PPE Donning And Doffing Sequence - NCLEX-RN

N95 respirator. A seal check confirms the N95 fits tightly to the face, ensuring effective filtration against airborne pathogens.

Gown, then gloves. Donning gown before gloves allows for proper cuff coverage and adjustment without contaminating hands.

Gloves, then gown; then hand hygiene. Doffing gloves first removes the most contaminated item, followed by gown, with hygiene to clear any residual contaminants.

Correct: gown, mask/respirator, goggles/face shield, gloves. The erroneous order risks contaminating face protection; the correct sequence protects by layering from body outward.

Remove by ties/ear loops only. Removing by ties or loops avoids touching the contaminated front, preventing pathogen transfer to hands.

Correct: gloves, goggles/face shield, gown, mask/respirator. The erroneous order may increase contamination risk; the correct sequence prioritizes removing highly contaminated items first.

Gloves. Gloves are removed first as they are typically the most contaminated, preventing transfer of pathogens to other PPE or skin.

Mask or respirator. The mask or respirator is removed last to maintain respiratory protection until all other contaminated items are off.

Perform hand hygiene. Final hand hygiene eliminates any residual contaminants that may have transferred during the doffing process.

Glove-in-glove: peel first off, then slide fingers under cuff. This technique ensures the contaminated outer surface is contained without touching clean skin, minimizing exposure risk.

Untie, pull away from body, turn inside out, roll into a bundle. This method contains contaminants inside the gown, preventing them from dispersing into the environment or onto the user.

Gloves. Gloves are donned last to allow clean hands to adjust other PPE and ensure they extend over gown cuffs without contamination.

Gown. Donning the gown first provides a base layer of protection covering the torso and arms before adding other items.

Fully cover torso; tie at neck and waist. Proper gown fit ensures comprehensive coverage of the front torso from neck to knees and arms to wrists, secured to prevent gaps.

Extend over the gown cuffs to cover wrists. Extending gloves over gown cuffs creates a continuous barrier, preventing exposure at the wrist area during patient care.

Gloves, goggles/face shield, gown, mask/respirator; then hand hygiene. This doffing order removes the most contaminated items first, reducing the risk of self-contamination, followed by hygiene to clean hands.

Handle only the earpieces or headband/strap. Handling only clean parts avoids contact with potentially contaminated front surfaces, reducing self-contamination risk.

Bottom strap first, then top strap. Removing the bottom strap first prevents the respirator from snapping back toward the face, reducing contamination risk.

Only the ties or ear loops. Touching only clean ties or loops prevents contact with the contaminated front of the mask, minimizing pathogen transfer.

Handle strap/earpieces only. Handling only straps or earpieces avoids contact with contaminated front surfaces, minimizing self-contamination.

Gown, mask or respirator, goggles or face shield, gloves. This sequence minimizes contamination by covering the body first, then protecting the face, and finally securing with gloves over gown cuffs for full coverage.

Perform hand hygiene. Hand hygiene removes microbes from hands before donning to prevent transferring contaminants to PPE and maintain asepsis.

Remove before exit, except respirator removed after exit if required. Removing PPE before exiting contains contaminants within the isolation area, with respirator exception for airborne precautions to maintain protection.

N95 respirator. The N95 is removed outside to sustain respiratory protection until leaving the airborne isolation environment.