Putting on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

00:00 Now, let's talk about the correct order for putting on your PPE.

00:04 First thing, you're gonna put on the gown. Next, you'll put on the mask or the respirator.

00:10 And remember, you'll determine whether it's a mask or an N95 respirator based on the type of precautions.

00:16 Goggles or your eye shield, and you'll finish off with your gloves.

00:21 Now, I always remember that because everything is harder with gloves but they're a necessary evil.

00:26 Okay, we just looked at the four pieces in order.

00:31 Now, let's break them down a little bit and tell you key points you need to consider.

00:35 Step one is putting on your gown.

00:37 So, you wanna make sure that the gown fully covers your torso from your neck to your knees.

00:42 Then, on your arms, you wanna make sure it goes all the way down to the end of your wrist and then, it wraps around the back. Now, you'll have a tie on these gowns.

00:52 Actually, you'll have two of them.

00:53 Make sure it's fastened in the back, at the neck, and at the waist.

00:58 Now, we're not talking about a sterile gown. So, you can tie this yourself and you'll be fine.

01:02 If you're in surgery, it's a lot more complicated to put a gown on but for these precautions, it's not a sterile procedure to put your gown on. So, step one, you've got your gown on.

01:14 Next, do you remember what you put on? Right, it's the mask or the respirator.

01:20 So, you see in that first picture, he's got a surgical mask on and it's tied in two spots.

01:26 So, you wanna secure the mask with ties or the elastic band, whatever it has, in the middle of the back of the head and at your neck.

01:35 That will help you keep the mask securely on your face.

01:38 Now, notice, the mask is covering his nose and his mouth underneath his chin and that's really important.

01:46 You want a close, tight seal on that surgical mask.

01:50 If it's a respirator, it's gonna have a tighter seal than that mask but both masks need to be firmly on your face to be effective.

01:58 Now, see how he's got his fingers on either side of the bridge of his nose.

02:02 Pressing on that mask flexible band at the bridge of your nose will help it fit closer to your face.

02:09 Some surgical masks have them, respirators have them.

02:12 So, it's just another way you can adjust it and make the mask fit your face as effectively as possible.

02:19 So, keep it close and snug to your face, below your chin, and for respirators, make sure you've done a fit-check.

02:27 Now, let's talk a little bit about fit-check.

02:29 We've introduced it in our video series but I wanna break it down a little bit for you. I can't do my own fit check.

02:36 Fit testing is a series of tests and assessments that are performed by a trained evaluator.

02:43 So, you’ve gotta have a certain skillset to evaluate if a respirator mask is the appropriate size and type of mask for each individual.

02:51 Because that’s what we’re aiming for.

02:53 We wanna make sure the respirator that you're wearing by the shape of your face is a tight seal right on there.

03:01 So, there's multiple tests and steps that need to be done to make sure that a respirator fits your face correctly.

03:09 Now, hospitals will have different types of respirators. That's why you have the opportunity to choose.

03:13 But when you hear people refer to fit testing for a respirator, I couldn't just walk into a hospital and grab an N95 and assume it's going to be effective for me.

03:24 I need to make sure that before I'm exposed or a place where I need to use an N95 respirator, I've performed the appropriate fit testing with a trained evaluator.

03:35 Okay, so, you've got your gown on, you've got your mask on or your respirator.

03:42 The third step is putting on your goggles or the face shield.

03:47 So, put the goggles and the shield over your face and eyes and just adjust the fit.

03:51 You see the picture on the left is someone putting on goggles.

03:55 Now, if you wear glasses, sometimes, these can be problematic. I face shield might be easier for you.

04:01 So, put the goggles and the shield over your face and make sure it fits kind of snug so it feels secure.

04:07 You don't want it to slip down. Step four is putting on the gloves.

04:11 Now, these are clean gloves, not sterile gloves. So, this is a lot easier.

04:15 I'm sure a lot of you have post-traumatic stress disorder from trying to put on sterile gloves in your lab practicums but this is much more straightforward.

04:24 They're just clean gloves. But pull the gloves over the wrist of the isolation gown.

04:30 You wanna make sure that you have the gloves go all the way over the cuff of the gown.

04:35 There you have it. Now, you are ready to care for your patient with precautions.