In joining Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital as an Environmental Services (EVS) Area Cleaner three years ago, Valerie Carignan made a big career switch.
“I worked in banking for about 15 years and then COVID hit, and banking changed a lot,” Valerie says. “And I just wasn’t happy. So, I thought I’d come to the hospital and see what was here for me. And I landed in a pot of gold!”
Bonding with patients
As a self-described “people person,” Valerie sees her job as more than just cleaning rooms — it’s an opportunity to establish a rapport with patients who may be extremely nervous or scared.
“I try to ‘read the room’ to see how the patient is,” Valerie says. “I ask how they are, if they’re comfortable, what can I do for them before I get started on their room. They are my priority. They usually have a smile on their face to see somebody walking in.
“And as I’m cleaning, I’m talking with them, and I can just see the pressure leaving them. A lot of people will tell me, ‘You’re a godsend. Thank you so much for coming in.'”
Easing a patient’s fears
In one case, Valerie’s sense of empathy and connection helped her calm a patient who was about to have a procedure for the insertion of a PICC line (a thin, soft, flexible tube to administer intravenous treatments, such as antibiotics).
“She was so frightened by that,” Valerie says. “Her mom was there, but I had had such a good rapport with the patient that she asked me to stay. So, I sat on the bed and held her hand. It was time that I was willing to give up for her, and you could just see the relief once it was over. It made me feel good that she got through it and all her anxiety just kind of washed away.”
A team effort
The spirit of teamwork is evident among Valerie’s group, she says. “We all support one another. If someone gets finished a little earlier, they’ll go from floor to floor to see if anyone needs help.”
A daily morning huddle gives the group a good sense of the day’s activities. “We kind of touch base with each other, so we know what’s going on for the day,” Valerie says. “If anyone needs help at that point, they’ll speak up.”
Bringing new caregivers onboard
Valerie’s enthusiasm for her work and for helping patients has encouraged her to spread the good word about joining Cleveland Clinic EVS.
“I always say that it’s very gratifying work,” she says. “You’re helping people, and you can see them from when they come in and they’re so sick, until the day they are discharged. And you know that you had a hand in that. It’s such a heartwarming feeling to know that this person is going to leave the hospital and see their family and their children again.”
For Valerie, a position in EVS is not just about cleaning. “It’s the people who make the job.”
