Personal Protective Equipment
Key Points
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) protects both healthcare workers and patients from infectious exposure.
- Core PPE in this section includes gloves, isolation gowns, eye protection, masks, respirators, and PAPRs.
- PPE is task-specific and should be selected based on expected exposure and transmission route.
- Incorrect removal is a major contamination risk, so doffing technique and immediate hand hygiene are critical.
- Isolation precautions can increase patient loneliness, so communication and therapeutic presence remain nursing priorities.
Pathophysiology
personal-protective-equipment interrupts the chain-of-infection by blocking organism transfer at key points, especially mode-of-transmission, portal-of-entry, and portal-of-exit. Barrier protection lowers risk during exposure to blood, body fluids, respiratory droplets, and aerosolized particles.
The section describes PPE as bidirectional protection. It prevents worker exposure and also reduces transmission from staff to patients and visitors. PPE must match exposure risk: contact risk supports gloves and gowns, splash risk supports masks plus eye protection, and airborne risk requires respirator-level protection.
Transmission control is not only technical. The source also notes psychosocial impact during isolation precautions. Masking and reduced bedside contact can impair communication and increase loneliness, so infection prevention should be paired with intentional patient interaction.
Classification
- Gloves: Single-use hand barrier for expected body-fluid or contamination exposure.
- Isolation gowns: Clothing barrier for splash or spray risk; front and sleeves treated as contaminated after care.
- Eye protection: Goggles, face shields, or visors for splash or spray protection.
- Medical masks: Nose and mouth barrier for droplet and splash settings.
- Respirators and PAPRs: Higher-level respiratory protection for airborne particle risk.
Nursing Assessment
NCLEX Focus
PPE items are selected by exposure risk and transmission route, not by habit or convenience.
- Assess planned care tasks before room entry and identify likely fluid, droplet, or aerosol exposure.
- Determine whether the patient is on transmission-based-precautions and what route is active.
- Check fit and integrity of PPE before use, including respirator seal checks when required.
- Evaluate glove use behavior: one task only, no reuse, and no substitution for hand-hygiene.
- Identify patient communication barriers created by PPE and plan compensatory communication.
Nursing Interventions
- Perform hand-hygiene before donning PPE and immediately after doffing.
- Don task-appropriate gloves, gown, mask, and eye protection based on anticipated risk.
- Replace gloves between different tasks on the same patient when contamination level changes.
- Remove and dispose of single-use PPE safely without touching contaminated fronts.
- Keep isolated patients informed and engaged to reduce social isolation and distress.
- Limit transport to essential purposes and notify receiving teams about required precautions.
Contaminated Front Surfaces
The front of gowns and masks is treated as contaminated; touching these surfaces during removal can spread organisms.
Pharmacology
| Drug Class | Examples | Key Nursing Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Not specified in source | None provided in this section | Prioritize exposure assessment, barrier selection, and contamination-safe removal |
Clinical Judgment Application
Clinical Scenario
A resident with drainage from a skin infection requires in-room care and transport for an essential procedure. The resident reports feeling isolated because staff interactions are brief.
Recognize Cues: Drainage exposure risk, transmission precautions, and psychosocial distress. Analyze Cues: Contact spread risk is high, and reduced interaction is affecting emotional well-being. Prioritize Hypotheses: Primary priority is transmission prevention while preserving therapeutic communication. Generate Solutions: Select appropriate PPE, reinforce doffing safety, and structure focused bedside communication. Take Action: Perform care with correct barriers, complete contamination-safe removal, and give clear, supportive updates. Evaluate Outcomes: No cross-transmission events, correct PPE compliance, and improved patient engagement.
Related Concepts
- chain-of-infection - Framework for breaking transmission links with barrier use.
- transmission-based-precautions - PPE intensity changes by transmission route.
- hand-hygiene - Required before donning and after doffing every time.
- mode-of-transmission - Core driver for PPE selection.
- portal-of-entry - PPE helps block organism entry into host tissue.
- healthcare-associated-infections - Preventable outcome reduced by proper PPE use.
Self-Check
- Why can gloves never replace hand hygiene?
- Which PPE combinations are indicated for splash risk versus airborne risk?
- How can a nurse reduce isolation-related loneliness while maintaining precautions?