RPN Infection Prevention and Control 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A nurse is caring for a patient with Clostridium difficile (C. diff). Which PPE is required upon entering the room?
- N95 respirator and goggles
- Gown and gloves (Correct answer)
- Surgical mask and gloves
- Gown, gloves, and N95 respirator
Correct answer: Gown and gloves
C. diff requires contact precautions, which means wearing a gown and gloves; a mask is not required unless there is a splash risk.
Question 2: Which hand hygiene method is preferred when hands are visibly soiled with organic material?
- Alcohol-based hand rub for 15 seconds
- Soap and water for at least 20 seconds (Correct answer)
- Antimicrobial foam for 10 seconds
- Alcohol-based hand rub for 30 seconds
Correct answer: Soap and water for at least 20 seconds
Soap and water must be used when hands are visibly soiled because alcohol-based rubs do not remove organic material or C. diff spores.
Question 3: A nurse must perform a sterile dressing change. Which action breaks sterile technique?
- Opening sterile supplies before donning sterile gloves
- Keeping sterile field above waist level
- Reaching across the sterile field to retrieve supplies (Correct answer)
- Placing sterile items at the center of the sterile field
Correct answer: Reaching across the sterile field to retrieve supplies
Reaching across a sterile field introduces contaminants from non-sterile clothing and arms, breaking sterile technique.
Question 4: Which isolation precaution category is used for tuberculosis (TB)?
- Contact precautions
- Droplet precautions
- Airborne precautions (Correct answer)
- Standard precautions only
Correct answer: Airborne precautions
TB is transmitted via airborne droplet nuclei that remain suspended in the air, requiring airborne precautions and a negative-pressure room.
Question 5: A patient with MRSA is on contact precautions. The nurse must transport the patient for an X-ray. What action is appropriate?
- Cancel the X-ray until precautions are lifted
- Cover all MRSA wounds and notify the receiving area before transport (Correct answer)
- Apply an N95 to the patient during transport
- No special precautions are needed outside the room
Correct answer: Cover all MRSA wounds and notify the receiving area before transport
Wounds should be covered and the receiving department notified so they can prepare appropriate precautions and clean surfaces after the visit.
Question 6: Which item is considered single-use and should never be reprocessed?
- Stethoscope
- Blood pressure cuff
- Insulin syringe (Correct answer)
- Pulse oximeter probe
Correct answer: Insulin syringe
Insulin syringes are single-use items; reusing them risks needle-stick injury, contamination, and patient harm.
Question 7: A nurse notes a colleague did not perform hand hygiene before entering a patient's room. The best action is to:
- Document the observation in the patient's chart
- Ignore the situation to maintain workplace harmony
- Remind the colleague of hand hygiene policy immediately (Correct answer)
- Report directly to the charge nurse without speaking to the colleague
Correct answer: Remind the colleague of hand hygiene policy immediately
Promptly and respectfully reminding the colleague protects the patient and supports a culture of safety and accountability.
RPN Infection Prevention and Control 2
A nurse is caring for a patient with Clostridium difficile (C. diff).
Which PPE is required upon entering the room?