In the age of COVID-19, most healthcare facilities have implemented a wide variety of precautions to protect both their employees and patients from illness. A significant part of this process involves implementing guidelines for personal protective equipment (PPE) and enforcing these policies on a regular basis. Taking measures to ensure your employees are using PPE gear properly will improve their own health and well-being and elevate the quality of your workplace culture. Here are three ways to effectively implement and reinforce PPE safety among your team:
Establish and communicate PPE standards.
Being proactive about establishing PPE standards for your entire team will foster a culture of safety while educating your employees about the importance of adhering to health and safety guidelines. There are many ways to communicate PPE protocols to your employees, such as through staff meetings, weekly email newsletters, internal meeting memos and other employee communications channels. The more that PPE standards are promoted within the workplace, the more aware your employees will be in following the guidelines and sharing them with new members of your team.
Provide required safety training.
When it comes to PPE education, providing comprehensive training is essential for ensuring employees are fully compliant with safety protocols and informed about how to utilize the gear within their respective jobs correctly. Providing required training sessions for your employees (both existing and new staff) plays a critical role in keeping them up-to-date on the most current safety procedures and instructing them on how hazardous situations should be handled. The best trainings are often delivered in the form of real-life stories and videos that provide a clear overview of PPE’s role in fostering the highest level of safety.
Regularly enforce PPE policies.
A PPE policy means nothing unless it’s actively enforced by leadership teams across your facility’s units and departments. Your organization’s top supervisors and managers must be committed to consistently following PPE procedures and leading by example to show the importance of adhering to PPE guidelines. It’s also critical to implement a "zero-tolerance" policy for not following the rules. Failing to enforce PPE policies fully can have damaging consequences for both your staff and patients, potentially resulting in unfortunate circumstances that could have otherwise been prevented by following established guidelines.
More than ever, the health and well-being of your staff and patients depend on your facility's ability to enforce PPE protocols actively. By implementing the practices above, you’ll create an environment in which every person on your team feels comfortable and confident working under all types of conditions.
Is your facility currently seeking locum tenens providers to help with COVID-19 coverage? Get in touch and learn how MPLT Healthcare can address your coverage needs.
