Standard Precautions are the primary strategy for the prevention of infectious agents among students and faculty; they include practices to be applied to the care of ALL simulated patients in ALL college laboratory settings, regardless of the suspected or confirmed presence of an infectious agent.
Standard Precautions shall be applied during the care of all simulated patients and anytime that there is anticipated contact with blood, body fluids, secretions, and excretions except sweat, non-intact skin, and/or mucous membranes.
Assume that every person is potentially infected or colonized with an organism that could be transmitted in a healthcare laboratory setting and apply infection prevention practices during the delivery of simulated practice. Utilize components of Standard Precautions in the following manner:
- Hand Hygiene:
- Utilize Alcohol-Based Hand Rub (ABHR) before and after contact with simulated patient or simulated patient’s environment or used equipment, prior to donning and after doffing PPE, prior to aseptic procedures, and between contact of contaminated areas and clean areas of the same patient.
- Wash hands with soap and water when hands are visibly soiled or contaminated with proteinaceous material (ex., blood/body fluids).
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
- Gloves:
- When the potential exists for contact with blood or body fluids, secretions, excretions, mucous membranes, or non-intact skin. Wearing gloves DOES NOT replace hand hygiene. Remove gloves promptly after use.
- Masks and eye protection:
- During procedures and patient-care activities likely to generate splashes or sprays of blood, body fluids, and secretions.
- Isolation gown: When potential contact of clothing or exposed skin exists with blood, body fluids, excretions, or secretions.
- Gloves:
- Environmental control:
- Cleaning:
- Adhere to developed procedures for routine care, cleaning, and disinfection of environmental surfaces, especially frequently touched surfaces in laboratory and simulation areas.
- Soiled simulation equipment:
- Handle in a manner that prevents skin and mucous membrane exposures, contamination of clothing, and transfer of microorganisms to other students, faculty, and environments. Ensure that reusable equipment is not used for the care of another simulated patient and is discarded.
- Adhere to developed procedures for routine care, cleaning, and disinfection of simulation equipment.
- Linen/laundry:
- Handle, transport, and process used linen in a manner that prevents skin and mucous membrane exposures, contamination of clothing, and avoids transfer of microorganisms to other students, faculty, and environments.
- Cleaning:
- Sharp instruments/needles:
- Do not recap, bend, break, or hand-manipulate used needles; if recapping is required, use a one-handed scoop technique only; use safety features when available; place used sharps in a puncture-resistant container.
Approved:______________________________________________________________________
Monika Bissell, DBA
President
Adapted from: Central Maine Healthcare. (2023). Standard precautions used for all patients.
https://mycmh.sharepoint.com/
Additional reference: Centers for Disease Control (CDC). (2023). 2007 guideline for isolation precautions:
Preventing transmission of infectious agents in healthcare settings.
https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/pdf/guidelines/isolation-guidelines-H.pdf