With the current times and situation of society up in the air with everything COVID-19 related, the healthcare system is facing hardships by providing their healthcare workers the things they need to provide the proper care for people. Their day to day jobs are almost limitless in terms of the number of responsibilities they have, and they need to be equipped to do those jobs to the best of their abilities. There are constant struggles of getting the right gear, and it is important to note just how important proper gear is to fight COVID-19.
Protection
The importance of wearing the proper gear for nurses starts with protection. Nurses need the proper gear to maintain safe practices that prioritize their health and safety. Healthcare workers wear the necessary gear not just to keep themselves safe, but that safety also translates to their families, as well as the general public. Keeping workers safe needs to be a top priority when they are working for such long and extended hours. It is integral to protect those working on the front lines because if the nurses become sick, ill, or dies, the general public will have no one to treat them.
PPE
An example of the importance of protection is PPE, or personal protective equipment, which includes things like face shields and face masks. These types of gear provide the first line of protection for many that are in direct contact with patients at risk of having COVID-19, those needing tests, or already with symptoms that are contagious such as coughing and sneezing. Without these, your healthcare providers run a huge risk of contracting a virus and spreading an already fast-moving pandemic.
Flexibility and Functionality
When it comes to providing the right gear and equipment to frontline workers, their ability to protect them from viral transmission works hand in hand with their ability to conform and move with the person. Gear needs to be properly sized and fitted, as well as flexible to how nurses wearing the gear will be moving when doing their jobs. It won’t matter how well something can protect a nurse if they cannot perform the job they are tasked to do.
Scrubs
For nurses, their scrubs factor in the overall importance of flexibility and functionality. Scrubs need to cater to how people using them will move and also need to serve their needs, as they can be made with a variety of features that are useful in any situation health professionals find themselves in. Many of the top choices provide things from the necessity to beneficial features, from breathable fabrics, liquid repelling technologies, and even pockets. It is important to acknowledge the demands of your workplace and see what essentials are needed when it comes to what kind of scrubs your workers are provided.
Comfort
All gear and equipment should be made to fit and perform jobs. Some gear is designed for specific operations while other items are being used for entire shifts. With the current healthcare situations and battles for provisions going on, some of the equipment is being rationed and made to be used the whole day. For nurses working with the threat of COVID-19, they are unable to change their gear frequently. Comfort plays an important role in what makes quality equipment. The littlest added comfort provided for healthcare workers who are on their feet for hours on end will mean so much and go a long way in helping those on the frontline stay engaged and able to perform their jobs.
Durability
In addition to comfort, durability is demanded out of the gear and equipment provided to fight COVID-19 and other illnesses in hospitals everywhere. As mentioned, nurses are working long hours and always on their feet and the move. And because they are working long and hard to provide care to patients, their gear should reflect that quality and be able to endure. They must be up to the task of working with and for those that are providing healthcare for others.
Shoes
An example of the gear that needs to be comfortable and durable and be able to last these long hours are shoes. These are simple and not often given much thought when it comes to the extra gear for healthcare workers, but they must not only provide the comfort for nurses to work long shifts, but they must be as durable as the workers to last. The last thing anyone needs to be worrying about is not being able to run, walk, or even stand when dealing with major health concerns.
Nurses play an important role when it comes to the fight against COVID-19. It is important that they have the proper gear to stay protected during their shifts, as that can make all the difference. You need to make sure that those working out on the frontlines, stay protected, not just for them, but for their families, and yours.