Infection Prevention and Control Flashcards
7 cards from real NMC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Infection Prevention and Control flashcards as text
A nurse is preparing to administer an IV medication via a central venous catheter. Which bundle element is MOST critical to prevent CLABSI?
Answer: Performing hand hygiene and using maximal sterile barrier precautions during insertion
Hand hygiene and maximal sterile barrier precautions during insertion are the highest-impact CLABSI prevention measures in the central line bundle.
Which organism is responsible for the highest proportion of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in the United States according to CDC data?
Answer: Clostridoides difficile
C. difficile causes more HAI-related deaths in the US than any other single pathogen, highlighting the importance of antibiotic stewardship and contact precautions.
A nurse observes a visitor entering a contact-precaution room without donning a gown. What should the nurse do?
Answer: Inform the visitor of the requirement and provide appropriate PPE before entry
Educating visitors and ensuring they don appropriate PPE is the nurse's responsibility to prevent pathogen transmission in and out of the room.
During care of a patient with chickenpox, which respiratory protection is required for a non-immune nurse?
Answer: N95 respirator
Varicella (chickenpox) spreads via airborne transmission; non-immune healthcare workers must wear a fit-tested N95 respirator.
What is the primary purpose of surveillance cultures in an IPC program?
Answer: To identify asymptomatic carriers and track organism prevalence
Surveillance cultures detect colonized but asymptomatic patients, helping identify reservoirs and prevent unrecognized transmission within the facility.
Which of the following is an example of a vector-borne route of infection transmission?
Answer: A mosquito transmitting malaria to a patient
Vector-borne transmission occurs when a living organism (such as a mosquito) carries a pathogen from one host to another.
A nurse must dispose of a used scalpel after a wound debridement. Which action is correct?
Answer: Place the scalpel directly into a puncture-resistant sharps container without recapping
Sharps must be placed directly into an approved puncture-resistant container without recapping to prevent needlestick or sharps injuries.