Research paper
Personal protective equipment training for non-healthcare workers in the Covid-19 pandemic: Effectiveness of an evidence-based skills training framework

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idh.2021.09.040Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Effectiveness of PPE training in non-healthcare workers who are PPE-naïve is unknown.

  • Non-healthcare workers (NHCWs) attained >95% PPE compliance rates after training.

  • An evidence-based training framework is effective PPE training of NHCWs.

  • The training framework prevented healthcare-associated COVID-19 infection in NHCWs.

  • A scalable and reproducible PPE training framework is useful for future pandemics.

Abstract

Background

Large-scale quarantine facilities staffed with non-healthcare workers (NHCW) were instrumental in preventing community spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease of 2019). The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a newly developed procedural skills training framework in ensuring personal protective equipment (PPE) compliance of PPE-naïve NHCWs.

Methods

We developed a PPE procedural skills training framework for NHCWs using the Learn, See, Practice, Prove, Do, and Maintain (LSPPDM) framework and international guidelines on PPE for healthcare workers. The NHCWs underwent PPE training using this framework, conducted by a team of Infection Prevention nurses, prior to being stationed within the CCF. Effectiveness of the LSPPDM PPE training framework was assessed using: 1) competency assessment scores for NHCWs, 2) PPE compliance rates from daily audit findings, and, 3) healthcare-associated COVID-19 infection rates of NHCWs.

Results

A total of 883 NHCWs had completed the PPE training and demonstrated competency in PPE compliance, fulfilling 100% of the checklist requirements. Mean PPE compliance of all NHCWs during the 11-week study period was noted to be >96%. The post-implementation improvement was statistically significant when the compliance was expressed in 3-days blocks) and in bed management staff (P = < 0.05). None of the 883 NHCWs who underwent PPE training via the LSPPDM framework were diagnosed with healthcare-associated COVID-19 infection.

Conclusion

An evidence-based skills training framework is effective in PPE training of large numbers of NHCWs, resulting in high compliance of appropriate PPE use and prevention of healthcare-associated COVID-19 infection.

Keywords

Personal protective equipment compliance
Training
Non-healthcare workers
Skill based training framework
Pandemic

Cited by (0)

1

These authors contributed equally to this manuscript.

2

Current address: Department of Nursing, SingHealth Community Hospital, Singapore 168582, Singapore.

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