Rationale for donning PPE in correct order?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Is there a rationale for the order in which you are supposed to don PPE?

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

Yes, there is. Can you explain why that might be?

No. If I heard a rationale at some point in the past, I don't remember what it is, and it doesn't make sense to me that the order should matter.

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

Take a stab at it. Why would order matter. Think about removal.

I don't see why it would matter whether you put on your gloves before your mask or vice versa.

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

Putting ON gloves before mask, no.

For some things, order of donning dictates order of removal. Do you understand why that might be important?

Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
For some things, order of donning dictates order of removal. Do you understand why that might be important?

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.
Specializes in NICU.

Gloves have to go on after the hat and mask because touching your hair or face contaminates your gloves. So hat and mask go on with clean hands, then hand hygiene and then gown and gloves.

For removal the dirty gloves come off before touching your hat and mask because you risk contaminating your hair and face with your dirty gloves. So gloves off (gown usually at the same time), then hand hygiene, then hat and mask come off with clean hands. Then hand hygiene again because you just touched your hair and face.

Gloves have to go on after the hat and mask because touching your hair or face contaminates your gloves. So hat and mask go on with clean hands, then hand hygiene and then gown and gloves.

For removal the dirty gloves come off before touching your hat and mask because you risk contaminating your hair and face with your dirty gloves. So gloves off (gown usually at the same time), then hand hygiene, then hat and mask come off with clean hands. Then hand hygiene again because you just touched your hair and face.

That's a good point. If you put on gloves before mask then there's a risk of transferring germs from your ears to your gloves.

Alternatively, you could rub hand sanitizer on your ears. Perform ear hygiene.

Alternatively, you could rub hand sanitizer on your ears. Perform ear hygiene.

Here's one for you Davey!

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