Institute evaluates respiratory protection programs for nurses
Washington – A new report from the Institute of Medicine describes important content and best approaches for teaching respiratory protection curricula in occupational health nursing programs.
The letter report, released Aug. 2, identifies two types of essential content: technical, such as hazard assessment including selection, use, care and fit-testing of respirators; and behavioral, which involves pairing the technical material with education on protective measures and consequences of not following them.
Recommendations include:
- Expanding respiratory protection information at all levels of nursing education and training
- Integrating essential content into graduate curricula and continuing education programs
- Using innovative teaching methods, such as online courses
- Developing core competencies in respiratory protection
IOM completed the report at the request of NIOSH’s National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory.
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