily soiled vs. returning.
- Chapstick, pens, etc. left in pockets.
- Ambulance staff not returning linen.
What are some uncommon ways abuse/misuse takes place?
- Rolled and taped linen used for “positioners” in surgery or rehab.
- Scrubs in areas that do not require our scrubs.
- Used for warmth by staff at the nursing station.
- Used as cart covers.
- Engineering using linens for clean-up, etc.
- Flat sheets used as tablecloths.
- Linen used to wrap bed rails for padding.
How do you address these situations with your customers?
- Created a video to show how to roll or fold without using tape.
- While rounding with nurses and environmental services (EVS), asking the question, “Where do you put reject linen?” Educating them on what’s acceptable vs. not acceptable linen. Talking to nursing staff about too much clean linen in the room.
- Making sure the right tools and resources are available.
- Education on bottom-line cost and losses.
What types of customer education/training are effective before abuse/misuse happens?
- We provide linen management training and seminars for all sites, as well as individual training of supervisors.
- Again, while rounding, finding out the root cause of these issues and addressing with HUCs (health unit coordinators), EVS staff and EVS leadership.
- Provide links to online resources and videos.
- Demonstrations like putting the telemetry stickers on the back of your left glove so that when doffing they are contained within the glove.
- Educating first-line employees, the linen committee, nurses and administration is imperative.
How do you help customers source specific-use linens to prevent using goods the wrong way (such as using sheets to mop up spills)?
- Fun/catchy signs as reminders.
- News blurbs in department communications or newsletters.
- Screenshots of Grainger products from the catalogue or observations from other facilities.
- Use of slider sheets to prevent employee back strain or injury.
Does sourcing goods like this help?
- Absolutely!
- Also, using alternative options and providing sourcing info helps with misuse and loss of linen.
- Listening and observing customer needs is imperative. Example: Mother nursing gowns and IV gowns came about because of slits being cut in regular gowns.
Miss Part 1 with insights from a healthcare laundry president/CEO? Click HERE now to read it.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].
