Linen Service Technician, Part-Time, Nights - University of Maryland Medical System

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Under general supervision, receives, sorts and distributes soiled and clean linen items in accordance with departmental procedures.

Principal Responsibilities and Tasks

The following statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by personnel so classified.

1. Sorts, checks and stocks clean linen and clothing (scrubs and hospital gowns) delivered by outside laundering service, daily, to assure that all items are not stained, torn or unusuable and to maintain the best available quality.
   • Unloads newly cleaned linens and clothing from vendor trucks onto laundry carts.
   • Unloads linens from laundry carts, sorts according to type and size. Stocks linens on department storage shelves or delivery carts, as appropriate. Loads designated department or hospital floor linen carts for delivery to designated area.
   • Inspects cleaned linen and clothing for damage from laundering or wear to determine need for repair or replacement. Notifies supervisor of linens needing replacement and gives linens needing repair to the seamstress. Checks linens and clothing to ensure that they are sorted and folded according to color, size, usability and departmental standards.
2. Delivers linens and clothing to assigned hospital floors and other designated areas, daily, stocking linen closets with required amounts of various types of linens.
   • Logs on record sheet, daily, the amounts and types of linens delivered to each area for usage tracking purposes to avoid overstocking.
   • Inventories stock regularly and reports unusual discrepancies in usage and supply needs to the supervisor.
3. Prepares soiled laundry for shipping to external laundering service, daily.
   • Monitors laundry chute, replacing filled laundry carts under the chute, as necessary.
   • Covers carts filled with soiled laundry bags with a plastic bag, using appropriate Universal Precautions to avoid contact with infectious bacteria and wheels cart to dock for pick up by vendor.
4. Washes and dries baby clothing in on-site washing and drying machines, daily. Sorts, folds and stocks same for delivery to hospital floors. Manually loads soiled baby clothes into washers using appropriate Universal Precautions to avoid possible contact with infectious bacteria; sets water level and temperature controls within predetermined health department and internal departmental standards; adds cleaning agent and operates machines according to operating instructions.
5. Keeps linen room neat and orderly. Cleans delivery carts and assists with other cleaning duties in the laundry/linen department, as required.
6. Observes established departmental policies, procedures and practices related to work procedures, safety, environmental and infection control.
7. Stamps UMMS label on newly purchased clothing and linens as needed, using a stamping machine.
8. May operate embroidering machine to embroider information on laboratory coats, and other items, occasionally, as requested, in the absence of the seamstress.
9. May be responsible for distributing surgical scrubs in the operating room. Maintains appropriate par level of scrubs and issues them to the authorized O.R. personnel as requested. Inputs daily usage of scrubs and patient linens into computerized tracking system. Generates weekly and monthly reports of utilization, as requested.

Education and Experience

1. Completion of an eighth grade level of education is required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

1. Demonstrated ability to understand and follow oral and written instruction. Basic understanding and ability to converse effectively using the English language to communicate with nursing and other allied health personnel in the process of delivering linens, reading work schedules and answering requests for linen.
2. Ability to perform simple mathematical operations, using addition and subtraction, to record increases and decreases in linen stock levels.
3. Ability to operate washing and drying machines, stamping machine for stamping UMMS labels in clothing and Pallet Jacket for unloading new linens from the vendors’ trucks.
4. Ability to input data into a menu-driven computerized tracking system to monitor the number of surgical scrubs utilized in the operating room and linens for patient care areas.
5. Ability to lift stacks of linen of approximately 30 lbs., 20% of the time; ability to stand and walk, each 50% of the time, in the process of performing all aspects of the job; ability to push/pull heavy laundry carts approximately 30% of the time in the process of delivering laundry to various areas of the hospital.
6. Effective verbal communication skills are necessary in practicing good guest relations skills being helpful and courteous to other staff members, patients and guests, responding accurately and appropriately to questions and concerns.

Patient Safety

Ensures patient safety in the performance of job functions and through participation in hospital, department or unit patient safety initiatives.

1. Takes action to correct observed risks to patient safety.
2. Reports adverse events and near misses to appropriate management authority.
3. Identifies possible risks in processes, procedures, devices and communicates the same to those in charge.

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