Page 115 - 2020 ARE eGuide for Clinical at Nonhospital Sites

• Hand hygiene must be done before and after touching all patients or
any part of their environment and includes the removal of gloves.
• Gloves should be worn with all patients when having direct contact
with any body substance (sputum, urine, blood, wound drainage,
feces, etc.) or mucous membrane.
• Gloves will need to be changed between procedures on the same
person, going from one location to another, performing different
tasks, etc.
• Gowns and/or a mask can be worn with any patient during a
procedure when more intense direct contact is anticipated (suctioning,
irrigating a wound, etc.). Mask must cover nose and mouth. Remove
and discard when leaving patient room. Throw away after each
use! This includes N-95 mask.

• Employees with a beard need to wear a beard cover under mask to
cover facial hair.

• Patient care equipment (BP cuffs, stethoscopes, pulse oximeters, etc.)
should be dedicated to an individual patient or properly cleaned with a
facility approved disinfectant between patients.

• The environment including fomites such as bedrails, overbed tables,
computer keyboards, phones, etc. should be considered as a potential
reservoir for organisms and requires special attention when cleaning
including adherence to contact time of agent used for cleaning.

More information is available by referring to Infection Control
Policies posted on the intranet and also by contacting
an Infection Preventionist (IP) at your facility.