Brightening our hospital spaces every day are our operational services team who bring their own kind of shine as they play a vital role creating safer, cleaner healthcare spaces.
They are passionate about maintaining exceptional standards of infection prevention and control and that’s why recently, our rural and Hervey Bay operational supervisors and staff welcomed the chance to build their auditing expertise in environmental cleaning.
Strategic Operations Services Unit staff, Garry Woolnough and Cherie Andrews visited Gayndah to deliver the tailored training. It focused on evidence-based environmental cleaning and audit techniques, equipping staff with the skills to uphold and report environmental hygiene standards in healthcare settings.
During the session, the staff gained valuable hands-on experience in effectively managing environmental cleaning and the training was designed to ensure a strong level of compliance with the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (NSQHSS), specifically Standard 3.13 – Clean and Safe Environment.
Rural Operations Manager Bronwyn Hartwig said feedback from the trainers was positive with all participants displaying great enthusiasm during the session.
“They showed a commendable commitment to applying this critical knowledge in their daily practices to safeguard the health and safety of both patients and staff,” she said.
“This initiative is a testament to our organisation’s ongoing dedication to the professional development of our teams, as well as our steadfast commitment to maintaining exceptional standards of infection control and hygiene across all facilities.”
Although it wasn’t her first time completing the training, Monto Hospital Cook Supervisor Gabrielle Liddy was grateful for the opportunity to attend.
“I have a dual role where I perform cooking duties and manage the entire operational team from kitchen staff, wards persons, gardeners and cleaners in all aspects of environmental cleaning and hygiene standards,” Gabrielle said.
“I am always looking for opportunities to learn and further my skills and with changes in cleaning standards, the training has kept me up-to-date and refreshed my knowledge.
“Through the training I was able to identify areas of improvement to continue our contribution to healthcare at our facilities.”
Gabrielle explained how the Monto Hospital is often complimented for its professional service and standard of cleaning. This reflects the essential work carried out by the operational team and the value they add to the health service.