Health care workers' perceptions and reported use of respiratory protective equipment: A qualitative analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Little is known about health care workers' (HCW) perceptions of, or experiences using, respiratory protective equipment (RPE). We sought to characterize their perceptions and identify reasons underlying inappropriate use.

Methods

We conducted 12 focus groups with nurses and nursing assistants at 4 medical centers. We analyzed the thematic content of 73 discrete "stories" told by focus group participants.

Results

We identified 5 story types surrounding RPE use: 1) policies are known and seen during work routines; 2) during protocol lapses, use is reinforced through social norms; 3) clinical experiences sometimes supersede protocol adherence; 4) when risk perception is high, we found concern regarding accessing RPE; and 5) HCWs in emergency departments were v

SUBMITTER: Fix GM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7115305 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature