Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Personal Battle - March 2021 - Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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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. 1 8 • O U 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

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