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O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5
S U R G E O N S ' L O U N G E
I
f wearing a surgical mask makes you feel like a masked bandit
instead of a loving caregiver, a new surgical mask with a clear
plastic covering that lets others see your mouth might be the
thing for you.
"When you're a patient, you hate to feel like your caregiver is indif-
ferent," says Jeanne Hahne, RN, inventor of the FaceView Mask. "This
makes it feel like there's so much more of a connection."
Ms. Hahne says the clear mask lets patients see caregivers' emotions
and helps create a "therapeutic bond." The mask, which fits like a stan-
dard mask, is more than a way for healthcare workers to flash patients a
smile. Ms. Hahne says the FaceView can also help to improve communica-
tion among your surgical team. It may, for
example, make it easier for your nurses to
understand when a surgeon asks for a med-
ication or instrument.
"Why do we have our faces covered?"
asks Ms. Hahne. "I'm hoping for the
new mask standard."
Ms. Hahne is seeking funding to
complete the project, and hopes
to get the mask approved by
the FDA and on the market
by May 2015.
— Kendal Gapinski
A See-Through Surgical Mask
ClEar FaCEmask
z FRiENDLY FACE The FaceView Mask is designed to let
patients to see more of their caregiver's face, improving com-
munication and creating a deeper connection, the inventor says.
