Falling through the cracks: the invisible hospital cleaning workforce.

Hacker, CE; Debono, D; Travaglia, J; Carter, DJ

Falling through the cracks: the invisible hospital cleaning workforce.

Hacker, CE Debono, D

Travaglia, J

Carter, DJ

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Publisher:: EMERALD GROUP PUBLISHING LTD
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: J Health Organ Manag, 2022, 36, (8), pp. 981-986
Issue Date:: 2022-09-19

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Hacker, CE
dc.contributor.author	Debono, D https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2095-156X
dc.contributor.author	Travaglia, J https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7537-0466
dc.contributor.author	Carter, DJ
dc.date.accessioned	2022-11-15T03:41:55Z
dc.date.available	2022-11-15T03:41:55Z
dc.date.issued	2022-09-19
dc.identifier.citation	J Health Organ Manag, 2022, 36, (8), pp. 981-986
dc.identifier.issn	1477-7266
dc.identifier.issn	1758-7247
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/163476
dc.description.abstract	PURPOSE: This paper explores the role of hospital cleaners and their contribution to healthcare safety. Few studies have examined the activities and input of hospital cleaners, rendering them largely invisible in healthcare research. Yet, as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has demonstrated, this sizeable workforce carries out tasks critical to healthcare facilities and wider health system functioning. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Drawing on the work of Habermas, the authors examine the literature surrounding cleaners and quality and safety in healthcare. The authors theorise cleaners' work as both instrumental and communicative and examine the perceptions of healthcare professionals and managers, as well as cleaners themselves, of healthcare professionals and managers' role and contribution to quality and safety. FINDINGS: Cleaners are generally perceived by the literature as performing repetitive - albeit important - tasks in isolation from patients. Cleaners are not considered part of the "healthcare team" and are excluded from decision-making and interprofessional communication. Yet, cleaners can contribute to patient care; ubiquity and proximity of cleaners to patients offer insights and untapped potential for involvement in hospital safety. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This paper brings an overdue focus to this labour force by examining the nature and potential of their work. This paper offers a new application of Habermas' work to this domain, rendering visible how the framing of cleaners' role works to exclude this important workforce from participation in the patient safety agenda.
dc.format	Print
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	EMERALD GROUP PUBLISHING LTD
dc.relation.ispartof	J Health Organ Manag
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1108/JHOM-02-2022-0035
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	11 Medical and Health Sciences, 15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
dc.subject.classification	Health Policy & Services
dc.subject.mesh	COVID-19
dc.subject.mesh	Hospitals
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Patient Safety
dc.subject.mesh	Personnel, Hospital
dc.subject.mesh	Workforce
dc.subject.mesh	COVID-19
dc.subject.mesh	Hospitals
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Patient Safety
dc.subject.mesh	Personnel, Hospital
dc.subject.mesh	Workforce
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Personnel, Hospital
dc.subject.mesh	Hospitals
dc.subject.mesh	Patient Safety
dc.subject.mesh	Workforce
dc.subject.mesh	COVID-19
dc.title	Falling through the cracks: the invisible hospital cleaning workforce.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	36
utslib.location.activity	England
utslib.for	11 Medical and Health Sciences
utslib.for	15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Law
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHSP - Health Services and Practice
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - HJ - Health Justice
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	true
dc.date.updated	2022-11-15T03:41:54Z
pubs.issue	8
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	36
utslib.citation.issue	8

Abstract:

PURPOSE: This paper explores the role of hospital cleaners and their contribution to healthcare safety. Few studies have examined the activities and input of hospital cleaners, rendering them largely invisible in healthcare research. Yet, as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has demonstrated, this sizeable workforce carries out tasks critical to healthcare facilities and wider health system functioning. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Drawing on the work of Habermas, the authors examine the literature surrounding cleaners and quality and safety in healthcare. The authors theorise cleaners' work as both instrumental and communicative and examine the perceptions of healthcare professionals and managers, as well as cleaners themselves, of healthcare professionals and managers' role and contribution to quality and safety. FINDINGS: Cleaners are generally perceived by the literature as performing repetitive - albeit important - tasks in isolation from patients. Cleaners are not considered part of the "healthcare team" and are excluded from decision-making and interprofessional communication. Yet, cleaners can contribute to patient care; ubiquity and proximity of cleaners to patients offer insights and untapped potential for involvement in hospital safety. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This paper brings an overdue focus to this labour force by examining the nature and potential of their work. This paper offers a new application of Habermas' work to this domain, rendering visible how the framing of cleaners' role works to exclude this important workforce from participation in the patient safety agenda.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/163476