"DOFFICERS": An Innovative Rapid-response Approach to Train and Protect Healthcare Personnel During the Pandemic

Abstract

Background: Education and training of healthcare personnel on appropriate choice and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent the spread of infectious organisms and diseases have been key to a successful infection prevention program. At the start of the novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, the demand for education on how to use PPE by staff increased beyond the capacity of the existing infection prevention team. It became evident that additional resources would need to be activated to meet the requests for staff training. This led to the creation of the DOFFICERS' Rapid Response Program (DRRP). The new word "DOFFICER", derived from the words: donning, doffing, and officer, was created to refer to trained healthcare personnel who would be responding to requests for PPE training and education.Methods: As hospitals cancelled non-urgent procedures, this freed up healthcare professionals such as nurses, surgical technicians, and certified nursing assistants to be trained by the infection prevention team on proper donning and donning of PPE, safe cleaning, disinfection, and storage of critical PPE supplies. Two Controlled Air-Purifying Respirator (CAPR) carts were rolled out with helmets, face shields, gowns, gloves, cleaning, and disinfecting supplies used for training by nine recruited DOFFICERS.Results: The DRRP was able to successfully train the entire hospital's healthcare personnel expeditiously; unit by unit, at all shifts, seven days a week. This was supported by the absence of SARS-CoV-2 transmission within this hospital.Conclusions: By educating highly trainable healthcare workers to be DOFFICERS, the infection prevention team was able to replicate itself and respond to the training demands of the healthcare facility. This created a safe environment and a healthcare team that felt supported and confident to handle the medical care needs of patients who are suspected to have or confirmed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2.