HAC Healthcare Aide Safety & Infection Control 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which hand hygiene method is NOT acceptable when hands are visibly soiled with blood or body fluids?
- Washing with soap and water for 20 seconds
- Using an alcohol-based hand rub (Correct answer)
- Using antimicrobial soap and water
- Washing with plain soap and water
Correct answer: Using an alcohol-based hand rub
Alcohol-based hand rubs are ineffective on visibly soiled hands; soap and water must be used to physically remove the contamination.
Question 2: A patient is placed on airborne precautions for suspected tuberculosis. Which respiratory protection must the healthcare aide wear when entering the room?
- A standard surgical mask
- An N95 respirator or higher (Correct answer)
- A cloth face covering
- No mask is needed if the aide is vaccinated
Correct answer: An N95 respirator or higher
Airborne precautions for tuberculosis require at least an N95 respirator because TB bacteria travel on small particles that surgical masks cannot filter.
Question 3: A healthcare aide finds a used needle on the floor of a patient's room. What is the correct way to dispose of it?
- Pick it up carefully with two fingers and recap it
- Use a dustpan and broom to sweep it into the trash
- Use a mechanical device or forceps to place it directly into a sharps container (Correct answer)
- Wrap it in a paper towel and put it in the regular trash
Correct answer: Use a mechanical device or forceps to place it directly into a sharps container
Sharps must never be recapped by hand or placed in regular trash; a mechanical device or forceps should be used to place them in a puncture-resistant sharps container.
Question 4: Which of the following actions breaks the chain of infection at the 'mode of transmission' link?
- Treating an infected patient with antibiotics
- Requiring visitors with colds to wear masks (Correct answer)
- Identifying susceptible residents
- Isolating a source patient in a private room
Correct answer: Requiring visitors with colds to wear masks
Requiring masks for visitors with colds interrupts the route by which pathogens travel from a reservoir to a new host.
Question 5: A healthcare aide is helping transfer a resident from a bed to a wheelchair. The resident suddenly says their legs feel weak. What should the aide do?
- Complete the transfer quickly before the resident falls
- Lower the resident safely back onto the bed and call for help (Correct answer)
- Have the resident stand still while you get help
- Continue the transfer but move more slowly
Correct answer: Lower the resident safely back onto the bed and call for help
Unexpected weakness during a transfer is a safety concern; the aide should return the resident safely to the bed and summon assistance.
Question 6: What does the term 'fomite' refer to in the context of infection control?
- A bloodborne pathogen found in saliva
- An inanimate object that can carry and transfer pathogens (Correct answer)
- A protective gel used to decontaminate skin
- A type of airborne microorganism
Correct answer: An inanimate object that can carry and transfer pathogens
A fomite is any non-living object (such as a doorknob, stethoscope, or bed rail) that can harbor and transmit infectious agents.
Question 7: A healthcare aide receives a verbal report that a new resident is on droplet precautions. Before entering the room, where should the aide don required PPE?
- Inside the patient's room at the bedside
- Outside the patient's room before entering (Correct answer)
- In the hallway nursing station
- It doesn't matter as long as it's worn upon contact
Correct answer: Outside the patient's room before entering
PPE for droplet precautions must be donned before entering the patient's room to prevent exposure when opening the door.
HAC Healthcare Aide Safety & Infection Control 3
Which hand hygiene method is NOT acceptable when hands are visibly soiled with blood or body fluids?