An N95 mask fit test confirms that a specific model and size of respirator forms a tight seal on your face. It is required before you use that N95 in a clinical setting, and it sits with your other nursing credentials.
What happens during the test?
A short procedure under a hood. You don the respirator, and the tester either sprays a scented solution into the hood or uses a machine to detect airflow around the edges of the mask. You perform a set of movements — normal breathing, deep breathing, turning your head, bending, and talking — to confirm the seal holds during the activities of a typical shift. A taste or smell inside the mask means an improper fit.
Why is fit user-specific?
Because face shape varies more than mask shape does. N95 respirators come in a few standard sizes and designs, and every individual's face is a little different. A model that fits a colleague perfectly can leak on you, even in the same size, because of something as simple as the height of your cheekbones or the width of your jaw. Masks are medical devices, but fit testing is as personal as getting measured for clothes.
What if the first model doesn't work?
You test another. Failing a fit test with one respirator is common and fixable. It does not mean you cannot be fitted, just that the model you started with wasn't a match for your face. A well-stocked testing center has multiple sizes and designs to try, and you work through them until you find the right fit.
Adding it to your profile
Upload the fit test report showing your name, the date of the test, and the model and size you were fitted for. The model is the most important detail — it determines which respirators you can wear in practice.
- Tap Menu in the top left of the Nursa app.
- Select Profile.
- Scroll to the Credentials section.
- Tap Add your Credential.
- Upload your document as a PDF, WORD, JPG, or PNG.
Sign up as a clinician and make a note of the model once you're fitted, since grabbing the wrong N95 on a busy shift is the easiest way to undo the work.
