Safety and Infection Control Flashcards
6 cards from real NACE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Safety and Infection Control flashcards as text
A nurse is preparing to enter the room of a client with a confirmed Clostridioides difficile infection. In addition to using gloves and a gown, which action is essential for proper infection control?
Answer: Washing hands with soap and water after providing care.
C. difficile forms spores that are resistant to alcohol-based hand sanitizers. The mechanical friction from washing with soap and water is required to remove the spores from the hands, which is a critical step in preventing transmission.
A nurse has finished providing care for a client on contact and droplet precautions. To minimize the risk of self-contamination, which of the following represents the correct sequence for removing (doffing) personal protective equipment (PPE)?
Answer: Gloves, goggles/face shield, gown, mask/respirator
According to CDC guidelines, the most contaminated items should be removed first. The standard sequence is to remove gloves, followed by goggles or a face shield, then the gown, and finally the mask or respirator. Hand hygiene should be performed after removing all PPE.
A nurse working on a medical-surgical unit discovers a fire in a client's trash can. What is the nurse's immediate priority action?
Answer: Rescue any clients in immediate danger.
The RACE acronym is the standard protocol for fire safety in healthcare settings: Rescue, Alarm, Confine, and Extinguish/Evacuate. The absolute first priority is to rescue anyone in immediate danger from the fire or smoke.
A nurse is admitting a client with suspected active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Which of the following environmental controls is essential to implement for airborne precautions?
Answer: Place the client in a negative-pressure airflow room.
Airborne precautions require placing the client in an airborne infection isolation room (AIIR), which is a negative-pressure room that prevents infectious particles from flowing out into adjacent areas. Staff must also wear a fitted N95 respirator when entering the room.
A nurse is caring for an older adult client who is confused and has repeatedly attempted to pull out their peripheral intravenous (IV) catheter. After assessing the client, which action should the nurse take first to ensure the client's safety?
Answer: Attempt to reorient the client and conceal the IV site with a gauze wrap.
The nursing principle of 'least restrictive' requires trying less invasive interventions before resorting to physical or chemical restraints. Attempting to reorient the client and camouflaging the IV site addresses the immediate safety risk without restricting the client's freedom of movement.
A nurse is preparing a sterile field to perform a wound dressing change. Which of the following actions would contaminate the sterile field and require the nurse to start over?
Answer: Reaching over the sterile field to discard a used dressing.
A sterile field is contaminated when a non-sterile object passes over it. Reaching over the field introduces microorganisms from the nurse's arm and clothing, violating a core principle of surgical asepsis.