There is a huge and necessary barrier between COVID-19 patients and their caregivers - Personal Protective Equipment - PPE
The mask, face shield, gown and gloves are completely necessary to protect the caregiver and the other patients on the ward AND they block a powerful component of a therapeutic relationship ... seeing the faces of your care team.
No smiles, frowns, looks of empathy or concern except what words and the corners of the eyes can convey ... and that is if the light is not reflecting off your visor at the time.
What can be done to humanize this life saving connection between caregiver and patient?
Here are two things:
- The PPE Project
- The Selfie Mask Generator
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The PPE Portrait Project
https://med.stanford.edu/pcph/research/ppe-project.html
Put a picture of your smiling face right on the front of your PPE!
All you need is three things:
- A head shot you like
- A color printer
- A stack of four per page sticky labels - find them at any office supply store as shipping labels.
If you don't have a color printer have the print shop in the same office supply store run you off a stack of them.
Take a bunch to work. Peel and stick them to the front of your PPE. You will need a bunch since you will discard a sticker with each PPE change.
The Selfie Mask Generator
http://services.ayespee.net/selfie-mask.htm
This allows you to put an image of your face over your facemask.
- Take a picture of your smiling face.
- Crop it so it is from the bridge of your nose down - the same area your face mask covers.
- Load it into the image generator above and it will generate a pre-distorted face mask cover that looks like you even when it is bent around the contour of your facemask.
- The link shows you how to find printable fabric and rig it to cover your facemask.
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PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT:
What other tricks and tools do you use to connect with your patients despite PPE?