An LPN is acting as the designated safety observer for a healthcare team exiting the room of a client placed on strict airborne and contact precautions. Which observed action during the doffing process represents a critical infection control breach that requires the LPN to immediately intervene?
- A team member reaches up to unfasten their N95 respirator straps while standing near the door inside the negative-pressure room.Answer
- BA team member removes their gown and gloves simultaneously by grasping the gown at the front and pulling it forward, rolling the items into a bundle.
- CA team member uses bare hands that were just sanitized to grasp the elastic strap at the back of the head to remove their face shield.
- DA team member pauses the doffing sequence to perform hand hygiene immediately after removing their gown and gloves, prior to removing their face shield.
Answer
The LPN must intervene if a team member attempts to remove their N95 respirator while still inside the airborne isolation room.
Removing an N95 respirator inside a negative-pressure room exposes the healthcare worker directly to aerosolized pathogens. The standard infection control protocol mandates that respiratory protection must only be removed in the hallway or anteroom after the patient's door has been completely closed.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Transmission-Based Precautions: Airborne and Contact Doffing Sequence