Improper donning & doffing of PPE’s can increase contact isolation infection
The summer of 2015 created a nationwide scare among healthcare workers due to the Ebola virus. The virus infected two nurses in Texas and created a media frenzy and a spotlight on healthcare workers use of PPE’s or personal protective equipment (Beam, Gibbs, Hewlett, Iwen, Nuss, and Smith, 2015). Nurses are typically the front line of defense for treatment of patients regardless of potentially deadly infections and illness. Contact isolation occurs when patients are infected with diseases that are easily transferred by contact, droplets, or even airborne illnesses. Illnesses requiring contact isolation include; drug-resistant bacteria, hazardous drugs, tuberculosis, influenza, and any form of dangerous pathogens. Patients in contact isolation require nursing staff to protect …show more content…
Healthcare workers use PPE’s on a routine basis when caring for isolation patients; such as, gloves, gowns, eyewear, and masks for their protection and other patients. The problem (gap), does the sequence and the ability for donning and doffing PPE’s increase risk of infection among clinicians or nursing staff when caring for patients in isolation? What is the sequence for donning and doffing of PPE’s? Do nurses who adhere to strict PPE guidelines reduce the risk of infection? One additional problem, does transfer of patients within the hospital increase risk of infection among hospital visitors and patients? The purpose of this research is to determine if adhering to the application sequence of PPE‘s among contact isolation patients, can reduce the risk of infection among nurses and their additional patients. Grove, Gray, and Burns (2014) state “research is defined as diligent, systematic inquiry to validate and refine existing
The summer of 2015 created a nationwide scare among healthcare workers due to the Ebola virus. The virus infected two nurses in Texas and created a media frenzy and a spotlight on healthcare workers use of PPE’s or personal protective equipment (Beam, Gibbs, Hewlett, Iwen, Nuss, and Smith, 2015). Nurses are typically the front line of defense for treatment of patients regardless of potentially deadly infections and illness. Contact isolation occurs when patients are infected with diseases that are easily transferred by contact, droplets, or even airborne illnesses. Illnesses requiring contact isolation include; drug-resistant bacteria, hazardous drugs, tuberculosis, influenza, and any form of dangerous pathogens. Patients in contact isolation require nursing staff to protect …show more content…
Healthcare workers use PPE’s on a routine basis when caring for isolation patients; such as, gloves, gowns, eyewear, and masks for their protection and other patients. The problem (gap), does the sequence and the ability for donning and doffing PPE’s increase risk of infection among clinicians or nursing staff when caring for patients in isolation? What is the sequence for donning and doffing of PPE’s? Do nurses who adhere to strict PPE guidelines reduce the risk of infection? One additional problem, does transfer of patients within the hospital increase risk of infection among hospital visitors and patients? The purpose of this research is to determine if adhering to the application sequence of PPE‘s among contact isolation patients, can reduce the risk of infection among nurses and their additional patients. Grove, Gray, and Burns (2014) state “research is defined as diligent, systematic inquiry to validate and refine existing