Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is the use of some type of barrier to protect a person from exposure to blood-borne pathogens, body fluids, or other potentially infectious materials. PPE is not just used to protect the nurse from the patient, but also the patient from the nurse and to help prevent a health care-associated infection. Being familiar with the personal protective equipment you are required to wear under specific circumstances helps to reduce the chances of self-contamination. Donning PPE should be done is a specific way to reduce the most microorganisms possible. First you should put the gown on, it should fully cover your torso from your neck to knees, arms to end of wrist. The gown should also be tied in the back at the
Influenza (Flu) is one more the more common disease in the US. Influenza has the potential to become a pandemic since there are different variations of the flu. There are four different types of the influenza virus (A, B, C, D). Influenza A and B viruses cause seasonal epidemics of disease almost every winter in the United States. The emergence of a new and very different influenza A virus to infect people can cause an influenza pandemic. Influenza type C infections generally cause a mild respiratory illness and are not thought to cause epidemics. Influenza D viruses primarily affect cattle and are not known to infect or cause illness in people. When an infection becomes a pandemic, it means that it is widespread worldwide. The flu is spread mainly by droplets when people with the flu cough, sneeze, or talk. When you are caring for a patient with the flu should be put on droplet precautions. When donning PPE, you need to put on gown, respirator, googles/face shield, and then gloves. When removing, PPE remove gloves, googles/face shield, gown at the doorway of patient room and the respirator outside the room. Handwashing helps prevent spreading! Another infectious disease common in the US is TB. Mycobacterium Tuberculosis is transmitted in airborne particles called droplet nuclei that are expelled when persons with pulmonary or laryngeal TB cough, sneeze, shout, or sing. TB is a challenging disease
Hand washing is the best thing a nurse can do to stop the spread of infections. Always carrying alcohol wipes in your pocket for your stethoscope and any other things that are used from patient to patient can prevent the spread of infection. Using proper technique in the procedures you do help to prevent infection. The nurse can encourage the patient to get vaccinated, use antibiotics the proper way, and to stay at home if you have any signs or symptoms of having an infection to stop the spread of infection. When you are working at a facility always follow their protocols when dealing with certain infections; They are there to protect everyone involved. The more you try to prevent the spread of infection, the safer you are keeping everyone around