Environmental Services Technician

Job Summary / Purpose

The Environmental Services Tech is responsible for executing the daily duties required to establish and maintain a safe, hygienic, and aesthetically pleasing care environment. While executing the assigned responsibilities, the EVS Tech will have contact/interactions with patients, visitors, and clinical and non-clinical staff. Responsible for ensuring timely room turnovers related to patient throughput within the basic principles of environmental hygiene and infection prevention. The environmental services technician, in accordance with organizational standards of quality, is an essential contributor to cleaning, disinfection, infection prevention and patient experience.

Essential Key Job Responsibilities

• Responsible for completing as assigned, daily occupied and discharge/transfer cleaning and disinfection of patient care areas, equipment, and other common areas.
• Performs duties while demonstrating a working knowledge of the health care cleaning and disinfecting principles and requirements. Displays safe chemical use and equipment handling for all items within the healthcare environment.
• Adheres to all organization safety, risk management and infection control guidelines and standards while promoting a culture of safety.
• Actively participates in departmental performance improvement initiatives, including but not limited to initiatives to improve patient experience and cleanliness metrics.
• Maintains cleaning cart(s), supplies, and equipment, as outlined in the Standard Work cart set up.
• Removes waste and transports to the appropriate disposal area while identifying proper waste stream handling (i.e. regulated medical, recycle, solid, and hazardous) in accordance with established procedures and regulatory requirements.
• Follows all infection prevention practices, including but not limited to: proper cleaning and disinfection protocols, hand hygiene, standard and isolation precautions, proper donning and doffing of personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Recognizes and adheres to patient privacy requirements (HIPAA).

• Practices critical thinking skills.
• Demonstrates personal accountability.
• Identify and utilize appropriate resources to ensure identified problems or concerns are followed through and resolved.
• Demonstrates knowledge of facility safety requirements.
• Demonstrates the ability to operate and properly maintain all EVS tools and equipment needed to clean and disinfect the environment.
• May be asked to perform tasks according to the various facility needs, including but not limited to: conference room set ups, cleaning of stairwells and elevators, and hanging of cubicle curtains.

• May be asked to mentor new Environmental Services Tech I employees.
• Ability to collaborate with others as we are a part of the patient care team.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Required Education and Experience

High School diploma or GED preferred. Previous healthcare experience preferred.

Required Minimum Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Training

• Can distinguish the differences between levels of disinfection and perform low and intermediate level disinfection.
• Ability to explain orally or in writing the differences between levels of disinfection and perform intermediate level disinfection in areas where required.
• Ability to operate necessary equipment/machines.
• Effectively uses computers and mobile devices. Respectfully listens to viewpoints and ideas of others. Communicates orally or in writing openly and candidly, creates an environment where co-workers and team members reciprocate in kind. Respectfully listens to viewpoints and ideas of others. Ability to work without close supervision.