Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/626854
19 Executive Briefing retrieve PPE from where it is stored, according to Dr. Mitch- ell. However, she also reportedly stated that not wearing eye protection presents an infection risk similar to that of using an unsheathed needle. 2. Psychological barriers. By nature of the profession, many clinicians value caring for others before themselves. They may have concerns that wearing eyewear or masks will make patients feel nervous or offended. According to Dr. Mitchell, it's not an uncommon occurrence for a healthcare worker to forego PPE to make patients feel more comfortable, even if they inadvertently risk their own health in doing so. 3. Lack of awareness or vigilance. Occasionally, healthcare workers are unaware or underestimate their risk of exposure when dealing with patients whose conditions aren't necessarily associated with blood or body fluids, according to Mr. Lange. "Most people who get exposed during the course of taking care of a patient aren't anticipating an exposure," says Mr. Lange. "A patient could be coughing violently in their room before nurses walk in to the room and the nurses have no idea what they may be getting exposed to and may not think to protect their eyes." To overcome these barriers and reduce eye exposures, healthcare facilities need to: 1) make PPE more accessible; 2) teach healthcare workers about the dangers of splash and spray incidents; 3) educate them on proper PPE compliance; and 4) foster an overarching culture of safety so that employ- ees and patients alike feel safe and secure. How Promise Hospital tackled the problem To improve PPE compliance and reduce splash and spray incidents, many hospitals and healthcare facilities are moving toward disposable eyewear, similar to isolation gowns. Making the eyewear itself more readily available near patient rooms is another step in the right direction. This was just one element of the TIDI EyeSplash Zero Process Improvement Program Mr. Lange implemented and tested at Promise Hospital, to great success. Under the program, the hospital installed dispensing systems throughout the facility — including outside patient and operating rooms and near labs — to make disposable eyewear more accessible at the point of use. TIDI worked with the hos- pital administrators, materials managers and clinicians to teach healthcare workers about the personal risks of splash and spray incidents and the importance of eyewear. Mr. Lange conducted a study at Promise Hospital after the program was implemented. As part of the study, all the health- care workers were required to use eyewear any time they en- tered a patient's room while using mask-level protection. After leaving the patient's room, they would hold their eyewear up to the light and document any droplets or residue present on the lens as a "near miss" or "splash save." The workers would also make a note of the nature of the incident and whether they were even aware a splash or spray incident occurred. During the two-month collection period in early 2015, healthcare workers reported 15 prevented eye splash expo- sures. The context of these exposures included hemodialysis, trachea care, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube replacement, and Foley catheter care. "Ultimately, this collaborative approach to process improve- ment reduced our hospital's eye exposure rate to zero," says Mr. Lange. He estimates that Promise Hospital saved anywhere between $9,000 and $70,000 total by preventing 15 eye expo- sures, depending on the degree of severity an eye exposure could have caused and the necessary follow-up care. The program implemented at Promise Hospital helped to address two of the major causes of eye exposures — access and lack of awareness. To address the mental block some healthcare workers may feel regarding eyewear, Dr. Mitchell suggests communicating with patients, as well. "Clinicians should take the time to say, 'I'm wearing this mask or these goggles not because I think you are an infec- tious person, but because the better I protect myself, the better I can care for you,'" says Dr. Mitchell. "I think having that conversation with the patient about the reason for wearing PPE would improve compliance." Presenting PPE compliance to healthcare workers as a patient safety issue, rather than a matter of personal risk, may also encourage workers to use eyewear. Workers that get fluids in their eye need to stop what they are doing, leave the patient, flush their eye and possibly be tested for bloodborne patho- gens or fill out employee health forms. "If we begin thinking about protecting healthcare workers as a form of protecting adequate staffing and making sure patients can be cared for in a safe and timely manner, that may appeal to workers' caring natures more and shift and improve the conversation around PPE compliance," says Dr. Mitchell. Eye exposures pose a significant risk to healthcare workers' health, their ability to care for patients, hospital staffing levels and, ultimately, hospitals' bottom line. The broad scope of the issue — and the increasing rate of eye exposure incidents — necessitates hospitals to place a greater emphasis on protecting their workers so they can continue to operate at their highest ability. n Sponsored by: TIDI Products is the market leader in the manufacture of single-use infection prevention products with a focus on protecting caregivers and preventing infections. To address the needs of controlling and preventing the spread of infectious diseases in the healthcare industry, TIDI is committed to producing innovative infection-control products and educational programs for hospitals, clinics, offices and other environments where infection control is critical. TIDI's single-use products includes eye protection, facemasks, gowns,capes, table paper and towels, gloves, storage cabinets and more... any single-use product found in the medical and dental environment. Our product portfolio can be found in hospitals, physician, dental and chiropractic offices, extended care facilities, SPD departments, oncology units, EMS vehicles and more. All of our products consistently meet rigorous quality assur- ance guidelines, including ISO, FDA, OSHA and the CDC.