Maintaining skin health and integrity for staff wearing personal protective equipment for prolonged periods: a practical tip sheet

Abstract

Patient skin injuries associated with medical or therapeutic devices are increasingly reported in the literature. With the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, healthcare staff are wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) for prolonged periods. Anecdotally, cases of healthcare workers' self report of injuries to their face, particularly the bridge of the nose, upper cheek, forehead and above the ears, as a result of extended use of eye protection and masks is increasing. Protecting the skin of frontline healthcare staff is as important as protecting patients' skin. The tip sheet presented in this paper provides staff with a guide in the form of written and visual assistance in order to reduce the risk of device-related pressure injuries (DRPIs) in healthcare staff caused by PPE.