What personal protective equipment should the charge nurse use when responding to a code on a surgical unit?

What personal protective equipment should the charge nurse use when responding to a code on a surgical unit?

• A. Glove and gown before entering the room.
• B. Use a bag/mask to ventilate the client.
• C. The nurse may not need any personal protective equipment.
• D. Don a face shield and mask when in a code.

Answer: (C)

When responding to a code on a surgical unit, protection for the clinician is integrated into the response from the start, not after the patient is stabilized. You begin with standard precautions: wear gloves before touching the patient or any bodily fluids. Because this setting involves potential exposure to blood and fluids, a gown is warranted when there is a risk of contamination of clothing or skin. If there is a chance of splash or aerosol exposure—such as when bag-valve-mask ventilation, intubation, suctioning, or chest compressions are performed—add eye protection or a face shield and a mask (and a respirator if indicated by the situation or institution policy). The key is to choose PPE based on what procedures you anticipate and how much exposure risk there is, always prioritizing patient life-saving actions but not skipping protection. In short, expect to use gloves at minimum, with a gown and eye/face protection plus a mask as needed for airway management and other procedures that create splashes or aerosols. Do not assume no PPE is needed.

When responding to a code on a surgical unit, protection for the clinician is integrated into the response from the start, not after the patient is stabilized. You begin with standard precautions: wear gloves before touching the patient or any bodily fluids. Because this setting involves potential exposure to blood and fluids, a gown is warranted when there is a risk of contamination of clothing or skin.

If there is a chance of splash or aerosol exposure—such as when bag-valve-mask ventilation, intubation, suctioning, or chest compressions are performed—add eye protection or a face shield and a mask (and a respirator if indicated by the situation or institution policy). The key is to choose PPE based on what procedures you anticipate and how much exposure risk there is, always prioritizing patient life-saving actions but not skipping protection.

In short, expect to use gloves at minimum, with a gown and eye/face protection plus a mask as needed for airway management and other procedures that create splashes or aerosols. Do not assume no PPE is needed.