Seneca College Donning & Doffing Skills Checklist

Review Nursing Consideration for Every Skill

1. health care provider (HCP) order
2. specific health care facility policy
3. if you have the knowledge, skill and judgment to
perform the skill
1. Hand Hygiene
2. Appropriate PPE
3. Introduce self with designation
4. Confirmation of patient with 2 indicators
5. Patient privacy
6. Explain procedure & obtain consent
7. Allergies and Sensitivities
8. Check for pain, discomfort or need to use washroom
9. Adjust bed and bedside table to appropriate working
height
10. Provide health teaching

Assess
 Chart for information of suspected or diagnosed infection
 Assess type of precaution (contact OR airborne OR droplet OR Droplet & Contact)
 Review health care facility’s guidelines on the precaution/signage on client’s door
 Determine correct size & Inspect PPE for damage (eg. torn)
Order for donning PPE after hand hygiene is not crucial, as PPE equipment is clean.
1. Perform hand hygiene
DONNING  aseptic hand washing OR
 alcohol-based hand sanitizer (if hands are not visibly soiled)
Personal Protective 2. Don Impervious Gown:
Equipment a) Fasten at the back of neck & ties at waist
b) Ensure gown fully covers torso (neck to knees) & arms to end of wrists
3. Don Facemask (Surgical mask OR N95 mask)
Surgical mask
a) Identify correct side of mask
 coloured side faces outside
 white side of mask faces inwards
 inner metal nose strip upwards
b) Grasping the mask by the ear loop, apply one loop around one ear, then apply
the other loop around the second ear.
c) Pinch metal strip around nose to improve seal
d) Gently pull bottom of mask to unfold, covering chin
N95 (Respirator) Mask (Airborne Precautions)
a) Identify correct size of mask (based on FIT test)
b) Identify correct placement of mask (nose piece upwards)
c) Cup the mask in hand with metal nosepiece at your fingertips with elastic
straps to hanging freely below hand
d) Position mask under chin, with nosepiece over bridge of nose
e) Pull top strap over head, resting high at top back of head
f) Pull bottom strap over head, resting at lower back of head, below ears
g) Mold nose strip to shape of nose by using both hands to push inward, while
moving fingertips down both sides of nosepiece
h) Respirator Check
a. Inhale (respirator should collapse)
b. Exhale (air should not leak out)
** Do not enter isolation room if cannot achieve proper N95 mask fit.
4. Don Goggles or Face Shield:
Ensure selection of proper eye protection to ensure the respirator mask does not
interferes with the correct positioning of the eye protection & eye protection does
Seneca College Donning & Doffing Skills Checklist
not interfere with the fit of the respirator mask
5. Don Gloves
a) Select appropriate size of glove
b) Gloves to cover cuff of gown
1. Remove PPE (except respirator) in anteroom or at doorway
2. Remove gloves using glove-to-glove technique with the opposite gloved hand and
DOFFING peel off
a) Glove 1
Personal Protective  Grasp outside of one glove at base of the thumb with the opposite gloved hand
Equipment **without touching bare skin
 Peel glove off pulling it inside out, away from body
 Hold the removed glove in the gloved hand
b) Glove 2 - insert fingers of ungloved hand, inside glove at the top of wrist
do not touch outer surface of the glove
 Peel off the glove over the first glove, pulling away from body
c) Dispose of gloves
3. Hand hygiene
alcohol-based sanitizer or aseptic hand washing
4. Remove gown
a) Untie or tear disposable gown at location of ties
b) Allow the gown to fall away from the shoulders **touching only the inside of the
gown
c) Dispose of gown in receptacle.
5. Leave room & closing door
6. Hand hygiene
7. Remove goggles/face shield
a) Carefully grasp the ear piece or the strap & pull upward and away from head,
ensuring front of goggles/face shield are not touched
8. Hand hygiene
9. Remove facemask/respirator
Surgical Facemask
 Unloop mask from behind ears, pull away from face without touching front
Respirator Mask:
a) Grasp top strap & bring carefully over head, pulling respirator away from face
without touching front of mask
c) Discard disposable mask
8. Hand hygiene