A PCT/A finishes vital signs for a patient on airborne plus contact precautions in a negative-pressure room and must exit without contaminating self or hallway. Gown, gloves, N95, and face shield were worn inside the room. Which donning-aware doffing sequence should the PCT/A use to remove PPE correctly after this combined-precautions care?

The correct sequence protects both contact and airborne routes by containing highly contaminated gloves and gown inside the negative-pressure room, decontaminating hands before any face contact, and keeping eye protection and respirator in place until outside the doorway to avoid hallway dispersal and self-inoculation, with the respirator always removed last using straps only without touching the front filter surface. The sequence that brings the N95 off inside fails airborne containment because doffing the respirator where infectious aerosols are concentrated exposes the airway and allows contaminated air to escape with door movement, even though glove, gown, hygiene, and shield handling are otherwise proper. The sequence that defers all hand hygiene until after outdoor doffing fails sequential decontamination because hands contaminated during glove and gown removal transfer pathogens to shield and respirator straps and facial mucosa, so interim hygiene is required, not only terminal hygiene. The sequence that removes the N95 before the face shield outside fails doffing-order protection because the shield must come off first to prevent dislodging or contaminating the respirator seal and to keep the final respirator removal with clean hands as the last clean-to-face step. Exam caveat: wording often hinges on inside versus outside location and on interim versus final hygiene, so map each item to room boundary before choosing. Practical check: inside, peel gloves then gown without touching scrubs, perform alcohol-based hygiene, exit without touching door with bare hands, then outside remove shield by earpieces and N95 by straps without touching front, followed by immediate hygiene.