HAC Healthcare Aide Safety & Infection Control 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A healthcare aide notices a resident has a wound that appears infected with purulent discharge. What is the FIRST action the aide should take?
- Clean the wound immediately with hydrogen peroxide
- Report the observation to the supervising nurse (Correct answer)
- Apply a fresh sterile dressing without telling anyone
- Ask the resident if they want the wound treated
Correct answer: Report the observation to the supervising nurse
Healthcare aides must report changes in a resident's condition, including signs of wound infection, to the supervising nurse immediately.
Question 2: Which type of precaution requires the healthcare aide to wear a gown, gloves, and mask when entering a patient's room?
- Standard precautions
- Contact precautions
- Droplet precautions (Correct answer)
- Airborne precautions
Correct answer: Droplet precautions
Droplet precautions require a mask (and gown and gloves) to prevent transmission of pathogens spread through large respiratory droplets.
Question 3: A healthcare aide is preparing to assist a resident with a meal and notices the meal tray was delivered to the wrong room. What should the aide do?
- Serve it anyway since it looks the same
- Return the tray and get the correct one (Correct answer)
- Ask the resident if they mind eating someone else's meal
- Serve it but document the error after the meal
Correct answer: Return the tray and get the correct one
Serving the wrong meal can cause dietary, allergy, or medical complications; the aide must return the tray and obtain the correct one.
Question 4: When removing personal protective equipment (PPE) after caring for a patient on contact precautions, which item should be removed FIRST?
- Mask
- Goggles
- Gloves (Correct answer)
- Gown
Correct answer: Gloves
Gloves are considered the most contaminated item and should be removed first to prevent self-contamination during PPE doffing.
Question 5: A healthcare aide accidentally splashes body fluid into their eyes. What is the correct immediate response?
- Wipe eyes with a dry cloth and continue working
- Flush eyes with water for at least 15 minutes and report the incident (Correct answer)
- Apply antibiotic eye drops from the supply cart
- Wait to see if irritation develops before taking action
Correct answer: Flush eyes with water for at least 15 minutes and report the incident
Immediate eye irrigation with water for at least 15 minutes is required after any splash exposure, followed by incident reporting.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of a healthcare-associated infection (HAI)?
- A patient contracts the flu from a family visitor before admission
- A patient develops a urinary tract infection after catheter insertion in the facility (Correct answer)
- A resident has a pre-existing MRSA infection on admission
- A staff member gets a cold from a coworker in the break room
Correct answer: A patient develops a urinary tract infection after catheter insertion in the facility
HAIs are infections that patients acquire during the course of receiving healthcare treatment, such as a catheter-associated UTI.
Question 7: A healthcare aide is making an occupied bed and finds soiled linen. What is the safest way to handle it?
- Shake the linen to remove debris before placing in the hamper
- Carry it against the body to the nearest hamper
- Roll soiled surfaces inward and place in a designated linen hamper without shaking (Correct answer)
- Leave it on the floor until housekeeping arrives
Correct answer: Roll soiled surfaces inward and place in a designated linen hamper without shaking
Soiled linen should be rolled inward to contain contaminants and placed directly in a hamper; shaking disperses pathogens into the air.
HAC Healthcare Aide Safety & Infection Control 2
A healthcare aide notices a resident has a wound that appears infected with purulent discharge.
What is the FIRST action the aide should take?