A team of NSWOCC Members has worked diligently over the past week in order to address the issue of prevention and management of skin damage due to personal protective equipment. Their collective efforts have resulted in NSWOCC launching a tool kit in order to support NSWOCs and all health-care professionals wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
The use of PPE has had a dramatic increase since the onset on COVID-19. NSWOCC is providing an evidence summary for the prevention and management of PPE skin related skin injuries called Prevention & Management of Skin Damage Related to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
The tool kit contains the following information:
The PPE Tool Kit can be accessed by clicking here: www.nswoc.ca/ppe
This PPE Tool Kit is intended to highlight the emerging concern of PPE-related skininjury and to provide prevention and management solutions for potential PPE related skin injury. Individuals may require a repeat mask fit testing to ensure prevention and management efforts do not interfere with PPE efficacy.
Please note that it is the responsibility of each healthcare professional to verify with their institutional infection control team that any measure taken to prevent or manage PPE-related skin injuries do not interfere with the efficacy of the PPE nor are in contravention to any workplace policy.
Thank you to NSWOCC members Kimberly Leblanc, Corey Heerschap, Britney Butt, and Julia Bresnai who have made this tool kit happen.
Any questions about the toolkit can be sent to Catherine Harley at cathy.harley4@gmail.com.