General CNA Practice CNA Practice Infection Control and Prevention 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A resident has been diagnosed with Clostridium difficile (C. diff). Which type of isolation precautions should the CNA follow?
- Airborne precautions
- Droplet precautions
- Contact precautions (Correct answer)
- Reverse isolation
Correct answer: Contact precautions
C. diff spreads via the fecal-oral route and contaminated surfaces, requiring contact precautions including gown and gloves.
Question 2: When caring for a resident in contact isolation, in what order should the CNA remove PPE before leaving the room?
- Gloves, gown, mask, hand hygiene (Correct answer)
- Mask, gloves, gown, hand hygiene
- Gown, gloves, mask, hand hygiene
- Gloves, mask, gown, hand hygiene
Correct answer: Gloves, gown, mask, hand hygiene
The correct doffing order is gloves first (most contaminated), then gown, then mask, followed by hand hygiene.
Question 3: Which of the following is the MOST effective method to prevent the spread of C. diff spores on hands?
- Alcohol-based hand sanitizer
- Soap and water handwashing (Correct answer)
- Antiseptic wipes
- Double-gloving
Correct answer: Soap and water handwashing
Alcohol-based sanitizers do not kill C. diff spores; soap and water handwashing is required to mechanically remove them.
Question 4: A CNA notices that the biohazard sharps container is three-quarters full. What should the CNA do?
- Push items down to make more room
- Continue using it until completely full
- Report it so it can be replaced before it is full (Correct answer)
- Empty the contents into a trash bag
Correct answer: Report it so it can be replaced before it is full
Sharps containers should be replaced when three-quarters full to prevent needlestick injuries from overfilling.
Question 5: Which type of microorganism is NOT destroyed by standard disinfectants and requires sterilization?
- Bacteria
- Fungi
- Bacterial spores (Correct answer)
- Viruses
Correct answer: Bacterial spores
Bacterial spores are highly resistant and require sterilization methods such as autoclaving rather than standard disinfection.
Question 6: A resident with active tuberculosis (TB) requires which level of respiratory protection for the CNA?
- Standard surgical mask
- N95 respirator (Correct answer)
- Face shield only
- No mask is needed with proper ventilation
Correct answer: N95 respirator
Active TB requires an N95 respirator because TB is spread via small airborne droplet nuclei that standard surgical masks do not filter.
Question 7: Which practice helps break the chain of infection at the 'mode of transmission' link?
- Administering vaccines to residents
- Wearing gloves when handling body fluids (Correct answer)
- Isolating immunocompromised residents
- Treating an existing infection with antibiotics
Correct answer: Wearing gloves when handling body fluids
Wearing gloves when handling body fluids is a barrier that interrupts how pathogens travel from reservoir to a new host.
General CNA Practice CNA Practice Infection Control and Prevention 2
A resident has been diagnosed with Clostridium difficile (C. diff).
Which type of isolation precautions should the CNA follow?