Basic Nursing Skills Patient Safety & Infection Control 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Standard precautions apply to:
- Only patients with known infections
- All patients regardless of diagnosis or infection status (Correct answer)
- Only patients in contact isolation
- Only bodily fluids that are visibly bloody
Correct answer: All patients regardless of diagnosis or infection status
Standard precautions apply to all patients in all healthcare settings regardless of their known infection status, treating all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious.
Question 2: Which type of isolation is used for a patient with active pulmonary tuberculosis?
- Contact precautions
- Droplet precautions
- Airborne precautions (Correct answer)
- Protective isolation
Correct answer: Airborne precautions
Active pulmonary TB is transmitted by airborne droplet nuclei (<5 microns) and requires airborne precautions including a negative-pressure room and N95 respirator.
Question 3: The correct hand hygiene technique using alcohol-based hand rub requires rubbing hands for at least:
- 5 seconds
- 10 seconds
- 20 seconds (Correct answer)
- 60 seconds
Correct answer: 20 seconds
Alcohol-based hand rub should be rubbed over all hand surfaces for at least 20 seconds (or until dry) to ensure adequate antimicrobial effect.
Question 4: A patient with MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus) wound infection requires which type of precautions?
- Airborne precautions
- Droplet precautions
- Contact precautions (Correct answer)
- Standard precautions only
Correct answer: Contact precautions
MRSA is transmitted by direct or indirect contact with infected wounds or surfaces, requiring contact precautions (gown and gloves).
Question 5: Which PPE should be donned first when preparing to enter a contact isolation room?
- Gloves
- Mask
- Gown (Correct answer)
- Eye protection
Correct answer: Gown
Per CDC guidelines, the gown is donned first when entering a contact isolation room to protect clothing before gloves are applied.
Question 6: The most important nursing action to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) is:
- Wearing gloves for all patient contact
- Proper hand hygiene (Correct answer)
- Using sterile technique for all procedures
- Administering prophylactic antibiotics
Correct answer: Proper hand hygiene
Hand hygiene is the single most effective intervention for preventing the spread of infections in healthcare settings.
Basic Nursing Skills Patient Safety & Infection Control 1
Standard precautions apply to: