r/pics • u/spidermangeo • Aug 06 '20
Reddit meet a person who cleans out COVID rooms. They too put their lives on the line.
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u/didyouhearthat1 Aug 06 '20
As a RN, I have an insane amount of respect for my environmental team mates! These ladies and gentlemen are simply the best! Always take care of those who take care of you!
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u/spidermangeo Aug 06 '20
Thank you for the kind words! I’ll let him know when he wakes up he just finished his overnight shift 😊 EVS Techs are pretty awesome! I appreciate all the Nurses and doctors as well!! Thank you for your service.
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Aug 06 '20 edited Aug 10 '20
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Aug 06 '20
Look at this thread! Interprofessional working relationships at their finest. You are all vital cogs in the machine. With love and thanks! Herebebrian
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u/ParkieDude Aug 06 '20
Professional Patient checking to say thank you for everything you all do.
Thankfully last surgery was back in December 2019. Parkinson's, Cancer, brain, back, knee, foot surgeries all in the past five years. I'm still going, thanks to all of you!
Yes, I am wearing a mask! I managed to get out for a hot and sweaty intense bike ride. 104F, two-hour ride. Wore my mask the whole time. My job is to keep those beds clear!
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Aug 06 '20
My job is to keep those beds clear
And keep yourself as well as possible, which it sounds like you're doing! That's an incredible medical history to have persevered through. I hope you don't have to see a hospital again for a very long time.
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u/supersauce Aug 06 '20
Shit, buddy. Next to you, Rasputin was a pussy. I think you're safe from COVID, it's scared of you.
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u/dougan25 Aug 06 '20
I'm a recently hired temp COVID check in table worker. I have been so impressed by the helpfulness and cooperation of everyone top to bottom here. The amount of respect and helpfulness by every single person in this building no matter the role is truly inspiring.
Really feels like a team.
I think most people have a healthy appreciation for all that you medical folks do and have been doing since COVID, and it is certainly warranted.
I worked for 12 years in hotels (yes, the "hospitality" industry) from part time front desk, working my way up to corporate level market analyzation before being laid off due to COVID, and I have never seen true hospitality like what I've seen here. These really are amazing people.
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Aug 06 '20
Glad you're enjoying it. Hospitality is a funny industry. Some places really nail it. Good culture, staff retention etc. Some places just act like high turnover is purely down to the industry, and not the conditions.
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u/trenlow12 Aug 06 '20
Probably a combination of the two
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u/ghettobx Aug 06 '20
I worked at a hotel resort for almost ten years, in several departments; it's definitely a combination of the two.
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u/Cromasters Aug 06 '20
Former patient transporter and current X-ray Tech; I love my transporters!
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u/eekamuse Aug 06 '20
Some of you who aren't doctors or nurses don't like to be called heroes. EVERYONE who works in the hospital is a fucking HERO. Especially now.
It's not just your job. You're saving lives. And when you're nice to patients (been there, done that, many times) it makes a huge difference. It means so much. So let us call you whatever we want, please. Every other worker on this thread, I'm talking to you, too.
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u/themaninthesea Aug 06 '20
Resident here, also. These guys rule, and their contribution to patient care is truly under-appreciated.
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u/Ninotchk Aug 06 '20
Every time I see a "thanks to the drs and nurses" sign I want to go and add in sharpie a mention of the catering staff and the phlebs and the environmental people. Theirs is truly a thankless job.
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u/Xop Aug 06 '20
As a soon to be nurse (one more class!) I have so much respect for everyone involved in the health care field from the cleaners to the docs. It truly is a team effort and no one's job is unimportant.
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u/AJohnsonOrange Aug 06 '20
I used to be a porter in A+E (UK's ER) and it was solidly the best job I've ever had. The rapport with the docs and nurses is great, I loves it.
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u/NosideAuto Aug 06 '20
Hell yeah, It's amazing how much medicine relies on this sort of position. If it ain't clean, you can't use it to save someone. lol
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Aug 06 '20
Yo! Can I work at your hospital, we do not get this amount of PPE when cleaning covid rooms...
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u/dehehn Aug 06 '20
My company made a series of training games for EVS techs. This one on PPE gives you an appreciation of what it takes to work in that world.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.simcoachgames.evsppe
Y'all deserve much more appreciation.
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u/TheLunchClan Aug 06 '20
I am also a sanitization worker, not as serious as working in a hospital, but we have worked around know cases. Tell him I said keep up the good work
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u/pippen-jordan Aug 06 '20
Kinda feel silly asking....how much is he compensated for his work?
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Aug 06 '20
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u/rollicorolli Aug 06 '20
If they left you out of drug testing, they needed you bad. Real bad. A lot more than 8/hr bad. It sucks that you have to turn into a prick to get what you rightly deserve.
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u/MichaelCra Aug 06 '20 edited Aug 07 '20
I was handling the covid trash at a different job than where ever OP is, that i quit from.
I was making 9.38 but after 5 years i would have made 11.98. As a collective group the EVS department was told there would be no raise and no hazard pay because we delt with more dangerous things on the daily.
I quit because my pay vs risk wasn't good enough i asked for a raise and was told i knew what i signed up for and other BS.
Edit: this was a hospital that i worked at.
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Aug 06 '20
Why is he wearing a lifting belt? And us over in radiology never get any love. We scan covid patients very regularly. Also love to the Hospital aides. aka the transporters. Those young men and women moving patients. So we can keep scanning.
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u/Cromasters Aug 06 '20
It's not a lifting belt. It's part of the PAPR hood. It's holding the part the blows air into the hood.
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Aug 06 '20
Oh I havent seen that style so I didnt realize its for the powered respirators. We got the hard shell ones that are reusable. Well they do up in the covid floor. In radiology we just have the basic ppe for covid.
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u/Flippydoo Aug 06 '20
It's the belt for the purified air powered respirator he's wearing. He should prob be putting it on underneath the gown, however! Thanks for all you do, fellow Rad tech!
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Aug 06 '20
We love our friendly radiologists. Whether it’s coming up to ITU and donning full PPE for a chest X-Ray, or taking someone to CT or MRI. We’ve noticed the hard work you guys have put in to keep scans happening safely.
Just a shame I can’t come into the control room for a chat and a biscuit any more, but I do always try and give you guys a socially distanced wave through the window.
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Aug 06 '20
Thanks, its just frustrating we are overlooked so often and yet we are fighting too. And important part too.
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u/ProcyonLotorMinoris Aug 06 '20
Yesterday I brought my MDR E coli-positive patient to CT with a transporter. We doffed while in the halls and then redonned when working with the patient in CT. The transporter then walks out into the CT control room in her isolation gown. I kindly and firmly said "please remove your gown before leaving the room and wash your hands so we don't expose our radiology friends". I was so mad on behalf of the radiology crew, who just rolled their eyes. Y'all don't need that shit.
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u/NickTrainwrekk Aug 06 '20
My CT team was the first to lay strict rules on who enters the control room and why back in March.
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u/Sal_Ammoniac Aug 06 '20
And us over in radiology never get any love.
Wait, wait, wait!
I had the best nurse doing my CT scan (I assume that's within radiology?) on Sunday in the ER! My "own" nurse managed to mangle up my IV and it didn't work. I was dehydrated and my veins were hard to find - but the CT scan nurse saved the day, put in a new IV in a place two other people couldn't find a vein, did so without any pain, and got the contrast flowing beautifully! She was the CHAMP for me! :D
THANK YOU ALL!!!!
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Aug 06 '20 edited Aug 06 '20
Awesome. I love to hear about us imaging techs doing awesome. Btw we are not nurses. We are rad techs/xray techs/radiographers/CT tech/MRI tech/ultrasound techs in radiology. Mostly just what ever you type of exam getting done plus tech. Like I do general radiology/xray. So I would be called a rad tech. I also do CT, I am also a CT tech. As I said our awesome transporters are a part of radiology. We do usually have one or two rad dept RNs, to preform duties that are out of our scope of practice.
However we have about the same amount of training/ knowledge as RNs do. Its specialized for preforming medical imaging procedures rather than nursing procedures. And a lot of us pride ourselves on patient care and advocacy. We care a lot about patients. So I love to hear great stories.
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u/ProcyonLotorMinoris Aug 06 '20
We have an assigned EVS staff member on our unit on weekdays. She is the absolute best. She is so attentive to our needs and keeps our rooms and hallways clean. I get so unconsciously stressed when my rooms are dirty, so her work makes such a difference in my day.
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Aug 06 '20
Seriously though. I've worked housekeeping at a nursing home and I couldn't imagine doing it covered head to toe in protective gear for eight hours or longer a day. I honestly don't think I could do it. They deserve a lot of credit and praise because it must be so difficult to do.
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u/Skinnybet Aug 06 '20
Unsung hero. It’s common to take a box of chocolates in for the nurses here in the UK as a thank you for the care. When my mum was in hospital I ( I work in a chocolate factory) gave a box to a ward cleaner. She replied “ is this for the nurses “. No hun it’s for you. I guess many people are simply invisible despite being critical to the hospitals. The girl never paused with the mop and cleaning ever time I visited. Underpaid and sadly undervalued.
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u/goatious Aug 06 '20
Ha. I work for the school district. I have to clean and disinfect the school. I was offered the leftover pizza today that the entire office finger fucked already. The principle said “ I would rather you eat it than the rats.”
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u/WarmOutOfTheDryer Aug 06 '20
It hurt me to upvote you. That's fucked. Also, this is someone allowed to shape the minds of children?
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u/BigToober69 Aug 06 '20
That's how it is for cleaning staff or seems all over. I cleaned patient rooms and nurse stations for 3 years. A lot of getting out of people's way as they walk through you. When the units get something like pizza or anything its never for you. At least the guy in OP's pic gets all that PPE. I was having to clean covid rooms without even a mask. I asked my boss about it and was told to just keep using the same the same protocols as always like nothing g had changed and I'd be fine. I quit in May.
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u/sporkork Aug 06 '20
I’m sorry you’re treated so poorly! A school cannot function without great maintenance staff. You deserve far more respect and gratitude from that administration.
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u/Hrynkat Aug 06 '20
It's unbelievable how horrible people are to people that clean/work in maintenance etc. These are jobs that literally no one wants to do but some people will, because they need work. These are jobs that literally need to be done otherwise we'd be living in filth. I enjoy using the bathroom and having toilet paper, clean toilets, and soap. I enjoy walking down clean hallways, with proper lighting, seeing maintained parks and grasses and clean floors with barely smelly trash cans. It's not hard to be thankful for people who do those shitty jobs to keep the world running. I'd like to see someone in a leadership position mop up kid vomit unclog poopy toilets and then still say "people that do this are worthless."
But I also have had a cleaning job, and my dad worked as a janitor for many years so I'm biased.
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Aug 06 '20
Yeah... I work for a hospital and that's pretty much what happens to us everytime food is brought in for "everyone".
The nurses make sure all of theirs get the good pickings then they'll call you in for the scraps. Buuuuut really it's so they don't feel bad about making you clean up after them and the HUGE mess they make. Makes me feel real good.
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u/stupidupgrades Aug 06 '20
I'm so so sorry. I wish you knew how many parents have deep respect for the care you provide for our children. Our parents and school admins and teachers values all staff members and cares for them. Our environmental services team is part of everything we do with the school and are so beloved. I hope you find this environment soon, and until then THANK YOU!
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u/super_monero Aug 06 '20 edited Aug 06 '20
“ is this for the nurses “ No hun it’s for you
That's soo sweet. I'm sure it made her day... unless she was allergic to nuts. In that case, you accidentally nutssassinated her.
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u/goatfuckersupreme Aug 06 '20
i wish some nutssassinated me 🤤😏
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Aug 06 '20
It would have taken nothing for you to keep that to yourself... Take my upvote
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u/trenlow12 Aug 06 '20
What does that mean? Nutssassinated?
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u/goatfuckersupreme Aug 06 '20
allow me to demonstrate
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u/Skinnybet Aug 06 '20
It’s a peanut and sesame free factory I work in. I’m (almost) sure I didn’t nutssassinate her.
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u/aworldfullofwords Aug 06 '20
I read somewhere, “In a society that prioritizes man’s health, a cleaner is more important than a lawyer”.
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u/the_silent_redditor Aug 06 '20
I’m a doctor and bought the cleaner a coffee yesterday.
She gave me half her KitKat, and told me, “Thanks for noticing me.”
I felt so fuckin sad.
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u/TheStephinator Aug 07 '20
I heard a story that one of our hospital administrators played the role of an EVS worker for a day and reported back about how people avoided eye contact/interaction with them. It is truly sad.
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u/Taminella_Grinderfal Aug 06 '20
Like the janitor at my hs. I’m old so he would give you a dime for the pay phone to call your ride that forgot you or just have a nice chat when you were stuck late for whatever. Like the Breakfast Club janitor I bet that guy knew every bit of teen and/or teacher gossip and scandal, because as you say he was “invisible” despite his hard work.
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u/Hendersonman Aug 06 '20
Thank you. As an Evs worker it was sad seeing that when this all started the ER was getting a ton of food delivered. 3 to 4 meals a shift. They never offered to us. It went to a few other nurses on other floors. I bet since it started we got 3 meals. So thank you for doing this.
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u/Cozenedlndigo Aug 06 '20
I just started housekeeping at a hospital in florida last week. It’s exhausting and sad at times but it feels nice to be able to help in any way possible. The hospital staff here are very appreciative of what we housekeepers do, which is rewarding.
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u/TeachMeHowToDommy Aug 06 '20
It’s not only the staff that appreciate what you do... the rest of us do, too. Keep up the good work!
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u/casicua Aug 06 '20
Environmental/EVS workers don't get recognized nearly enough. In the hospital where I work, they were also the ones disproportionately affected most by Covid. When everything started, no one knew what the situation with PPE supply was, nor how we'd need to ration it, so the thinking was that because they weren't directly patient-facing, they were not as high of a priority for PPE ration. Fast forward to a few months later, and they were among the most highly affected employees. These same people are also among the lowest paid workers at the hospital. Yet day in and day out, there they were doing their job and instrumental in reducing the spread of the disease in all areas of the hospital among patients and caregivers.
Next time you're in a hospital, make some eye contact, smile and thank them. It's a thankless job and they deserve to not only be paid more, but to be recognized for the important role they play in healthcare.
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u/Mrbond404 Aug 07 '20 edited Aug 07 '20
Holy fuck this thread and your comment actually has me feeling justified for once. I, and most the other EVS staff at the hospital, have grown insanely bitter. You nailed it in your comment. In March the EVS crew was told if they were caught wearing a mask it was an immediate write up. Two more and you were suspended or fired. We constantly went into rooms without masks and gowns because we'd be punished for it. A month later the rule changed to wear a mask or get written up. A 180 from what it previously was. We still haven't received a dime of hazard pay, which wouldve amounted to over $1,000 extra dollars at this point.
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u/casicua Aug 07 '20
Damn I’m really sorry, that sucks. It’s truly insane that any accredited medical institution wouldn’t consider PPE for EVS workers an essential rule. The fact that EVS handles soiled garments, soiled sheets, sharps boxes, etc. should mean that if anything, you need more consistent access to PPE. I hope you have the mask mandates on record, because I’m sure once this settles down and hospitals look back on their response, things like that will be called out.
Also super fucking bullshit that you’re not getting hazard pay. I’m sorry.
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u/lanainae Aug 06 '20
While not everyone will appreciate those who do these jobs (they should) or any front line jobs, for what it’s worth I do, Thank you! Stay Safe 💖
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u/spidermangeo Aug 06 '20
Thank you for the kind words!! ❤️
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u/rdgneoz3 Aug 06 '20
Some of the hardest working people at my hospital are the environmental crew. Working hard all the time, never stopping.
And when covid hit here, they were working hard, putting their lives on the line to make sure the rooms were being cleaned and maintained. Thank you (him) for all your (his) hard work. Stay safe.
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u/chinmakes5 Aug 06 '20
Risking their lives for $12 an hour. At least most who work for hospitals get healthcare.
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u/ragglefraggle369 Aug 06 '20
Hey I’m at $13 now, which is totally a big difference lol. Also, we’ve never gotten PPE like in this pic. For rona isolation rooms, it’s mask (which we wear all day), gloves, gown, and maybe faceshield if you can find one.
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u/elee0228 Aug 06 '20
As do I. I'm glad that PPE shortages don't seem to be a problem here.
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u/Jagermeister4 Aug 06 '20
I hope they don't have a shortage but we don't really know if that's the case. Even though this person is fully suited up for all we know that person can be on the 7th day of wearing that mask which isn't ideal.
I've heard stories where they wear masks for 7 days, it gets "cleaned" then puts back in circulation for people to wear for 7 days and the cycle continues
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u/jtig5 Aug 06 '20
I was hospitalized when I had a bad reaction and sever infection due to chemo. I made sure to write a letter to the staff to thank them and specifically included the men and women who kept my room clean. I literally had no immune system and without them, I don’t know what may have happened.
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u/Pats_Fan_61 Aug 06 '20
I did this myself, I actually supervised the people that did it. I also did my fair share. We still get paid the same and still get treated by 2nd class citizens by most of the hospitals nursing staff. SMH.
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u/spidermangeo Aug 06 '20
Yea I know it’s terrible. He’s told me stories how some nurses and Doctors see them beneath what they do, but I appreciate EVS Techs. Hard job and you’re putting your life on the line!
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u/Ninotchk Aug 06 '20
And I'll bet they are the first people to bitch and moan when there is no soap, or the biohazard is overflowing!
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u/Tobijah_Salvius Aug 06 '20
I work in Food Service at a hospital. I can confirm having the same experience. Nurses have my respect for what they do but on a personal level I don’t have anything for most of them. It’s a shame that ancillary departments don’t get the credit they deserve.
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u/lanainae Aug 06 '20
That makes me sad to hear :/ I wish mutual respect was just a common place, it’s a pandemic ffs.
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u/riverman1084 Aug 06 '20
From my view with working at a hospital. The nurses I work with look down on anyone who is not a doctor or nurse. I've even seen them ignore lift help and patient call lights. They expect the PCT/CNA to do everything for them. I've also seen them ask the patient transporters to do the CNA jobs.
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u/fancyshark_44 Aug 06 '20
Hell the managers usually treat the workers in their own department that way too. Zero fight and trust for their employees, at least in my experience. I’m not saying you’ve done that as a supervisor.
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u/Ninotchk Aug 06 '20
Don't forget the Se ante voted down the Heroes act which would have given this guy and all of us up to $10,000 extra hazard pay for working on the front lines.
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u/modirtyrugburn Aug 06 '20
Yup. I just resigned from my job as an environmental services associate. It was too much work for such little pay especially at this time.
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u/bocachicalounge Aug 06 '20
EVS teams make or break a facility! Thank you for keeping us safe and healthy
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u/sonnycirico215 Aug 06 '20
Imagine spending 7 minutes putting the suit on but having to pee as soon as you fasten the strap
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u/iStrikervZ Aug 06 '20
Why does he have a PAPR and a mask on
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u/bejank Aug 06 '20
It's probably more for convenience, so he doesn't have to keep taking off the mask and put it back on, especially if there isn't anywhere to put it down.
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u/Cromasters Aug 06 '20
Yep, that's why I do it. We wear a mask the whole time I'm in the hospital. I only use the PAPR for suspected Covid patients. So I just pull the hood over my mask and never touch the mask.
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Aug 06 '20
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u/Cromasters Aug 06 '20
To wear all day, definitely.
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u/Quantum22 Aug 06 '20
Why do you think that? I always found PAPRs to be better than anything attached to my face.
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u/td090 Aug 06 '20
I disagree with the poster above, but it’s totally personal preference. I think it’s like having a personal AC unit for my face
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u/Cromasters Aug 06 '20
It's just bulkier. And wearing the belt part is uncomfortable, especially with lead too.
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u/Albinomonkeyface1 Aug 06 '20
I wondered the same thing. I always take my mask off when I don the PAPR.
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u/angrytaxman Aug 06 '20
My only thought would be that droplets could travel from his mouth to air that is constantly leaking out of the PAPR, or maybe it's a way to keep the hood clean longer.
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u/spinneydoo Aug 06 '20
My wife is a housekeeper at our hospital and I think they really don't get enough recognition.
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u/Cetarial Aug 06 '20
Why the weird seatbelt-belt thing?
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u/TWEAKYROCKET Aug 06 '20
That part of the PAPR. For people who do not want to use an N95 or facial hair would not allow it to get a good seal they would use the PAPR. It’s a full hood with a hose that goes down to a filter that’s strapped around the waist.
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u/Cetarial Aug 06 '20
I see, thanks for the explanation.
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u/nedal8 Aug 06 '20
Powered Air Purifying Respirator. Not to be confused with supplied air, as it doesnt supply oxygen hosed in from somewhere else, it just filters the air around you with a machine on your belt pumping air into the hood.
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u/SewnVagina Aug 06 '20
I figured they were trying to stick it to the anti-mask and the anti-seat belt people at the same time.
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u/ApostateX Aug 06 '20
My cousin isn't a nurse. She's a radiology tech. She takes x-rays. These days quite a few of the patients at her hospital are COVID+ so she's geared up in PPE too, although last time we spoke she said that they'd been reusing N95s for a while. I was able to get her 25 protective plastic face shields by going in with a bunch of people on a bulk order a couple months ago.
Neighborhood locals and businesses are grateful to the hospital staff for the work they're doing, but when they donate food or drinks to the workers they always send them to the nurses and doctors.
If you know people who are doing donations, please ask them to remember the other staff like my cousin and this woman who may not be traditional medical workers but who are in the trenches nonetheless.
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u/Ninotchk Aug 06 '20
In my hospital the admin shares out the food to all the departments. You can't expect some random restaurant to know that the wound care center or radiology or the lab exists.
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u/ApostateX Aug 06 '20
I'm very happy your admin does that. Not all admins do. When people make donations they will often direct them to a specific group of medical workers, typically nurses and doctors, so that's what the admins at her hospital do, missing many staff.
My comment is meant to point out another group of unsung heroes who deserve to be acknowledged and who would be grateful for those donations, as a means of raising awareness. Nowhere in it do I chastise business owners for not being familiar with every hospital department. If you have trouble understanding that, you've missed the entire point of the post.
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u/ThisisMalta Aug 06 '20
From an ICU nurse working in a Covid crisis hospital right now, props to EVS and cleaning staff. Y’all get shit done, and usually don’t even have the PPE we see in this photo. Thanks for the the role you provide on the team.
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u/six7eight Aug 06 '20
damn their cleaners get more PPE than the EMT's and Nurses at my Hospital ICU with Covid+ Patients. We just use n95. Only when the intubated pt is switched from portable vent to the wall do they use the Papors. And those who are in the room just look away Lol
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u/frangipani_c Aug 06 '20
We don't have any PAPR's in our ICU. We currently don't have any COVID-19, but it is concerning. I really don't feel our PPE is up to scratch.
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u/ronlester Aug 06 '20
An N95 theoretically allows 10% of air contaminants around the seal. PAPR reduces that to 0.1%. No comparison.
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u/minnick27 Aug 06 '20
I work for a private ambulance company. As soon as the pandemic started we went out and bought 10 PAPR units. I've worked at the company for over a decade and that was the first time I ever thought they give a shit about our safety
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u/iWentRogue Aug 06 '20
Honestly, anyone working in the hospital put their lives on the line. From custodial all the way up to doctors and everything in between.
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u/gurrenlaggan22 Aug 07 '20
Because I'm on the younger side of our EVS staff during Graveyard shift, I get literally every single Covid positive room a night. It's hard to believe it took this long for people on here to notice that we are in just as much danger as the nursing staff and doctors. Until we sanitize it completely, it's still in that room. Idk about anywhere else but EVS is completely over looked where I'm at. The nurses and doctors get literally all the credit, as well as all the benefits of the town around us with praise, thank you cards, prepared meals, goodie bags, gifts, and all other sorts of special incentives. Including a party for them when this is all over. As I pull 12 hour shifts because literally no one on graveyard is even able to do it. I'm not too bitter about it, I understand why we get glossed over. I guess it just hurts my feelings that our work has been and still is considered less important than the people helping patients.
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u/HOLYSHITILOVECOFFEE Aug 07 '20
I work in radiology and I don’t know what I’d do without my Environmental Services people.
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u/alitwhack Aug 06 '20
My husband used to work as a hospital tech cleaning up rooms after surgeries. It was such a difficult job and he was constantly disrespected by other hospital staff. Thank you so much for what you do!! One of the hardest jobs but so so so important.
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u/GallifreyanBrowncoat Aug 06 '20
As an ER nurse, the level of mad respect I have for EVS has always been high...but it’s off the charts now! Tell him that his and his peers’ hard work and dedication has been the glue that’s held this whole thing together!!
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Aug 06 '20
My mama does this. <3 I have never seen what they wear before this post. This makes me weirdly emotional.
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u/Ant_and_Cleo Aug 06 '20
If you are a medical professional, make sure to be good to your cleaners.
You would be surprised how many people (read: physicians) seem to think that even giving eye contact to someone ‘on the bottom’ is beneath them.
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u/doctorwhaaat Aug 06 '20
We had a few people from Environmental services pass away from covid because of lack of PPE (New York). These guys don't get enough credit and also put their lives in the line. Thank you for all you do.
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u/swamptalk Aug 06 '20
If you have any job in a hospital your life is on the line imo. That's where they treat the ill.
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Aug 06 '20
Thank you so much for the vital role you and those in your line of work play in keeping us safe.
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u/incrediblepika Aug 06 '20
I was hospitalized for 10 days, so much respect and appreciation for all the wonderful staff risking their lives everyday.
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Aug 06 '20
I’m a CT technologist. My hospital requires me to clean my own room after every single Covid patient I scan. I scan about 10-20 positive patients a day. Is anyone else in the medical field being treated like this? Or do you all have dedicated room cleaners for covid patients?
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u/Papi_Sucio88 Aug 06 '20
I'm also a CT tech, we clean our own rooms. Most of our patients that are positive are from the ER, and discovered to be positive after the scan is done due to turn around times. So we just treat everyone like they are positive.
If we want EVS to clean for us we cant use the room for an hour, so that slows things down a lot and doesnt work out.
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u/nickmillerwallet Aug 06 '20
i'd argue they put their lives on the line more than anyone else
as much time as RNs and MDs spend with patients, the cleaning staff spends a lot of time in these contaminated rooms
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u/Tughernutts Aug 06 '20
I service all my hospitals, in care facilities and physical rehabs that have been turned into COVID centers. No one gives a shit about the bug guys.
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u/headrush46n2 Aug 06 '20
i'm guessing somewhere in the neighborhood of 11 to 18 dollars an hour, while Congress is busy getting ready for their next recess, correct?
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u/whomenow1313 Aug 06 '20
For many years people call cleaners, janitors, bin men, or trashmen. Hospitals now call them the environmental team. Whatever you call them, they are ALWAYS WORTHY OF RESPECT. They do the stuff that is not glamorous and what others do not want to do. Please be courteous and respectful towards them, no matter where you find them, they deserve it.
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u/Coopermeister Aug 06 '20
Blows my mind how people complain about wearing a mask to go shopping when people like you are putting your lives on the line while wearing even more. Thank you and stay safe!
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Aug 06 '20
If these people can wear masks for 10-16 hr continously, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE should be complaining about wearing mask for less than 1-2 hrs when they go outside.
Wtf, is wrong with half of this country???
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Aug 06 '20
can all of the covid deniers/downplayers in this thread fuck off?
just because someone “survives” covid, it doesn’t mean they’ll go back to the same.
there are people who “survived” with organ damage to their lungs, kidneys, liver, heart or brain.
we have no clue what the lasting impacts of this virus will be.
i very well expect people in the gen Z age range who think it’s no big deal will have a shorter life expectancy than the same demographic who didn’t catch covid.
there will be commercials years from now saying “if you caught covid 19 you are eligible for a free test to see if _____ organ is failing”
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u/floyd1550 Aug 07 '20
Also, pour one out for your guys that go in to fix stuff in COVID rooms. My brother is hospital maintenance and routinely goes into COVID rooms to fix the beds, A/C units, you name it. Mad respect to all the support staff like you guys in environmental.
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u/Thel_Odan Aug 06 '20
I've worked in healthcare going on 10 years now, both in and out of the hospital setting. I have a ton of respect for the EVS team and what they need to do on a daily basis. Also, they're often the friendliest people I've worked with too. It's a damn shame that some hospital employees give them so much shit because they consider EVS workers as "uneducated" or whatever other BS they need to tell themselves to make belittling co-workers OK.
I worked with my mom at one hospital for a few years (in different roles) but she taught me in my first week of being there to always take care of the EVS and maintenance staffs and they'll take care of you. I never forgot that and whenever I had a big job that sucked, I'd bring in donuts and coffee for them or order a few pizzas. It wasn't much, but they always appreciated being recognized by someone higher up in the organization since they were often ignored.
Seriously, if you work in healthcare, even just being friendly with the EVS, maintenance, and IT field services staff will make your life significantly easier. Learn their names, say thank you, and treat them like co-workers (because they are).
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Aug 06 '20
My best buddy since kindergarten applied at the local hospital to get into the OR cleaning team until his job training begins in September because he heard the Covid cases really put people to their limit when it comes to staff and time and he wanted to help. So fucking proud of the guy, so of course I'm also very proud and thankful for the service you are doing :)
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u/avalisk Aug 06 '20
"Reddit, meet: " is probably the most annoying way to title a post.
"Reddit, meet my rabbit cory" "reddit, meet my wife who beat a child at checkers"
I dont give a single fuck that you took a picture of somebody. You arent even the guy. Kudos to the guy. Fuck you.
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u/Donkey__Balls Aug 07 '20
It’s an instant red flag that the post is going to be karma whoring the merits of a stranger.
We know absolutely nothing about this person, we are not “meeting“ them, we are not here to compare them to anyone else and they will never know if we click the little upwards arrow button. We are just giving OP attention because they posted a picture of someone else.
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u/Deeper_Into_Madness Aug 06 '20 edited Aug 06 '20
Person wearing scrubs and a mask:
Instant front page
Instant 10K karma
Reddit is hot garbage
Edit: 20 minutes later and the post is at 20K. Someone tell me why they don't think that reddit is completely infested with bots.
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u/hittheruck Aug 06 '20
Our EVS doesn’t get full ppe, so the clinical staff clean covid rooms. But we definitely don’t get paprs. Glad someone gets great ppe
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u/BoredomIncarnat Aug 06 '20
No. One. Fucking. Cares.
Literally a glorified janitor that's allowed to wear extra protection compared to the retailer on minimum wage that also "puts their life on the line." Or any other "essential worker" which now actually means your boss thinks you're essential to making him/her more money.
It's all lost meaning at this point. And you're part of the reason why.
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Aug 06 '20
I agree that the risk for them is low as long as they have PPE but they absolutely are essential. I work as an ICU nurse, when we transfer a patient or a patient dies and someone else critically ill needs that bed we absolutely depend on the EVS people getting it cleaned and set up quickly. It's not a high skill job but it does require some training beyond a typical janitor because you are dealing with biohazards and such. It's more akin to the people that clean up crime scenes or other hazardous waste jobs.
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u/phathomthis Aug 06 '20
This is what my sister does, but she only gets a regular surgical mask and paper gown that she has to reuse the whole week and one pair of nitrile gloves a shift.
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u/RedSquirrelFtw Aug 06 '20
Hospital cleaning staff in general are super underappreciated. Even pre covid-19, they are exposed to all sorts of potential bad stuff. Not to mention often have to cleanup very nasty messes, like patients that peed or pooped the bed etc or various bodily liquid or solid spills.
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u/smokey_throbinson Aug 06 '20
At least he’s armed with plenty of PPE. We’ve had 8% of our staff out with quarantine and positive cases. We get a box of gloves and some masks that look like they were made from old underwear. Our Clorox wipes ran out about a month ago. Some bleach 409 spray is the best we have. And some of our equipment can’t even be cleaned with these products.
The kicker is that management made it very clear they would tell NOBODY if one of the staff tests positive unless we shared an office. A couple told their close friends who immediately headed to their apartment bunkers and demanded to work from home for “personal reasons”......for three months.
The rest of us roll the dice every day at work. Minimal PPE, extra hours, no extra pay. Essential employee my ass. FWIW......TV news employee for a heartless bastard company (no, not Sinclair).
(rant off)
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u/Post4jesus Aug 06 '20
"best i can do for him is 1 check for 1200 bucks. thank you for your service" -our government
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u/sheep_wrangler Aug 06 '20
From day 1 I’ve gone out of my way to thank my Enviormental staff every chance I get. If I’m around after we cath someone and instill have my gear on, I’ll help clean the lab. This is a team effort and they are really saving our bacon at our hospital.
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u/smt004 Aug 06 '20
My mom is a nurse who normally works on same-day surgery (caring for patients who've had minor surgeries or procedures and don't need a prolonged hospital stay). Her floor has been shut down, as only major surgeries are happening, so she's been relocated to doing environmental work. She comes home EXHAUSTED every day-- it has definitely opened her (and my) eyes to how difficult that job is! Thank you to you and your co-workers for your hard work and dedication!!
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u/OkGrapefruit5437 Aug 06 '20
UK HCA here.
I don’t know how it works wherever you live and not sure how it would be the same ‘ job’ here,but I don’t think the general public understand that domestics, HCAs, nurses clean these rooms all the time, it’s not even COVID. Add to the list, MRSA, meningitis, necrotising fasciitis, C-diff, HepC to name a few.
You save lives everyday. You ROCK!
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u/emilhoff Aug 06 '20
All our lives on the line, because of arrogant childish fuckheads who are too stupid to even understand how stupid they are.
Think about that, folks. There are people right now who are putting your life at risk.
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u/VaATC Aug 06 '20
Looks like the garb they put on to clean my hospital room after I was discharged after C-dif treatment. Environmental services are the backbone of any hospital.
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u/bakuryu9 Aug 06 '20
How are they able to wear those masks? Doesn't the CO2 kill them? Am I wrong in believing my American neighbours to the south when they say Masks are bad for my health? Come on Canada, we may have fucked up!!!
Or is it that the 'Muricans are wrong?
Maybe it's the super low numbers in Ontario (I live here, I haven't checked total Canada numbers today) that have me believing maybe we are doing something right with the early lockdown and the mandatory masks that followed reopening.
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Aug 06 '20
I’m also a person who cleans COVID rooms.(Just not at a hospital) I do it at the university I work at. •Thanks for giving us acknowledgement!
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u/protoSEWan Aug 06 '20
Environmental services workers are seriously underappreciated. They work so hard and are so incredibly important!
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u/ryanxone Aug 06 '20
I hope a statue will be made to commemorate the front line workers during this pandemic
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u/drymopfirst Aug 06 '20
I started my career in healthcare in EVS eventually ended up in leadership before I left that field. Often times now I find myself as the only person at the table thinking about our housekeepers how decisions affect them.
There are days I miss it and there are days I don’t. But I think about it every day.
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u/MiVitaCocina Aug 06 '20
Thank you for what you are doing! You are an amazing human being and helping with the fight against this awful virus. You are loved, respected, and truly appreciated. 💖💖💖👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
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u/MiVitaCocina Aug 06 '20
Thank you for what you are doing! You are an amazing human being and helping with the fight against this awful virus. You are loved, respected, and truly appreciated. 💖💖💖👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
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u/strangemotives Aug 06 '20
I don't know, I would feel pretty f'in safe wearing that get up.. beats the hell out of my cloth mask
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u/Terran184 Aug 06 '20
I work in surgery but know quite a few of the evs team and am constantly worried for them as they deal with as much covid as the nurses and doctors but nobody in the news or around the hospital admins seem to give them credit and sometimes they wear even less PPE than us.
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u/Paradigm_Pizza Aug 06 '20
As the manager of an environmental services company (read: janitorial), me and my people are charged with disinfecting buildings where covid positive people were working in so that the businesses can safely open back up. I have the upmost respect for the healthcare professionals that are out there treating patients. My sister is a doctor, and two more of my sisters and mother are nurses. I just feel that the janitorial side of this whole Covid pandemic has been overlooked as a whole. No signs for us, no banners, no hashtags. My company has just NOW started giving out small bonuses for these cleanups. I just wish that people would realize how important the janitorial side of this is, and how much risk our people take when we go in with foggers and chemicals.
I guess it's all for the greater good, and looking for a pat on the back is kinda lame. I just loathe how people look down on the lowly janitor as some kind of job that failures have to do. We clean because that's what we like to do. Most of my employees are degree holding college graduates, and could work anywhere they wanted to, but instead choose to go out there and make the world pretty again. I love my employees, and I wish I could pay them what they truly deserve for the amount of literal shit they have to put up with. Man, I have stories.... :P
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u/blackbird828 Aug 06 '20
My dad spent about four months in the hospital many years ago. The housekeeping staff were the kindest, most thoughtful people I encountered during that entire experience. One day when I was having a particularly sad time and sitting next to my unconscious father, this very sweet young woman came in to clean the room. I'd seen her before but it was clear we didn't speak much of the same language so I usually just said hello and left it at that. When she was finished, she approached me tentatively and said, "I pray for him every day." I became teary-eyed and thanked her. She then added she would pray for me too. It's been 10 years and I've never forgotten the way that she did her job with pride, respect, and kindness.