Personal Protective Equipment

Universal PPE Best Practices & Role of a Trained Observer

The theory behind personal protective equipment (PPE) is simple, but working in a fast-paced, overburdened environment can cause lapses in protocol and best practices.

Access the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Universal PPE Best Practices & Role of a Trained Observer free online learning module. Proper wear/​disposal and a reliable observer or buddy can minimize the chance of infection and possible outbreaks. In this training, hosted by Brian Gardiner, BA, BSN, RN, you’ll learn:

  • Key points to remember in donning and doffing PPE
  • Ways to be a good PPE buddy
  • How to identify hazardous conditions, safety demands and stressors
  • Potential challenges with a buddy system and possible solutions

Audience: Frontline staff and hospital leadership responsible for observing and ensuring protocol adherence of infection prevention and control, quality improvement and compliance programs.

This is one of four modules available to hospitals as a part of the StAT Learning Series for hospital clinical staff and leaders. 


CMS, with input from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other stakeholders, developed the StAT Learning Series for Hospital Clinical Staff and Leaders. StAT stands for Standards, Approaches and Tactics for Infection Control & Prevention. This online, mobile-friendly, self-paced training is intended for hospital infection control leaders, frontline hospital staff and hospital administrators. The StAT Learning Series offers the latest tools and techniques, along with refreshed best practices for a new era of infection prevention and control.