A reminder about elevator etiquette

14 May 2017

 

Elevator etiquette is part of our Foundations of Service Excellence and can be found on the Service Excellence intranet page. From time to time, Patient Transporters encounter staff who enter an elevator while a patient is being transported or are unwilling to exit an elevator.   

As a reminder, here are some key points about elevator etiquette:

• When a patient is being transported onto the elevator on a gurney, all other employees and volunteers should exit the elevator leaving only the necessary transporters to remain with the patient. This is done to protect privacy and dignity of the patient.
• When a patient on a bed or stretcher is being transported by elevator, don't allow that patient to be surrounded by other visitors or employees. Politely ask the others to wait for another elevator.
• The staff transporting the patient are expected to request other staff/volunteers to step off the elevator in the event they have not done so voluntarily and should not be met with disparaging comments.
• It is best to refrain from asking questions about the patient such as where the patient is going, who the patient is or what their diagnosis may be.

In an instance when the elevator is not crowded by the bed, equipment, and/or transporting staff, it is not unreasonable to ask, “Do you mind if I ride with you?”