Respiratory Protection for Health Care Workers: Simplify Procedures and Improve Health

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Shirley ◽  
◽  
Linda Hawes Clever ◽  
David J. Prezant ◽  
Kerri Rupe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Respiratory Protection ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Improve Health

scholarly journals Effect of Implementing Simulation Education on Health Care Worker Comfort With Nasopharyngeal Swabbing for COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 163 (2) ◽  
pp. 271-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle E. Mark ◽  
Phillip LoSavio ◽  
Inna Husain ◽  
Peter Papagiannopoulos ◽  
Pete S. Batra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Simulation Training ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Nasopharyngeal Swab ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Improve Health Care ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Simulation Based ◽  
Improve Health

Objective To determine if rapid implementation of simulation training for the nasopharyngeal swab procedure can increase provider confidence regarding procedure competency. Methods A simulation training exercise was designed as a departmental initiative to improve competency performing nasopharyngeal swabs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sixty-one health care workers attended teaching sessions led by the Department of Otorhinolaryngology on proper nasopharyngeal swab technique. After a brief lecture, participants practiced their swab technique using a high-fidelity airway simulation model. Pre- and postintervention self-evaluations were measured via standardized clinical competency questionnaires on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from “No knowledge, unable to perform” up to “Highly knowledgeable and confident, independent.” Results Forty-six participants in this study submitted pre- and postintervention self-assessments. Postintervention scores improved on average 1.41 points (95% CI, 1.10-1.73) out of 5 from a mean score of 3.13 to 4.54 ( P < .0001). This reflects a large effect size with a Glass’s delta value of 1.3. Discussion Lecture coupled with simulation-based teaching can significantly improve health care workers’ confidence in performing nasopharyngeal swabs. Proper training for frontline workers performing swabs for COVID-19 is essential to improving testing accuracy and can be achieved in a simple and timely manner. Implications for Practice To meet the testing needs of the growing pandemic, many health care workers who are unfamiliar with nasopharyngeal swabs have been asked to perform this test. Simulation-based teaching sessions may improve health care workers’ confidence and help prevent false-negative results. This intervention is easily reproducible in any setting where frequent nasopharyngeal swab testing occurs. Level of Evidence/Study Design Prospective cohort study.

scholarly journals Results of a Pilot Intervention to Improve Health and Safety for Health Care Workers

2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (12) ◽  
pp. 1449-1455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlin Eicher Caspi ◽  
Jack T. Dennerlein ◽  
Christopher Kenwood ◽  
Anne M. Stoddard ◽  
Karen Hopcia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Pilot Intervention ◽  
Improve Health

Health Care Workers and Respiratory Protection: Is the User Seal Check a Surrogate for Respirator Fit-Testing?

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 267-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quinn Danyluk ◽  
Chun-Yip Hon ◽  
Mike Neudorf ◽  
Annalee Yassi ◽  
Elizabeth Bryce ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Respiratory Protection ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Fit Testing

Impact of the carbon dioxide on the health care workers during the use of respirators

2021 ◽  
pp. 22-31
Author(s):  
Valeriy Aleksandrovich Kaptsov
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Skin Irritation ◽  
Respiratory Protection ◽  
Exposure Limits ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
The Impact

Relevance of the problem. The incidence of infectious diseases among health care workers is higher than the population. Better protection of workers from inhalation of bioaerosols will reduce the risk of their disease. The purpose of the study.The goal is to establish how and to what extent the use of personal respiratory protection equipment (PPE) worsens the gas exchange during breathing, and preventing their timely and proper use in the polluted atmosphere. Materials and methods. Available publications from NIOSH, Taylor & Francis, Oxford University Press and other sourceshave been used. Results. The respirator’s usage increases the «dead space», reducing the concentration of oxygen and increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the inhaled air. The concentration of CO2may exceed the Occupational Exposure Limits many times. The degree of exposure depends on the type of RPD and the tidal volume; in case of a light work the exposure increases. The requirements for certification of respirators cover only the case of heavy work. Therefore, meeting these requirements does not allow for an adequate assessment of the impact of the respirator on the employee when performing light work. Excessive exposure to carbon dioxide, combined with reduced oxygen concentration in the inhaled air, discomfort and skin irritation, prevents the use of the respirator and can lead to disability. Conclusion. The article gives recommendations on how to improve the protection of medical workers from inhalation of bioaerosols: reducing air pollution with the medical masks and ventilation; use the filtering Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPR); changing requirements to respiratory containment. There are recommendations to improve the protection of health workers from inhalation of bioaerosols — reduction of air pollution by masks and ventilation; use of PPE with air supply to the front part; changing requirements for certification of respirators.

Novel H1N1 Influenza and Respiratory Protection for Health Care Workers

2009 ◽  
Vol 361 (19) ◽  
pp. 1823-1825 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth I. Shine ◽  
Bonnie Rogers ◽  
Lewis R. Goldfrank
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
H1n1 Influenza ◽  
Respiratory Protection ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Novel H1n1 Influenza

scholarly journals The use of a rating instrument to teach and assess communication skills of health-care workers in a clinic in the Western Cape

Curationis ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Steyn
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Rating Instrument ◽  
Training Courses ◽  
Communication Behaviours ◽  
Improve Health

Research in health communication shows communication to be an important aspect of successful health-care. Moreover, training courses which provide feedback have been shown to improve health professionals’ ability to conduct successful interviews. This article describes a rating instrument which was developed in order to facilitate teaching and assessing the communication aspects of health-care interviews. The instrument was found to be useful in a training programme offered to nursing staff of a TB Clinic in Mitchells Plain, Western Cape. The instrument appears as Table 1. In the Table categories of communication behaviours, each indicating an important aspect of the interaction, are given as the six headings.

scholarly journals Development of Competencies for Respiratory Protection for Health Care Workers

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 56-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonnie Rogers ◽  
Kathleen Buckheit ◽  
Judith Ostendorf
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Educational Program ◽  
The United States ◽  
Respiratory Protection ◽  
Infectious Agents ◽  
Respiratory Exposure ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Development Of Competencies ◽  
Bureau Of Labor Statistics

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 18 million health care workers in the United States are currently employed in the health care field and at risk of infectious respiratory exposure. With the emergence of global infectious diseases such as Ebola and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), there is a need for increased and more clinically competent use of respiratory protection among healthcare workers. In an effort to improve knowledge about the practice of respiratory protection against respiratory infectious agents, a NIOSH-funded project that included an educational program, observations of HCWs, and focus groups was conducted. This study aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate respiratory protection educational program for HCWs and hospital management. This study identified respiratory protection practice issues among HCWs and strategies for integration of respiratory protection standards and procedures into practice. Findings from these efforts were used to develop respiratory protection competencies. Any worker who has the potential for respiratory exposure to infectious agents should be protected and should be able to demonstrate these specific competencies to achieve a standard level of respiratory protection.

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