Eye protection for ALL patient interaction

Updated:   Published

Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.

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Anyone else work for an organization that has decided that eye protection (face shields or goggles) are required for ALL patient contact, COVID or not? Just wondering whether anyone has any data or references supporting or refuting this practice. Trying to navigate the stupid eye protection on top of glasses and masks, it's getting to be ridiculous. Has there been even ONE recorded ocular exposure case of COVID detected. And how would they isolate an exposure in the eyes? I guess if someone was wearing their N95 and still contracted the virus, maybe, but I think the whole "identifying" the source is sometimes BS anyway. There could be an asymptomatic carrier anywhere and any time. Thanks for any research or resources anyone might have. (Yes, I could Google, but I've been awake since 5am yesterday so I'm being lazy. I think it's obvious I'm beyond the school assignment phase, ha,ha).

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     Wow!  I get the need for PPEs but this seems like it was the brainchild of some non-clinical, ‘Henny Penny’ administrator.  Be prepared, I’m sure the roll out for mandatory body condoms isn’t too far behind.

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Specializes in school nurse.
12 minutes ago, morelostthanfound said:

     Wow!  I get the need for PPEs but this seems like it was the brainchild of some non-clinical, ‘Henny Penny’ administrator.  Be prepared, I’m sure the roll out for mandatory body condoms isn’t too far behind.

...until it hits the budget too hard, then watch the "standards" change.

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We've done this since the beginning of COVID.  However, enforcement waxes and wanes.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

We’ve done this since the onset of COVID when providing direct patient care or in patient care areas. 

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44 minutes ago, Rose_Queen said:

We’ve done this since the onset of COVID when providing direct patient care or in patient care areas. 

I’m in a different country but it’s the same here. Mask and either face shield or goggles when providing direct care to all patients. The thinking is that in a pandemic setting with ongoing high community transmission, anyone could be infected at any time. Staff and patients.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatrics, Wound Care.

I think my hospital wants face/splash protection for all patients. All the students wear goggles for any patient time. I got some glasses (prescription, bifocal) with side guards, but not full glasses. I do wear shields on occasion in COVID rooms. Since I wear glasses anyway, it doesn't bother me, and I always appreciate that glasses protect my eyes from whatever I don't want to get in them. ?

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Specializes in Mental Health.

Ours does, but I fortunately work at a building separated from the main building on campus and no one here wears eye protection nor cares if anyone else does. Every now and then we'll get a chain email sent out, but nothing changes. 

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I’m sorry but this is beyond stupid. Directly caring for patient…sure but we have to wear them when we’re walking patients to the check out area!! The irony is the person who squawks at us about it does it in the hallway, standing right next to us and our patient while not wearing goggles. Apparently she has some special force field. ?

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Specializes in Gerontology.

Face masks and shields for all pt contact for at least the past year, maybe longer.. We wear the same shield for the whole shift. Disinfect after contact with COVID.

Canadian here.

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Specializes in ER.

Another reason why I quit nursing

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Specializes in Critical Care.

The eye-protection rules of facilities come from the CDC's recommendation that if an HCW is exposed to a patient who ends up having a positive Covid test, then the HCW can continue to work if they were wearing eye protection, but cannot work for 14 days if they were not.

And yes, it's astounding stupid and represents a concerning lack of competence on the part of the CDC.  

It's part of the recommendations that also address Aerosol Generating Procedures (AGPs), the basis of which is one of the, if not the most embarrassing thing to come out of a prominent and otherwise reliable scientific group.

Interim Guidance for Managing Healthcare Personnel with SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 | CDC

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