Doffing: The Trained Observers’s Role in Doffing

The Trained Observer’s role in the doffing process is to guide the healthcare provider, and in some cases the Doffing Assistant, through the doffing process using the checklist provided. As with donning, you must ensure doffing proceeds at a slow, deliberate and methodical pace. Continually scan your colleagues’ PPE and the environment for possible contamination risks during doffing.

Always engage in confirmatory, closed-loop communications with the health care providers and doffing assistants you are guiding. You should assure successful completion of each doffing step, remembering that completion means a removed item is intact and has not touched ‘clean’ areas and has been disposed of properly in the available waste container and has not contaminated any staff members.