HSP Safety & Infection Control 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A psychologist in private practice receives a report that a client who visited last week has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Under infection control guidelines, the psychologist should:
- Immediately close the office for 30 days
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and follow public health guidance on exposure notification (Correct answer)
- Notify all clients seen that week that they have been exposed
- Report the incident to OSHA as a workplace injury
Correct answer: Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and follow public health guidance on exposure notification
Post-exposure response involves targeted disinfection of potentially contaminated surfaces and following current public health authority guidelines on notification.
Question 2: Which type of isolation precaution is required for a patient with varicella (chickenpox) in a hospital psychology consultation setting?
- Contact precautions only
- Droplet precautions only
- Airborne precautions only
- Airborne plus contact precautions (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Airborne plus contact precautions
Varicella requires both airborne precautions (N95, negative-pressure room) and contact precautions (gown, gloves) due to dual transmission routes.
Question 3: A psychology intern reports feeling lightheaded after smelling a strong disinfectant used to clean the group therapy room. The safest immediate action is to:
- Have the intern sit down and drink water
- Remove the intern from the area and ensure ventilation (Correct answer)
- Check the SDS and administer the recommended antidote
- Instruct the intern to wear a surgical mask for the rest of the day
Correct answer: Remove the intern from the area and ensure ventilation
Removing the exposed individual from the chemical environment and ensuring adequate ventilation is the first priority for chemical exposure.
Question 4: According to the hierarchy of controls for infection prevention in healthcare settings, which control type is most effective?
- Administrative controls
- PPE use
- Elimination of the hazard (Correct answer)
- Engineering controls
Correct answer: Elimination of the hazard
Elimination—removing the hazard entirely—sits at the top of the hierarchy of controls as the most effective infection prevention strategy.
Question 5: A psychologist wants to use a shared laptop for telehealth sessions in a multi-provider clinic. The primary infection control concern is:
- Data encryption of the sessions
- Surface contamination of the keyboard and touchpad between users (Correct answer)
- Wi-Fi network security
- Battery life of the device
Correct answer: Surface contamination of the keyboard and touchpad between users
Shared equipment surfaces can harbor pathogens between users, requiring regular disinfection with EPA-approved wipes between sessions.
Question 6: When disposing of a used needle after a capillary blood draw in a psychology research lab, the correct container is a:
- Regular trash receptacle with a sealed lid
- Biohazard bag
- Sharps container (Correct answer)
- Autoclave bag
Correct answer: Sharps container
Used sharps must be immediately placed in a puncture-resistant, leak-proof sharps container to prevent needlestick injuries and bloodborne pathogen exposure.
Question 7: In a psychology clinic, the safety data sheet (SDS) is primarily used to:
- Document client adverse reactions to therapeutic interventions
- Provide information on chemical hazards, safe handling, and emergency response for hazardous substances (Correct answer)
- Track inventory of controlled substances
- Record staff vaccination compliance
Correct answer: Provide information on chemical hazards, safe handling, and emergency response for hazardous substances
Safety Data Sheets contain comprehensive information about chemical properties, health hazards, safe handling procedures, and emergency response for hazardous materials.
HSP Safety & Infection Control 3
A psychologist in private practice receives a report that a client who visited last week has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Under infection control guidelines, the psychologist should: