Summary
When donning PPE, the following steps should be taken:
- Donning should always occur at a safe distance of the patient (at least 2 metres)
When doffing PPE, equipment is removed in the following order:
- Doffing should always be performed with extreme care: avoid touching the outer surfaces of your PPE
- When working with patients not under contact and droplet precautions, it is not necessary to doff eye protection and masks unless they are soiled or wet. Reuse is recommended until these become soiled or wet, or complete doffing is required
- Complete doffing should occur:
- After attending to patients under contact and droplet precautions
- Before break
- Before leaving the patient care area or the facility
- Eye protection must be disinfected:
- Between each patient under contact and droplet precautions
- Before breaks, leaving the patient care area, or the facility
- Between patients not under contact and droplet precautions, if soiled
- If you have questions about proper PPE use during your clinical placement, ask your preceptor
Perform hand hygiene
Put on gown
Put on mask/respirator
Put on eye protection
Put on gloves
Note: elements to be donned vary by situation, but donning order never changes
Remove and dispose of gloves
Perform hand hygiene
Remove gown and dispose or place in appropriate receptacle for disinfection
Perform hand hygiene
Remove eye protection
Perform hand hygiene
Remove and dispose mask/respirator
Perform hand hygiene
Note: elements to be doffed vary by situation, but the order of removal never changes