Page 119 - Petelin, Ana. 2021. Ed. Zdravje starostnikov / Health of the Elderly. Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
P. 119
Knowledge and consistency among employees regarding PPE use use of personal protective equipment during the covid-19 epidemic in nursing homes - a students’ perspective 117
In both waves, most students reported that the staff did not possess adequate
knowledge about PPE use and did not use it consistently. Among the main
reasons for this inconsistency, about half of them saw staff ignorance as S the
biggest problem: Q: “What was the biggest problem with PPE in the nursing
home you were working at” A: “Careless wearing” (S4), and a lack of knowl-
edge: “Very, very poorly trained staff, including the management” (S9).
Just one student reported organised training for staff on proper PPE use.
He also positively assessed the staff’s knowledge: “They had these trainings,
they came to them, and they refreshed their knowledge; I think they were just
familiar with PPE” (S10).
The students also noted the lack of clear guidelines on PPE use and imple-
mentation of the measures for containing the virus.
It has been said for a while that we have nitrile gloves up and ones
over, you treat the lower ones as your skin and disinfect them, and
you change the upper ones. Then they said: ‘It’s better if you have two
layers and you put both up and down’. Then they said: ‘It makes no
sense at all to use two layers’. I am unsure which is correct. I didn’t
quite understand that. Obviously, it’s not that important if the guide-
lines change so often. (S2)
They also missed checks on compliance with the measures and proper
PPE use.
No (i.e. no checking), due to exhaustion, I think the checking has also
dropped. There was too much to do. So, if I had decided not to wear
the vizor, no one would have said anything to me. Even if I said that
I would only wear a Tyvek without a mask and a vizor, no one would
say anything. (S5)
The second set of reasons for inconsistent PPE use and implementation of
other measures to limit the coronavirus involved fatigue and tiredness: “There
was a lot of equipment but, due to exhaustion, they did not wear it” (S4).
Finally, an underestimation of the seriousness of the situation was also
noted among the staff along with a false sense of security due to overcoming
the disease: “But she, because she got over it ( COVID-19), she said: ‘I think I’m
good, I’m over, I don’t need a mask and a vizor’” (S7).
Only one student reported organised checking and therefore greater staff
consistency: “Yes, in the first nursing home, we twice had a check. Q: Do you
think this has improved the consistency in the use of PPE? A: Yeah, basically it
has, yeah” (S10).
In both waves, most students reported that the staff did not possess adequate
knowledge about PPE use and did not use it consistently. Among the main
reasons for this inconsistency, about half of them saw staff ignorance as S the
biggest problem: Q: “What was the biggest problem with PPE in the nursing
home you were working at” A: “Careless wearing” (S4), and a lack of knowl-
edge: “Very, very poorly trained staff, including the management” (S9).
Just one student reported organised training for staff on proper PPE use.
He also positively assessed the staff’s knowledge: “They had these trainings,
they came to them, and they refreshed their knowledge; I think they were just
familiar with PPE” (S10).
The students also noted the lack of clear guidelines on PPE use and imple-
mentation of the measures for containing the virus.
It has been said for a while that we have nitrile gloves up and ones
over, you treat the lower ones as your skin and disinfect them, and
you change the upper ones. Then they said: ‘It’s better if you have two
layers and you put both up and down’. Then they said: ‘It makes no
sense at all to use two layers’. I am unsure which is correct. I didn’t
quite understand that. Obviously, it’s not that important if the guide-
lines change so often. (S2)
They also missed checks on compliance with the measures and proper
PPE use.
No (i.e. no checking), due to exhaustion, I think the checking has also
dropped. There was too much to do. So, if I had decided not to wear
the vizor, no one would have said anything to me. Even if I said that
I would only wear a Tyvek without a mask and a vizor, no one would
say anything. (S5)
The second set of reasons for inconsistent PPE use and implementation of
other measures to limit the coronavirus involved fatigue and tiredness: “There
was a lot of equipment but, due to exhaustion, they did not wear it” (S4).
Finally, an underestimation of the seriousness of the situation was also
noted among the staff along with a false sense of security due to overcoming
the disease: “But she, because she got over it ( COVID-19), she said: ‘I think I’m
good, I’m over, I don’t need a mask and a vizor’” (S7).
Only one student reported organised checking and therefore greater staff
consistency: “Yes, in the first nursing home, we twice had a check. Q: Do you
think this has improved the consistency in the use of PPE? A: Yeah, basically it
has, yeah” (S10).
