Case Scenario:

University Health Systems Environmental Services department is tasked with cleaning patient rooms. The hospital facility is three oors and is horizontally laid out (i.e., long hallways to traverse between departments and rooms). The Environmental Services department has been experiencing some issues with the room cleaning process. Specically, the issue is delays in cleaning rooms. While delays cannot be completely eliminated, delays need to be monitored. Leigh, Environmental Services director, has compiled some data over the past three weeks on cleaning delays. She has collected the number of cleaning delays per day and the cause of the delay as written by the room attendant. Leighs co-workers believe day of the week plays a role in how many cleaning delays occur. Leigh does not agree and wants to show her co-workers that their team should actually be concerned with the reason(s) for the delays. Leigh also believes there has been a trend upward in the number of delays over the past three weeks. Leigh needs assistance in substantiating her claims.

Problem:

There are ve categories for causes of delays: patient check-out orders delayed, cleaning sta shortage, room occupied, order for patient check-out canceled, or other. Using a scatter plot and a Pareto diagram, help Leigh develop a way to explain her idea to her co-workers. Include dialogue Leigh could use to help clarify her point. The table on the next page contains the pertinent cleaning delay information.

TABLE:

Cleaning Delay Information

Reason Give For Delay

____________________________________________________________________

Order

Total Patient For

Number Check- Patient

Of Out Cleaning Check-

Day of The Cleaning Orders Staff Room Out

Week Delays Delayed Shortage Occupied Ordered Other

___________________________________________________

M-Week 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

Tu-Week 1 8 3 2 2 1 0

W-Week 1 9 6 0 0 2 1

Th-Week 1 9 5 1 1 1 1

F-Week 1 21 16 5 0 0 0

M-Week 2 8 0 0 5 2 1

Tu-Week 2 19 5 5 5 2 2

W-Week 2 25 10 0 5 5 5

Th-Week 2 25 7 2 2 12 2

F-Week 2 24 5 5 2 7 5

M-Week 3 29 10 10 5 2 2

Tu-Week 3 19 7 5 0 5 2

W-Week 3 21 12 0 5 2 2

Th-Week 3 19 6 3 1 6 3

F-Week 3 24 4 1 7 7 5