KEEPERS OF THE HOUSE
By NEIL PROSE and RAY BARFIELD
FEBRUARY 5, 2020
Where we work, housekeepers clean 36 rooms a day. Their work is vital to the prevention of serious infections and to the efficient running of the hospital. It’s clear they also play an important role in the care of patients.
“Interprofessional cooperation” and “teamwork” are among the newest buzzwords in modern hospital medicine. Doctors are consistently reminded that clear, respectful communication with their teams is essential for patient safety and quality of care. But we’ve often been blind to the fact that housekeepers are an essential part of that team.
The 15-minute documentary “Keepers of the House” was designed to be incorporated into an interprofessional curriculum for doctors, nurses, and other health care providers.
