OR Mask Conservation

[GotTraumaRN]

Anyone else out there working in a hospital where they are "conserving" OR masks? Our leaders have decided that we need to start conserving masks and have placed them in 1 central location so they can make sure people don't waste them. They say its related to a national back order. Just wonder who else out there is working in a hospital doing this?

[SandraCVRN]

How do you waste a mask?? At least 1 per case, maybe they figure you won't even change them between cases if it's a hassle, LOL

[BethCNOR, BSN, RN]

Are you KIDDING me?

[midlife_nurse]

Our masks are in a central location, and sometimes a box of one particular style or another will be empty or missing, but we definitely haven't been asked to conserve!

Gotta wonder why cost cutting vs. patient safety keeps being an issue. What next after "conserving masks"... gowns? Drapes? Yikes.

[linda2097]

I think AORN recommends to use a new mask for every case.

[midlife_nurse]

Update:

I did see on the national news tonight that a) The US government is concerned that we won't have enough surgical masks stockpiled if the pandemic flu continues (they want millions), and b) there are concerns that since most masks are manufactured overseas, those countries may keep them rather than shipping them here.

Kinda scary.

[fracturenurse]

No, our OR wants us to change our masks for every case. If we have one hanging around our neck by mistake and leave the OR we get in trouble. God forbid the employee health nurses see you with one hanging around your neck. One of our scrubs forget to pull his off and went to the cafeteria, the employee health nurse about had a heart attack right there!

[SandraCVRN]

Do they live to make our lives more difficult??? LOL