SHEDDING MORE LIGHT
By Gabriel Coronel
Seven years of service in the healthcare field. Seven years ago, my life changed for the better in more ways than one. I work in the housekeeping department, a job that is often overlooked, underappreciated, and sometimes disheartening. It's overlooked because typically, when people think of the healthcare system, they envision doctors, surgeons, and nurses. It's underappreciated because this occupation involves hard work. We keep patients, staff, and visitors safe through our efforts with little to no recognition. It can be disheartening because some of our peers—such as doctors, surgeons, and sometimes even patients, as well as some in the public—view us as uneducated, aimless, unmotivated, dirty, and/or inferior. This is the furthest thing from the truth. We are human beings who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, just like everyone else. Far too often, we are discarded and treated as disposable. We are made to feel invisible, facing a lack of respect and our dignity denied.
In housekeeping, we share many of the same experiences as nurses. We tend to see similar situations while working on the floor together. We work eight-hour shifts in patient care units, emergency departments, intensive care units, operating rooms, and PACUs. These are just a few of the many departments we cover each day and night. For those on the patient care floors, we witness pain, suffering, the delivery of bad news—sometimes that news being terminal—stroke codes, patients bleeding out, outbursts, mental health issues, patients under the influence of drugs, and death. The list is endless, and every story carries immense weight, consisting of fear, worry, anger, and anxiety. Just about any and every human emotion you can imagine. The hospital is a very vulnerable place to be, whether physically, mentally, or both. There are many great recovery stories. Numerous tales of someone receiving good news, being discharged, and returning home after a brief stay or a significant length of time, along with successful transplant stories.
Before I started my career in the healthcare field, I spoke with a former coworker who told me, "When you are in those rooms, you are their peace for that short time, and it's your job to pick up their spirits. Always remember that."
My story comes from a different perspective since I'm neither the nurse nor the physician, and I don't intend to diminish their roles. These are my stories, my experiences, and how my interactions differ from theirs. I enter each patient's room to help them feel at ease while thoroughly cleaning their space. Sometimes, there is a language barrier, or a patient may even be deaf. To connect with them and help them feel more comfortable and "at home," I try to learn how to greet and thank them in their own language. I have also learned some sign language to communicate with deaf patients. Those small gestures can make a significant difference in their stay. It's about providing a level of comfort during what can be a challenging and stressful time in their lives.
I've made countless connections with patients and their families. I've helped people during their stays, and unbeknownst to them, they have also supported me through some of my own hardships.
We need to smile more and respect each other. When you encounter service workers as you go about your day, greet them and thank them. If there's a language barrier, just smile. A smile is universal.
