Communicate in PPE

we need to learn from diving and aviation

I’m currently off work with Covid and in isolation. I’m feeling pretty well but I’m feeling pretty bored, so I thought I’d make my first video. I got the idea after a crash call in the Emergency Department last week. A woman came in in cardiac arrest and I was doing the airway. She had Covid. In highlight this may have been where I caught it…

Anyway, communication wasn’t great. This is something I’ve noticed for a while and something that the training at Nightingale Hospital in London looked to address. I’m curious as to why we don’t do this training everywhere.

I have a diving background and underwater hand signals are key - it’s pretty much the only way to communicate. Wearing full PPE in the hot zones is similar. You can’t see mouths move, you can’s hear too well, you can’t see eyes very easily and in pressure situation small mistakes might be made or communication might be slower and less clear than required. That’s why I put together this video. Simple universal hand signals for anyone and everyone to use whether working in hospitals, care homes or even just in the supermarket where you can’t hear your customers. I hope it’s helpful.