Authors (including presenting author) :
Chan JSP, Tsui AYY, Woo CW, Cheung EYY, Lau MHL, Leung KKL
Affiliation :
Physiotherapy Department, Kowloon Hospital
Keyword 1: :
supporting staff
Keyword 2: :
retain workforce
Keyword 3: :
infection control
Keyword 4: :
job satisfaction
Keyword 6: :
safety measures
Introduction :
High turnover among supporting staff has presented a persistent challenge within the Physiotherapy Department at Kowloon Hospital, with over 12 resignations recorded in 2023/2024. Such attrition not only disrupted daily operations but also posed risks to infection control and environmental hygiene. Supporting staff play a pivotal role in maintaining the cleanliness and safety of physiotherapy areas, assisting with patient handling, and ensuring that the therapeutic-environment remains optimal for patient recovery. However, newly-recruited workers often found it difficult to adapt to the stringent infection control standards and cleaning tasks and physically demanding duties. These difficulties contributed to job-challenges and staff-attrition. Recognizing these challenges, the department perceived a need to foster a more supportive and sustainable workplace-culture.
Objectives :
This initiative aimed to reduce staff attrition by improving workplace friendliness, enhancing job satisfaction, and strengthening infection control compliance. The objectives included familiarizing new staff with cleaning procedures, increasing their confidence in manual handling and fostering a supportive culture through targeted interventions and continuous feedback.
Methodology :
Beyond routine occupational-safety and manual-handling training, seven additional strategies were implemented from June 2024. These included educational PowerPoint sessions on cleaning- agents and disinfectants, clear instructions posted in relevant areas, labelled measuring-cups and marked buckets for accurate dilution, accessible Personal-Protective-Equipment(PPE) with donning/doffing instructions, structured cleaning duty rosters, guided wheelchair-portering practice, and monthly on-the-spot audits. A satisfaction survey was conducted to assess job management and staff morale.
Result & Outcome :
After one-month of training, staff demonstrated a 30% improvement in applying knowledge and skills related to cleaning and disinfecting agents, with a 20% increase in the organization of cleaning workflows. Compliance with safety measures improved by 30%, including correct use of PPE and wheelchair-portering skill. No PCAIII or OPAIII staff resigned in the last 1.5-year. Satisfaction and job management ratings rose from 5/10 to 8/10, and staff expressed appreciation for the training and support received. Implementation of the initiative demonstrated that a multifaceted and supportive approach can effectively improve both workforce stability and service quality. The provision of practical tools enhanced procedural consistency and reduced ambiguity in daily cleaning and portering tasks. Furthermore, supervised practice sessions and monthly audits provided continual learning opportunities, reinforcing both competence and confidence. This initiative demonstrates that targeted interventions and a supportive workplace culture can significantly retain workforce, enhance job-satisfaction, and ensure a clean and safe environment for patients, staff and visitors.
