New Policy Date: / Revision Date:
Department: Health Services /Home care/Skilled Nursing / Approved by:
Attachments:
Policy: Name of Your Nursing HomeStaff who decline or are unable to be vaccinated will be required to wear a mask during influenza season which is determined by the New York State Department of Health Commissioner. No one will be forced to receive vaccination. However, Name of Your Nursing Home will provide information and education to encourage voluntary vaccinations during the flu season campaign...
Influenza:
Seasonal influenza vaccination of Heath care Personnel offers an important method for preventing transmission of influenza to high-risk patients and residents. Evidence supports the fact that influenza vaccine is effective, cost efficient and successful in reducing morbidity and mortality. To minimize the risk of influenza illness within the facility, an active program is in place which emphasizes annual immunization of not only personnel but patients and residents as well.
PURPOSE:
- To ensure Vaccination of doctors, nurses and other patient care staff to reduce the influenza transmission to patients. (Infected individuals are highly contagious and can transmit influenza for 24 hours before they are symptomatic.)
- To ensure that staff are vaccinated against the flu,
- To best protect ourselves and our vulnerable Resident’s and families.
- To ensure that masks are worn only during the period of time in which influenza is prevalent as determined by the Commissioner.
- To ensure all personnel not vaccinated against influenza for the current influenza season wear asurgical or procedure mask while in areas wherepatients or residents may be present.
Procedure:
- According to the NYSDOH Title 10 of the New York Codes Rules and Regulations, Section 2.59 of the Sanitary Code, healthcare workers who have declined vaccination for any reason will be required to wear a surgical or procedural mask while working with or around patients during Influenza season.
- Staff members who are required to wear the mask because they did not receive the flu shot will need to report to their immediate Supervisor for facial surgical masks. (Employees who are unvaccinated do not have to be fit tested with N-95 mask, it is sufficient to wear the regular ear loop or tie back surgical masks.)
- A week’s supply will be provided for the employee in home care and skilled nursing routinely.
- Masks should be changed when:
- At least daily and more often if they become moist or soiled.
- Before and after care/interaction with a patient who is on a transmission based precaution (isolation).
- Masks must cover both the nose and mouth and are not to be partially worn or “dropped down” onto the individual’s shirt (or upper portion of a garment). At no time will the mask be worn around the neck.
- Hand hygiene should always be performedafter removing a contaminated masks
Where mustthe mask be worn:
- A. Areas where patient contact is expected: Patient/resident rooms, resident dining areas,nurses’ stations, unit/floor hallways, patienttransport elevators, treatmentareas, (RCC) patient homes.
Excluded from Regulation: (If any individual in the following departments have the potential for contact/exposure at any point in time with patients, then the regulation requiring wearing a mask if not vaccinated with the influenza vaccine around patients would apply)
Food and Nutrition Employees that do not go to units
-Finance
-Information Systems that do not go to units
-Human Resources
-Medical Support Services
-Patient Financial Services
-Health Information Services IT that do not go to units
-Payroll
-Marketing
-Fitness
- Areas where patients/residents are not “typically”found would not require mask useby unvaccinated personnel. However if a resident interacts with an unvaccinated individual or finds themselves in an unexpected situation and an unvaccinated individual contact is expected, the unvaccinated person must don the Mask.
- Name of Your Nursing Homeis covered under this regulationand when Home care personnel are providing services in the assisted living or skilled nursing facility, unvaccinated employees must wear a mask just as they are would when they provideservices in the resident’s apartments.
- Documentation necessary :
- Documentation must have been generated by the
Individual administering the vaccine and mustinclude:
- Date of vaccination
- Name of individual who ordered or administered thevaccine
- Business address of individual who ordered or administered the vaccine
- Declination forms will be signed and kept in the individual health record of those employees who choose not to have the vaccination.
- Employees who have received the vaccination shall be acknowledged by wearing their individual name tags with a small colored sticker that they received at the time of their vaccination. If the employees did not receive their flu shot at Name of Your Nursing Home, they will be given the sticker at such time that they return to us the appropriate required documentation that they have received the shot elsewhere. Individuals that have not returned the appropriate paperwork when the flu season has been officially declared by the Department of Health Commissioner shall be required to wear a mask.
- Adherence to this policy shall be in keeping with how other Name of Your Facility are enforced through educational counseling and progressive disciplinary actions.