STAT: Wear the mask, dude

I know you’re tired of wearing a mask, me too, but this is the best way to protect each other from COVID-19.

While rounding last week, I overheard a transport tech telling a coworker whose mask was not covering their nose say, “You wear a mask to protect your fellow coworkers, and they wear theirs to protect you. Pull your mask up over your nose dude.”

Let’s continue to take care of each other and our patients by wearing masks as appropriate and according to our system level policy. Here’s a review on masking for our clinical areas and staff; non-clinical areas and staff; and patients and visitors.

For clinical areas and clinical staff:

• A simple face mask will be worn upon entry into an Asante location.
• Masks must be worn in patient and clinical areas, including any area where patients are present, evaluated or treated, such as inpatient units and outpatient clinics.
• Masks must be worn in hallways, registration areas, reception areas, waiting rooms, elevators and hallways used for patient transport.
• Mask must be worn in nursing work stations or locations where physical distancing of a minimum of six feet from all other individuals (e.g., patients, staff, visitors, etc.) cannot be consistently maintained.
• A mask and eye protection/face shield may be removed in the following areas:
  • During meals while eating, in private restrooms, private offices, staff lounges or break rooms (if physical distancing requirements can be maintained).

For non-clinical areas and non-clinical staff:

• A cloth mask or source control mask must be worn upon entry into an Asante location.
• Masks must be worn in any areas, workstations or locations where other persons may be encountered, and where a physical distance of six feet cannot be consistently maintained.
• Non-clinical staff who are required to enter clinical areas as part of their job duties should wear a simple mask and eye protection/face shield as per clinical care area/clinical staff requirements while in these locations.
• Masks must be worn in hallways, elevators and all other common areas where other persons may be encountered
• A mask may be removed in the following areas:
  • During meals while eating, in private restrooms, private offices (with the door closed), and staff lounges or break rooms (if physical distancing requirements can be maintained).

Patients

• Patients are required, when able, to wear source control masks during care at Asante. This includes all inpatient and outpatient locations.
• Patients will be asked to wear a mask anytime they interact with an Asante staff member or visitor, including while staff members or visitors are present in private patient rooms.
  • Contraindications to face-mask use by patients with cognitive impairment while unsupervised and while sleeping.
  • For patient refusal, use appendix A and B for words that work in our Asante Universal Pandemic Precautions Policy 400-ACCR-QM-0023 . Escalate concerns up the chain of command (e.g., charge nurse, supervisor, manager).
  • An alternative option may be a face shield. Asante does not refuse care to patients who do not mask.
  • A face mask or shield may be removed when necessary for assessment, care or procedure, or patient safety reasons, but should immediately be re-applied after care or assessment is complete.

Visitors

• Visitors are required, when able, to wear a source control mask during their visit to any inpatient or outpatient locations at Asante.
• Visitors will be asked to wear their mask during their entire visit to Asante, this includes keeping their mask on during their visit with a loved one.
• Visitors may wear their own face shield; a face shield may be supplied for special visitors when eye protection is required per infection prevention policy.
• Visitors who do not comply with Asante’s infection control policies may be asked to leave. Please escalate concerns up the chain of command (e.g., charge nurse, supervisor, manager).