NMC Infection Prevention and Control 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A nurse is preparing to insert a urinary catheter. Which action best reduces the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI)?
- Use a closed drainage system and maintain it below bladder level (Correct answer)
- Irrigate the catheter daily with sterile saline
- Change the catheter every 48 hours regardless of signs of infection
- Disconnect the drainage bag to empty it more efficiently
Correct answer: Use a closed drainage system and maintain it below bladder level
A closed drainage system kept below bladder level prevents retrograde contamination and is the primary CAUTI prevention strategy.
Question 2: Which isolation precaution category is required for a patient diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis?
- Contact precautions only
- Droplet precautions
- Airborne precautions with a negative-pressure room (Correct answer)
- Standard precautions only
Correct answer: Airborne precautions with a negative-pressure room
Pulmonary TB is transmitted via airborne particles (droplet nuclei <5 µm) requiring a negative-pressure room and N95 respirator.
Question 3: A nurse notices that a colleague skipped hand hygiene after removing gloves. What is the most appropriate first action?
- Report the colleague to the charge nurse immediately
- Ignore it as gloves provide adequate protection
- Politely remind the colleague of hand hygiene policy at that moment (Correct answer)
- Document the incident in the patient's chart
Correct answer: Politely remind the colleague of hand hygiene policy at that moment
Immediate, respectful peer feedback is the most effective and appropriate first step to correct an IPC lapse.
Question 4: When performing a surgical dressing change, the nurse selects sterile gloves and a sterile field. This reflects which principle?
- Medical asepsis
- Surgical asepsis (Correct answer)
- Standard precautions
- Barrier nursing
Correct answer: Surgical asepsis
Surgical asepsis requires maintaining a completely sterile environment to prevent any microorganism introduction into a wound.
Question 5: A patient with Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infection is on contact precautions. Which hand hygiene agent is preferred upon leaving this patient's room?
- Alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR)
- Soap and water (Correct answer)
- Chlorhexidine wipes
- Either ABHR or soap and water are equally effective
Correct answer: Soap and water
C. difficile spores are not killed by alcohol; soap and water physically removes spores through mechanical friction and rinsing.
Question 6: Which item is classified as 'critical' in the Spaulding classification and requires sterilization before use?
- Blood pressure cuff
- Bedpan
- Surgical instrument entering sterile tissue (Correct answer)
- Flexible endoscope used for upper GI endoscopy
Correct answer: Surgical instrument entering sterile tissue
Critical items penetrate sterile body tissue or the vascular system and carry the highest infection risk, requiring full sterilization.
Question 7: A nurse is caring for a patient in droplet precautions. At what distance from the patient should a surgical mask be worn?
- Within 1 foot
- Within 3 feet (approximately 1 meter) (Correct answer)
- Only during aerosol-generating procedures
- No mask is needed for droplet precautions
Correct answer: Within 3 feet (approximately 1 meter)
Droplet precautions require a surgical mask when within approximately 3 feet (1 meter) of the patient, as large droplets do not travel farther.
NMC Infection Prevention and Control 2
A nurse is preparing to insert a urinary catheter.
Which action best reduces the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI)?