LVN Infection Control & Safety Practices 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A nurse accidentally spills blood on the countertop. Which is the correct sequence for decontamination?
- Wipe with alcohol, then apply bleach solution
- Apply bleach solution first, then wipe and re-disinfect
- Wipe visible blood away first, then apply an EPA-approved disinfectant (Correct answer)
- Apply disinfectant over the spill without wiping first
Correct answer: Wipe visible blood away first, then apply an EPA-approved disinfectant
Visible organic material must first be removed mechanically because it inactivates disinfectants; then the surface is disinfected with an EPA-approved agent.
Question 2: Which patient is the most appropriate candidate for protective (reverse) isolation?
- A patient with active pulmonary tuberculosis
- A post-operative patient with a wound infection
- A neutropenic patient receiving chemotherapy with ANC < 500 (Correct answer)
- A patient with MRSA colonization
Correct answer: A neutropenic patient receiving chemotherapy with ANC < 500
Protective isolation shields severely immunocompromised patients (like those with severe neutropenia) from environmental pathogens and staff/visitor organisms.
Question 3: During a fire emergency (RACE protocol), what does the letter 'C' stand for?
- Call for help
- Contain the fire by closing doors (Correct answer)
- Check for victims
- Clear the area of patients
Correct answer: Contain the fire by closing doors
In the RACE mnemonic — Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish/Evacuate — Contain means closing doors to slow fire and smoke spread.
Question 4: The nurse is caring for a patient with herpes zoster (shingles) involving a rash covered by clothing. Which precautions are required?
- Airborne precautions only
- Standard precautions only
- Contact precautions in addition to standard precautions (Correct answer)
- Droplet and contact precautions
Correct answer: Contact precautions in addition to standard precautions
Localized zoster with covered lesions requires contact precautions; disseminated or immunocompromised cases additionally require airborne precautions.
Question 5: Which statement about hand hygiene timing is correct according to the WHO 'Five Moments'?
- Hand hygiene is required only after contact with the patient
- Hand hygiene before touching a patient is required only for invasive procedures
- Hand hygiene must occur before and after patient contact, and after contact with the patient's environment (Correct answer)
- Hand hygiene is required only when gloves are not worn
Correct answer: Hand hygiene must occur before and after patient contact, and after contact with the patient's environment
The WHO Five Moments include: before patient contact, before aseptic tasks, after body fluid exposure, after patient contact, and after touching the patient's environment.
Question 6: A nurse removes an N95 respirator after caring for a patient with TB. Which is the correct removal technique?
- Grasp the front of the respirator and pull it forward
- Lift the bottom strap over the head first, then the top strap (Correct answer)
- Break the seal at the sides and slide it off
- Remove it by the top strap first, then the bottom strap
Correct answer: Lift the bottom strap over the head first, then the top strap
The bottom strap is removed first to tilt the respirator away from the face, then the top strap is lifted off without touching the potentially contaminated front.
Question 7: Which finding during a urinary catheter insertion would require the nurse to restart with a new sterile kit?
- The patient moves during the procedure
- The catheter tip touches the inner thigh before insertion (Correct answer)
- The nurse needs a second pair of sterile gloves
- The sterile drape unfolds slightly during placement
Correct answer: The catheter tip touches the inner thigh before insertion
If the catheter tip contacts any non-sterile surface (like the patient's skin) before insertion, the catheter is contaminated and a new sterile kit must be used.
LVN Infection Control & Safety Practices 5
A nurse accidentally spills blood on the countertop.
Which is the correct sequence for decontamination?