Post by michelleml on Apr 13, 2020 10:17:38 GMT -8
Use of PPE/Safety Measure
• New Jersey has a supply depot for their entire agency, and have gotten innovative, including making their own hand sanitizer
• Give a surgical mask to the client who is getting the IM and have specific protocol on giving the client the mask (for example, maintaining a 6ft distance, placing the mask on a surface, allowing the client to come get the mask without getting closer than 6ft).
• How long do you leave an N95 mask before you use it again? Can it be sanitized?
o If you have known or suspected exposure the only known recommendation is to discard it.
o Unless the healthcare system has a sanitization procedure do not reuse.
o www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hcwcontrols/recommendedguidanceextuse.html
• One team in Wake County organized both the clients and staff into different risk groups: Once the groups were made, the team prevent any physical interaction between the clinicians in each group
Wake County, NC Example (Fred Jarksog, MD)
Separated clients into 3 risk groups, 3 providers giving IM injections.
Group 1: The "walk in" and unsheltered/homeless group that tend to self-present to the ACT office. The RN stationed here wears N95 mask and gloves, gives some clients a surgical mask to wear based on symptoms (some have chronic coughs for example). This RN also has some underlying health issues that increase risk to COVID-19
Group 2: Non-high risk clients who live in the community. This RN stays in the field, does not go to the office to reduce exposure to Group 1 nurse. She also wears N95 and gloves. She gets a clean box every morning with her IMs, med packs, orders, MARs, etc. Her clean and dirty bins are collected at the end of the day.
Group 3: High risk clients who live in ALFs, SNFs, and high density public housing complexes, are visited by the ACT MD who wears N95 mask, gown, hairnet, booties, gloves to administer IMs, hand out meds and conduct client visits.
• New Jersey has a supply depot for their entire agency, and have gotten innovative, including making their own hand sanitizer
• Give a surgical mask to the client who is getting the IM and have specific protocol on giving the client the mask (for example, maintaining a 6ft distance, placing the mask on a surface, allowing the client to come get the mask without getting closer than 6ft).
• How long do you leave an N95 mask before you use it again? Can it be sanitized?
o If you have known or suspected exposure the only known recommendation is to discard it.
o Unless the healthcare system has a sanitization procedure do not reuse.
o www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hcwcontrols/recommendedguidanceextuse.html
• One team in Wake County organized both the clients and staff into different risk groups: Once the groups were made, the team prevent any physical interaction between the clinicians in each group
Wake County, NC Example (Fred Jarksog, MD)
Separated clients into 3 risk groups, 3 providers giving IM injections.
Group 1: The "walk in" and unsheltered/homeless group that tend to self-present to the ACT office. The RN stationed here wears N95 mask and gloves, gives some clients a surgical mask to wear based on symptoms (some have chronic coughs for example). This RN also has some underlying health issues that increase risk to COVID-19
Group 2: Non-high risk clients who live in the community. This RN stays in the field, does not go to the office to reduce exposure to Group 1 nurse. She also wears N95 and gloves. She gets a clean box every morning with her IMs, med packs, orders, MARs, etc. Her clean and dirty bins are collected at the end of the day.
Group 3: High risk clients who live in ALFs, SNFs, and high density public housing complexes, are visited by the ACT MD who wears N95 mask, gown, hairnet, booties, gloves to administer IMs, hand out meds and conduct client visits.