Or is current PPE for community nurses inadequate?

[northernsquirrel]

Just that really. I'm an NHS community nurse and have been advised to wear apron, gloves and disposable dust-mask type mask to visit suspected or confirmed Covid-19 patients in the community

My own GP has advised me to go out and buy better protection from a hardwear store (eg safety googles and a more substantial mask) but this flies in the face given by clinical management.

I'm going to contact RCN on monday but wondered what other nurses in the situation think/ are doing. I'm sure there are lots of us!

All that's available in the hospitals, outside of aerosol generating procedures (eg intubation), is plastic aprons, surgical masks, and gloves. Allegedly this is enough. Scary, though.

It's not even just you getting it but patients getting it from you. Those you are seeing are surely the most high risk. If you are not protected, they are not protected, surely?

Social workers aren’t being provided with any PPE despite continuing to attend home visits. My LA even told us this week they could not longer source hand sanitiser so we need to provide our own and they will reimburse. Which would be fine if any shops had it in stock.

Actually what you have been advised is correct.

With suspected cases, surgical mask, gloves and apron. Goggles are recommended but can be wiped down with sanicloth wipes or similar in between.

You don't need an FFP2/3 mask unless you are suctioning for example.

It's the current advice, yes. But is that based on actual evidence or what is available? Lots suspect the latter. And that's what's worrying.

Oh and in our Trust, even that is hardly available. We are literally stock checking and sending one packet of masks to teams who have none, one at a time and are down to minimal supplies. We have ordered and ordered in the last weeks and have received nothing.

My ex husband has carers four times a day who have been in & out of other homes, he is having problems getting them to even wash their hands. They don't have any protective clothing, not even those disposable plastic aprons & they are preparing food for him. He is immunocompromised due to the treatment he has for MS.

The ppe provided by our trust is not of an adequate standard and there isn't enough. We are currently only allowed a mask of any sort if a patient has been tested and confirmed to have corona, but we aren't actually testing people so nurses are being refused masks where patients very clearly have it.

I'd follow your GP's advice.