Guelph General’s Porters

Today’s #MondayMotivation inspires versatility.

Versatility is defined as the ability to adapt to many different things. Our Hospital porters demonstrate this quality every day in the jobs they perform throughout the Hospital and in the skills they need to excel in their job.

The work of our porters varies widely and is essential in maintaining the smooth running of our Hospital. Porters need to be good communicators for dealing with other hospital staff, patients and the general public in a friendly and helpful manner. They need to cope well under pressure and act calmly and quickly in emergencies.

“Sometimes we get four or five calls at a time” said Kelly, one of our porters.

Porters move patients and equipment between various areas of our Hospital. Delivering specimens to the laboratory, providing a warm blanket to a patient, assisting in patient transfers from bed to stretcher, cleaning patient equipment such as wheelchairs in between patient use – these are just some of the things our porters do.

The duties can be heavy with the pushing and pulling of beds and stretchers. Porters spend a lot of time standing and walk long distances. In fact, a full-time porter at Guelph General will walk 23,000 steps on a full-time shift!

However, the most significant aspect of their job is patient care. Porters spend a great deal of their time with patients as they move them around the Hospital, for example, from a medical unit to the x-ray department and back again.

“We’re their comfort” explained Kelly.

Porters spend so much time with patients as they move them around that they can develop a special rapport. They become a companion, keeping patients company and often helping to calm their anxieties.

Guelph General is fortunate to have a strong and versatile team of porters to provide extra sets of caring hands to help meet the patient care needs at our Hospital.