Archives
The Simple Beauty of a Linen Utilization Plan
What exactly is a linen utilization plan? It is the policies and procedures followed within an organization to ensure patient safety and comfort, while efficiently utilizing linen supplies. If done properly, this plan will not only keep your patients satisfied, it will also reduce linen costs.
The first step in integrating a linen utilization plan into your care setting is to establish a Linen Committee. The committee should meet on a quarterly basis to set policies for linen use, establish scrub policies, and develop appropriate education for the staff. Each of these items is an important component of any successful utilization plan, and must be incorporated into the standard operating procedures of each unit.
BED CHANGE POLICY.
This is one of the quickest ways to reduce the amount of linen used, reducing costs in the process.The linen policies and procedures should require that the nursing staff enter the patient room and make a judgement concerning the linen to be changed, based on the policies and and procedures, before bringing clean linen into the room.
ESTABLISHMENT OF PAR LEVELS.
The "par level" is the standard amount of linen utilized by a particular area of the hospital or care facility within a 24-hour period. By setting these levels appropriately, the correct amount of linen flows through the area on a consistent basis, thus ensuring proper availability at all times. Par levels do vary, and must be adjusted regularly in order to remain an effective tool in the overall utilization plan.
SCRUB CONTROL POLICY.
When establishing scrub policies, it is important to remember that they are worn for the safety of the patient, not the convenience of the staff. Obviously, whereever there is a need for sanitary attire, scrubs should be utilized.Working closely with the Infection Control Department, determine exactly which employees or departments are authorized to wear hospital-issued scrubs. Once this is determined, there should be limited access to them within the organization, and inventory levels should be monitored closely. An alternative to this approach is to allow employees to purchase their own scrubs and require the employees to be responsible for the laundering and care of the garments.
Although many may take clean linen availability for granted, Crothall's Laundry Division surely doesn't. They understand just how vital a resource this is to your organization and are ready to develop a plan suited to your unique needs.
CHARGE BACK SYSTEM - Hold units accountable for linen usage amounts by charging them for it.
DISCHARGE AUDITS - Measure the amount of clean, unused linen retrieved from patient rooms upon discharge. Capture these numbers for a one week period and determine the cost to process this linen.
TRASH AUDITS - Partner with Environmental Services to check the trash for linen that has been discarded rather than placed in the soiled linen hamper. Measure this against replacement costs.
LINEN VENDING MACHINES - Make scrubs, as well as linens for ambulances, available only via vending machines.
IMPLEMENT A RAG POLICY - Discourage the use of linen for cleaning purposes by making rags and other cleaning materials readily available throughout the facility.