Keepers of the House: A documentary

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Patient Experience
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Hospital housekeepers are essential but often overlooked members of the care team.
• Their role extends beyond cleaning to providing emotional support for patients and families.
• There is a need to value and understand the unique experiences of these workers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To expose healthcare students and educators to the experiences and perceptions of hospital housekeepers.
• To emphasize the importance of valuing and reflecting on the lived experiences of all healthcare staff.
• To address a gap in healthcare education regarding the contributions of support staff.

Main Methods:

• A 15-minute documentary, "Keepers of the House," was created based on interviews with nine hospital housekeepers.
• Focus groups with six housekeepers informed the interview script.
• Healthcare students and educators from five disciplines viewed the documentary.

Main Results:

• Viewers were surprised by the depth of patient-housekeeper interactions and the emotional impact of this work on housekeepers.
• Key themes included the trauma housekeepers experienced from patient loss and their pride in their work.
• Viewer feedback indicated a greater understanding of the role and value of housekeepers, particularly their connections with patients.

Conclusions:

• The documentary effectively amplified underrepresented voices in healthcare.
• It fostered discussions on empathy and valuing often-unseen team members.
• The film and associated learning sessions can be disseminated to promote broader understanding and application in practice.