Research ArticleABSTRACT
Aim: The present mini review aimed to summarize the existing knowledge regarding the challenges to using personal protective equipment by healthcare personnel and suggested solutions.
Methods: This study is a review of relevant publications about the aim of study.
Results: In total, 12 articles were evaluated in this study, and the results were presented in two
Sections: challenges to using personal protective equipment and suggested solutions.
Conclusion: The results of this study can be considered for the development of future plans and strategies to provide solutions to better manage the use of personal protective equipment during crises.
Keywords: Personal Protective Equipment; Health Care Personnel; Challenges; Recommendations
Introduction
By accelerating the epidemic of Coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19), global health care systems have been overshadowed with potential infectious patients who seek care [1-3]. Prevention of the incidence of infection in Health Care Workers (HCWs) and patients dependent on the effective use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) [4-6]. Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) are clothes or devices designed to protect employees against physical hazards while working at work. PPE should only be considered as the last defensive line between risk and staff [7]. Attempts to control the dangers of the workplace should always be reviewed at first [8]. Although Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is one of the best protection lines against exposure, many health care workers face obstacles and problems in their use, the purpose of this mini review study is extraction of challenges and solutions in the literature about the use of personal protection equipment by health care personnel [9-12].
Methods
This study is a review of relevant literatures about the challenges to using personal protective equipment by healthcare personnel and suggested solutions [13-15]. To meet the study aims, we searched the databases of SID, Irandoc, Google Scholar, PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and ScienceDirect to find articles published during 2005-2021, using the keywords of Personal protective equipment, Health care personnel, Challenges, Recommendations [16].
Results
In total, 12 articles were evaluated in this study, and the results were presented in two sections: challenges to using personal protective equipment and suggested solutions (Tables 1 & 2).
Table 1: Challenges to using personal protective equipment.
Table 2: Recommendations to using personal protective equipment.
Discussion
In this study the results were presented in two sections: challenges to using personal protective equipment and suggested solutions. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most important national interventions is the maximum and principled access to personal protective equipment through the following means:
a) Minimize the need for personal protective equipment.
b) Make sure the use of personal protective equipment is reasonable and appropriate.
c) Coordinate supply chain management mechanisms [13].
It is also necessary to intervene in hospitals to create a strong safety culture in the organization that leads to more compliance with precautionary standards in the field of infection control by staff and reduce injury to them [14]. Studies show that in order to create an effective safety culture, both employers and employees must share individual and organizational safety responsibilities. Although most of the responsibility lies with the organizational management, employees should also be responsible for enforcing safety practices in their workplace [15,16]. A noteworthy point for managers is that the ways to deal with barriers to protective equipment have their limitations only through individual efforts. Intervention at the national and organizational levels is likely to have a greater impact on improving compliance [17-22].
Conclusion
In this study challenges to using personal protective equipment and suggested solutions were extracted, the results of this study can be considered for the development of future plans and strategies to provide solutions to better manage the use of personal protective equipment during crises.
Acknowledgment
The authors would like to express their gratitude to the faculty members of the School of Nursing and Midwifery of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences for their valuable comments in accomplishing this study.
Conflict of Interests
The author declares no conflicts of interest.
Funding/Support
The study received no funding from any public or private organization.
Ethical Approval
Not applicable.
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