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Characteristics Associated With Health Care Worker Knowledge and Confidence in Elastomeric Half-Mask Respirator Use
Paul Thurman1, Eileen Zhuang, Hegang H Chen
1From the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland (Thurman); University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland (Thurman); Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (Zhuang, Hines); Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (Chen); National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (McClain, Sietsema, Fernando); US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (McClain, Sietsema, Fernando); Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (McDiarmid, Hines); and Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs (Hines).
Objective:
This study evaluated health care workers' (HCWs') knowledge and confidence in using elastomeric half-mask respirator (EHMR) attributes known to influence usage.
Methods:
Health care workers were surveyed regarding their EHMR donning and doffing experience. Respondents were categorized into competency categories based on their scores. Category differences were analyzed using χ 2 and multiple logistic regression.
Results:
Seventy-two percent showed high levels of EHMR donning and doffing knowledge and confidence (mastery); however, 21% had greater confidence than knowledge (misinformed). Respiratory therapists had greater odds of mastery than other HCWs ( P < 0.05), whereas those working in medical/surgical and pediatric units had greater odds of doubt than other HCWs ( P < 0.01).
Conclusions:
Although most HCWs show high knowledge and confidence with EHMR use, strategies to confirm respirator use competency may ensure greater HCWs protection.
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