Infection prevention and control - Precautions and personal protective equipment (PPE): Nursing skills

When providing client care, there are procedures you must follow to prevent the transmission of infection to and from the client. These include standard precautions, which are used for any client, at any time, in any situation; and transmission-based precautions for clients with a diagnosed or suspected infectious condition. Every time there’s a risk for exposure to blood; all types of body fluids, secretions, and excretions other than sweat; open skin lesions or rashes; mucosal surfaces; and possibly contaminated items or surfaces, make sure to utilize personal protective equipment, or PPE for short. This includes wearing gloves; a waterproof gown if there’s a possibility that your clothes get contaminated; and protective mask, face shield for procedures where splashes of body fluids are likely or goggles.

When moving from a contaminated area, like a wound, to a clean body area, like the face, remember to change your gloves and wash your hands thoroughly. If there’s no access to water or soap and your hands aren’t visibly dirty, you can also use an alcohol-based sanitizer. Remember to still wash your hands afterwards as soon as you can. Do the same after touching any surfaces in or out of the care setting. Now, in the case of unexpected contact with blood or any body fluids, wipe up any spills, disinfect the area with a facility-approved cleaning product, and practice hand hygiene right away. In any case, before leaving the client’s room or moving on to another client, remove all your personal protective equipment and practice hand hygiene.

Next, to limit the potential transmission of respiratory infections, standard precautions include wearing a mask when caring for clients with suspicious signs or symptoms, like a cough. It’s also important to instruct these clients to keep at least a 1 meter, or 3 feet, distance between themselves and others or to otherwise wear a mask. You should encourage clients to cover their nose and mouth with a tissue whenever they sneeze or cough and then immediately throw the tissue away in the nearest wastebasket and wash their hands. It might also be helpful to hang a visual reminder of the instructions next to the client’s bed to inform potential visitors.