Which action best protects healthcare workers from exposure in clinical settings?

• A. Wear appropriate PPE and follow don/doff sequence
• B. Ignore PPE if you are feeling well
• C. Reuse disposable PPE without decontamination
• D. Skip hand hygiene

Answer: (A)

Protecting healthcare workers from exposure comes from using the right PPE and removing it in the correct order. When you don PPE, you establish a protective barrier before you touch the patient or contaminated surfaces. The donning and doffing sequence is designed to prevent contamination of your hands, skin, and mucous membranes during removal; doing it in the proper order minimizes the chance that a contaminated surface touches you. Wearing gloves, gown, mask or respirator, and eye protection as appropriate, then removing them in the planned sequence followed by hand hygiene, keeps pathogens from spreading. Skipping PPE, reusing disposable PPE without decontamination, or skipping hand hygiene breaks that protective barrier and creates opportunities for exposure. In short, the best action is to consistently use appropriate PPE and follow the correct donning and doffing sequence.