Removing Personal Protective Equipment

Written by Hollie Finders, RN
Hollie Finders is a registered nurse with years of experience working in the health care field. She has degrees in both biochemistry and nursing. After working with patients of all ages, Hollie now specializes in pediatric intensive care nursing. Hollie’s LinkedIn

Procedure

Equipment needed: trashcan, biohazard container

  1. With both hands still gloved, grasp the glove at the palm of your non-dominant hand and pull the glove off, turning it inside out in the process.
  2. Hold that glove in the center of your gloved hand.
  3. Using your non-gloved hand, insert two fingers underneath the cuff of the glove.
  4. Carefully pull the glove off, while turning the glove inside out. The other glove should be enclosed inside this glove.
  5. Dispose gloves in the proper biohazard container.
  6. Remove goggles.
  7. Untie the disposable gown at the neck and the waist.
  8. Grasping the inside of the gown near the neck ties, pull the gown down off of one arm and slide the arm out.
  9. Repeat procedure for remaining arm.
  10. Touching only the inside surface of the gown, roll the gown to enclose the contaminated side.
  11. Dispose the gown in the proper biohazard container.
  12. Remove the mask by untying the bottom ties and then the top ties, or remove the elastic bands from around the ears.
  13. Dispose of the mask into the trashcan.
  14. Perform hand hygiene.

Important Information

It is important to follow the correct procedure while removing personal protective equipment to avoid contaminating your skin or clothing. The most common source of contamination in this process stems from improper removal of gloves [1]. Gloves are often the most soiled piece of equipment. To avoid contaminating your skin or the other equipment worn, gloves should always be removed first. Then remove the goggles, gown, and mask, in that order.

Disposable equipment should not be reused. These items should be discarded into the proper receptacles: mainly biohazard containers or waste bins. Reusable items, on the other hand, should be properly decontaminated and stored according to facility policy. As a reminder, use of personal protective equipment does not take the place of proper hand hygiene. Always thoroughly wash and dry your hands after removing and disposing of the equipment.

References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26457544

More Resources

Making an Occupied Bed

If a patient is bedridden or on bedrest, the bed linens will need to be changed while the patient is in the bed. For safety reasons, the nurse’s aid should avoid making an occupied bed if the patient is able to get out of bed. Bed linens should be changed according to the facility’s policy or anytime they are wet or soiled.

Moving the Resident to the Side of the Bed

Residents are usually kept in the center of the bed for safety reasons. However, moving a resident to the side of the bed is an important step to take before turning a resident onto his or her side. Performing this action allows the resident to end up side lying in the center of the bed and not smashed up against the side rail.

Perineal Care of the Male Resident

Perineal care should be performed during a bath, after using the bedpan, and/or after incontinence. Special care should be used when performing perineal care on an uncircumcised male. Failure to retract and wash the area under the foreskin can result in infection. Failure to return the foreskin to its normal position can result in paraphimosis.

Performing Ostomy Care

Residents who have had a portion of their intestines removed due to illness or trauma may have a temporary or permanent ostomy, which is an opening in the abdomen that is created for the elimination of urine or feces. The portion of the intestine that is connected to the abdominal wall and is visible is called the stoma. A pouch is placed over the stoma to collect feces.

Measuring the Respirations

Respiration is a vital sign that is measured frequently in the healthcare setting. Taking this measurement requires no equipment and relatively little time. However, it is a measurement that must be taken accurately, as a change in respiration may indicate the worsening of a patient’s condition.

Supine Position

Supine position is a natural and comfortable position for most people. For this reason, it is a highly utilized position for nursing procedures. Unfortunately, this position puts pressure on many bony prominences that can lead to discomfort and/or pressure ulcers if the pressure is not relieved every so often (typically every two hours or less).