When you are learning to be a nurse, there are a ton of different guidelines and procedures you have to learn.
This means it’s also very easy to forget one or two, so it’s important to regularly refresh your knowledge and keep up to date with any additional information.
So, if you want to freshen up your knowledge on airborne precautions, this is the guide for you. We are going to go over what airborne precautions are, and what guidelines are given to patients and their visitors.
So, let’s dive in!
What Are Airborne Precautions?
Airborne precautions is the name given to guidelines recommended when caring for a person who is suffering from or carrying a disease that is spread through the air.
This means that the disease itself spreads from one host to another through airborne germs and particles in the air.
The germs then are breathed in or lands on another person, and eventually attacks the person’s immune system, infecting them with the same disease.
Airborne diseases are very common and are usually transmitted through droplets which are spread through coughing, sneezing, or simply breathing.
Some examples of airborne diseases include measles, tuberculosis, chickenpox, and even the common cold.
So, air borne diseases are pretty dangerous even though some of them are fairly common and harmless. While one person may handle a cold just fine, they could spread it to someone whose immune system is compromised and this can be potentially deadly to them.
Because of this, patients with airborne diseases need to be handled carefully and nurses need to limit the potential spread of this disease as much as possible – especially in hospitals.
Airborne precautions are the guidelines nurses, patients, and their visitors are meant to follow to help limit the spread of these diseases.
If followed correctly, they could be potentially life saving simply through keeping the disease contained – but what do the guidelines for airborne precautions say?
Airborne Precautions For Patients
If a patient ever arrives at your practice, clinic, or hospital carrying an airborne disease, nurses must act immediately to limit the spread. From that moment on they are meant to follow the airborne precautions.
The diseased patient must be made to wear a mask before entering the premises and being shown to a private room.
This is because masks help catch the droplets spread through coughing and sneezing, stopping them from becoming airborne and spreading across people and surfaces.
So, the mask needs to fit tightly and ensure that the patient’s mouth and nose is completely covered whenever they cough, sneeze, and breathe.
The patient should also remain in their own private room, with a special air supply if possible.
This is so their contact with others is limited and thus they are less likely to spread their disease to someone with a compromised immune system or someone who is in contact with someone with a compromised immune system.
Infected patients should also regularly wash their hands. Proper hand washing procedures include warm water, soap, and patients should wash their hands for at least twenty seconds.
This will help kill the disease living on their hands so they are limiting the spread of their disease whenever they interact with objects such as door handles, bathroom appliances, eating utensils, and more.
The patient should remain isolated in their room and not leave unless they have their nurses’ permission.
This again is to limit their contact with others. However, some patients can be permitted visitors – so long as they follow the airborne precautions.
Airborne Precautions For Visitors
Those who are visiting someone who is carrying an airborne disease also have their own guidelines which they must follow in order to enter the patient’s room.
They must first check with a nurse to get their permission to enter, and follow the following rules.
Visitors must wash their hands before entering, using warm water and soap, and wash for at least 20 seconds. They also must wear a mask that tightly fits around their nose and mouth.
Under no circumstances will they be allowed to take the mask off in the room – not to drink, not to eat, and certainly not to ‘breathe properly’ for a few seconds.
Visitors are also not allowed to use or touch any of the objects in the room – unless given express permission by a nurse.
In order to ensure that a visitor follows these guidelines, it is recommended that a member of staff remains in the room with the visitors and the patients to enforce these rules.
Certain visitors can be lax around following these rules and if any fail to comply, they should be forced to leave immediately.
Once a visitor is ready to leave, they must wash their hands thoroughly using the already stated method, and immediately throw their used mask in the trash once they exit the room.
This is to help ensure that any water droplets that have landed on the visitor cannot enter their respiratory system either through tough or breathing in any droplets.
Airborne Precautions For Nurses
For nurses who are in and out of the patient’s room, it’s important that you follow the same guidelines above as closely as possible.
Wear a mask, wash your hands, and if you have to touch the patient or any of the items they have touched (like plates, etc.) then wash your hands immediately afterwards.
Final Thoughts
So, airborne precautions are fairly simple to follow but are vital for keeping you and your patients safe.
They don’t just apply to the patient’s stay in the hospital and they also follow the patient home once they are strong enough and no longer need around the clock care.
However, it is harder to enforce these guidelines once the patient is at home – but remind them before they leave to stay as isolated as possible, wear a mask when around others, and to frequently wash their hands.
This will help them keep others safe and limit the spread of the disease.