T
he pandemic has caused us all to re-examine
our infection prevention strategies, including
those related to personal protective equip-
ment (PPE). Staff and physicians who properly
wear PPE protect themselves from harmful
pathogens and prevent accidental contamination of
the sterile field, so it's baffling when they don't
always comply with something as straightforward
as surgical attire policies. There are many reasons
this can occur: decades of individual practice, tradi-
tion, insufficient and sometimes conflicting research
backing the importance of properly wearing PPE
and professional disagreement.
You needn't look any further than the recent pub-
lic debate between surgeons and nurses about the
protection provided by surgical caps and bouffants
to know head coverings are a
hot topic. Some surgeons
believe there's no reason
to change what they've
always worn, and some
nurses believe the hot
dog guy at Costco does
a better job of cover-
ing his hair than do
most surgeons.
In individual facilities,
problems of PPE com-
pliance often relate
to ineffective
governance
and lack of
oversight. What
matters most is
your team
agreeing to an
acceptable
Focus on Enforcing PPE Protocols
Create a strict surgical attire policy and make sure staff follow it.
Infection Prevention
Chris Hunt, MBA, MS, BSN, RN, CSSM
COVERED UP
Maintaining barrier pro-
tection should be a basic
step in limiting the spread
of harmful pathogens.
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T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A R C H 2 0 2 1
Jason
Meehan
