Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology (04/15/25) Lin, Ashley L.; Doll, Michelle E.; Pryor, Rachel J.; et al.

An evaluation of healthcare workers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding disposable personal protective equipment (PPE) found interest in sustainable policies, but more education the environmental effects of health care may be needed. For the study, a survey was sent to about 5,000 staff physicians, advanced practice providers, and inpatient and emergency department nurses at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. The voluntary survey asked about topics including motivations for using PPE, use of PPE in particular situations, and attitudes and knowledge around PPE use and sustainability. Of the 465 responses, most said they had more than one motivation for using PPE, with 87% citing hospital policy and 77% listing self-protection. More than half (54%) of the respondents said that the benefits of using PPE outweighed the environmental effects, and 49% said that sterilized reusable PPE is safe compared with disposable PPE. Additionally, about two-thirds of the respondents said they keep non-essential encounters to a minimum for patients with isolation precautions. Just under a quarter of the respondents said they were adequately aware of environmental sustainability in healthcare, and only 14% said the healthcare workplace encourages environmental sustainability.

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