Donning and Doffing PPE With Mask and Eye Protection
Key Points
- Correct PPE order lowers contamination risk during high-exposure care.
- Gloves are removed before gown, and hand hygiene is required between key removal steps.
- Doffing is completed before leaving room to contain contamination.
Equipment
- Isolation gown
- Mask
- Face shield or goggles
- Gloves
- Alcohol-based hand sanitizer or handwashing access
Procedure Steps
- Gather all PPE before entering care sequence.
- Don gown first: orient to back opening, unfold, insert arms, secure neck then waist, and ensure full clothing coverage.
- Don mask and then eye protection (face shield or goggles).
- Don gloves last and overlap glove cuffs over gown sleeves.
- Complete resident care while maintaining PPE integrity.
- Before leaving room, remove gloves first by turning them inside out and discard appropriately.
- Perform hand hygiene.
- Remove eye protection and place in correct reusable/disposal receptacle per policy.
- Unfasten gown at neck and waist; remove from shoulders while turning inside out and folding contaminated side inward.
- Discard gown appropriately.
- Remove mask by ear loops or ties from behind head without touching front.
- Perform final hand hygiene.
Common Errors
- Removing gown before gloves → increases hand/clothing contamination risk.
- Touching front of mask or shield during removal → transfers pathogens to face/hands.
- Skipping hand hygiene between doffing steps → amplifies cross-contamination.
- Exiting room before safe doffing sequence → spreads contamination beyond isolation zone.
Related
- personal-protective-equipment - PPE selection and rationale by exposure level.
- transmission-based-precautions - PPE sequence supports contact, droplet, and airborne precautions.