Personal Protective Equipment

Providers are encouraged to review with their teams the appropriate way to apply and remove all PPE, including gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection. Performing observations can be helpful to prepare staff for reviews by state and local officials and to quickly correct any practices needing improvement. The resources below are designed to support staff competencies in this area.

Proper Use of Personal Protective Equipment: Train-the-Trainer Webinar

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, it’s important all long term care staff are using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) properly when interacting with patients and residents. This Proper Use of PPE: Train-the-Trainer Webinar was designed to educate providers on how to train their staff to properly don and doff PPE, including face masks, eye protection, gloves, and gowns. A.C. Burke of RB Health Partners, Inc., reviewed proper usage of varying types of PPE, with resources provided to build your staff training based on the PPE your facility may be using. PPE training competencies and a competency tool were also be addressed. Nurse managers, supervisors and facility administration, along with risk managers, staff educators, infection preventionists and ALF Resident Service Directors are encouraged to participate, as proper oversight and instruction will ensure facilities are compliant with current CMS and AHCA PPE directives.

Special thanks to A.C. Burke and the team at RB Health Partners, Inc. for developing this program.

^{About the Speaker: A.C. Burke, MA, CIC, is the Vice President for Healthcare Quality for RB Health Partners, Inc. and is the primary author for the Nursing Home Infection Prevention Program, NIPP©… NIPPing Infections in the Bud.  She holds a master’s degree in health management and is Board Certified in Infection Control (CIC) by the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology. Her 20 years of experience includes creating, implementing, and managing programs that have achieved national recognition, partnership building, meeting facilitation, consensus building, and developing competency- based training curricula for healthcare workers across the continuum of care.  AC has worked in public health preparedness and response roles, served as the manager of the Healthcare-associated Infection Prevention Program for the Florida Department of Health as well as the Director of Infection Prevention for Mayo Clinic Florida.}

• Webinar Handouts
• Webinar Recording
• Webinar Q&A

Training Competencies

• PPE Training Competency Check-Off

Proper Donning and Doffing

• PPE Use and Conservation
• CDC Guidance -  How to Properly Put On & Take Off Disposable Respirator
• Emory University School of Medicine ACE / DICE Printable PDFs for Donning and Doffing PPE
• NIOSH Approved Particulate Filtering Facepiece Respirators
• Proper Donning/Doffing PPE & Hand Hygiene (Video)
• Donning/Doffing N95 Masks (Video)
• Respirator Fit Testing from OSHA (Video)

PPE Resources for Posting in Facility

• Appropriately Donning PPE Poster
• Appropriately Doffing PPE Poster

Conservation

• PPE Burn Rate Calculator
• PPE Use and Conservation
• CDC Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow Spread of COVID-19
• Mask Conservation Competency (FHCA)
• Mask Conservation Guidelines (FHCA)
• CDC Strategies for Optimizing Supply of N95 Respirators during COVID-19 Response
• CDC Guidance for Extended Use and Limited Reuse of N95 Respirators in Health Care Settings
• CDC Summary List for Healthcare Facilities: Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of N95 Respirators During COVID-19 Response

N95 Mask Decontamination

• N95 Mask Decontamination - Free Service for Florida Nursing Centers Through Battelle