👤 By the CinnaRN Clinical Content Team🕐 Updated 2026-08-23🏷️ Safety & Infection Control🔖 Free to read, print, and share
Also known as: PPE donning and doffing · gowning order · putting on and taking off PPE
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Use this quick-reference guide to spot, treat, and prevent Personal Protective Equipment Sequence on the NCLEX. Keep it handy during review and on exam day!
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📒 The 1-minute cheat sheet
✅ Don
1) Gown 2) Mask/respirator
3) Goggles 4) Gloves last
Gloves over gown cuffs
✅ Doff
Gloves first (most contaminated)
Then goggles → gown → mask
Mask removed OUTSIDE room last
✅ Do
Hand hygiene after removal
Touch only inside/ties when removing
📌 Avoid
Never touch outer mask front
📚 Personal Protective Equipment Sequence — full study notes
The cheat sheet above is your quick recall card. These notes go deeper — what it is, what to do first, what must be reported, and what to teach.
PPE must be applied (donned) and removed (doffed) in a specific order so the wearer is never contaminated. The donning order is gown, mask/respirator, goggles/face shield, then gloves. Doffing removes the dirtiest items first while protecting the face: gloves, goggles, gown, then mask last. Hand hygiene bookends the process.
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Key points
Understand these first
Don in this order: gown first, then mask or respirator, then goggles or face shield, then gloves last.
Gloves go on last during donning so they overlap and seal the gown cuffs.
Doff in this order: gloves, then goggles or face shield, then gown, then mask or respirator last.
Gloves are removed first when doffing because they are the most contaminated.
The mask or respirator comes off last and is removed outside the room to protect the airway.
Hand hygiene is performed before donning and again immediately after all PPE is removed.
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Nursing priorities
What to do, in order
Perform hand hygiene before starting to don PPE.
Apply gown, mask, eyewear, then gloves, ensuring gloves cover the gown cuffs.
Remove gloves and gown together inside the room and discard them properly.
Remove the respirator outside the room, then perform hand hygiene immediately.
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Red flags — report now
Escalate immediately
Never touch the front of the gown, mask, or goggles during removal; it is considered contaminated.
Do not remove the mask or respirator inside an airborne-isolation room.
Report any PPE breach or self-contamination so exposure can be evaluated.
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Patient teaching
What patients must know
Visitors are taught the same order so they do not contaminate themselves on the way out.
Reinforce washing hands immediately after the last piece of PPE is removed.
❓ Personal Protective Equipment Sequence: NCLEX FAQs
What are the priority nursing interventions for Personal Protective Equipment Sequence?
Perform hand hygiene before starting to don PPE. Apply gown, mask, eyewear, then gloves, ensuring gloves cover the gown cuffs. Remove gloves and gown together inside the room and discard them properly. Remove the respirator outside the room, then perform hand hygiene immediately.
What are the warning signs of Personal Protective Equipment Sequence a nurse must report?
Never touch the front of the gown, mask, or goggles during removal; it is considered contaminated. Do not remove the mask or respirator inside an airborne-isolation room. Report any PPE breach or self-contamination so exposure can be evaluated.
What do I need to know about Personal Protective Equipment Sequence for the NCLEX?
Don in this order: gown first, then mask or respirator, then goggles or face shield, then gloves last. Gloves go on last during donning so they overlap and seal the gown cuffs. Doff in this order: gloves, then goggles or face shield, then gown, then mask or respirator last. Gloves are removed first when doffing because they are the most contaminated.
What patient teaching is important for Personal Protective Equipment Sequence?
Visitors are taught the same order so they do not contaminate themselves on the way out. Reinforce washing hands immediately after the last piece of PPE is removed.
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Quick Tip
Don in this order: gown first, then mask or respirator, then goggles or face shield, then gloves last.