In a compelling appeal for elevated strategies in the realm of infection prevention, Jill Morgan, BSN, RN, based at Emory University Hospital, underscores the urgent need for a national, evidence-guided tactic for personal protective equipment (PPE) use in managing high-risk infectious diseases. Morgan’s plea emanates from pivotal learnings during the COVID-19 pandemic, consolidating the importance of enhanced doffing procedures, solid training, and comparable dedication to staff safety, akin to patient safety commitment.
As the site manager of the Serious Communicable Diseases Unit (SCDU), Morgan advocates for refining PPE requisites to safeguard all stakeholders interacting with patients grappling with high-onset infectious diseases. Morgan emphasizes the significance of applying evidence-supported processes during PPE doffing, ensuring a safety-intensive environment for health care workers. Pining for evidence-based practices, she states that such an infection-prevention strategy can bolster healthcare workers’ confidence in delivering patient care safely.
With the specter of another outbreak looming, the criticality of evidence-based approaches is highlighted, to avoid potential hesitation in care provision, thus saving potentially life-saving minutes. As a part of her national advocacy, Morgan co-leads the PPE Working Group for the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC). Drawing attention to the recurrent queries in hospitals about patient details or surgical site confirmations, Morgan explains these as indispensable aspects of safe patient care. However, it is time to extend similar precautions towards ensuring staff safety.
Reflecting on the pandemic aftermath, she accentuates the loss and burnout among healthcare workers, amplifying the need for them to perceive their safety as valued. Such national committee involvement presents her with the opportunity to voice the essential frontline perspective and stress on fortifying safety measures for healthcare personnel. Stay tuned with Infection Control Today’s newsletter for crucial updates, quintessential practices, and expert perspectives for infection preventionists.