Ch.24 Asepsis and Infection Control
A client is diagnosed with hepatitis C. What statement made by the client indicates that further education is required regarding the transmission of the virus?
"I probably got the virus when I sat on the toilet seat in a dirty bathroom."
A nurse is working with a 55-year-old woman diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This nurse also has another client today who has an upper respiratory infection. What is the most important thing the nurse can do to prevent the client with HIV from acquiring the upper respiratory infection?
Perform hand hygiene before and after entering the client's room.
The nurse planning to insert an indwelling urinary catheter into a client should utilize which technique?
Surgical asepsis
A client is to have an indwelling urinary catheter inserted. Which precaution is followed during this procedure?
Surgical asepsis technique
The nurse is caring for a client with tuberculosis. Which precautions will the nurse select for this client?
airborne
The nurse is caring for an older adult with pulmonary tuberculosis. Which precautions will the nurse begin?
airborne
The nurse is reviewing the plan of care for assigned clients. Which client has the highest risk for developing an infection?
an older adult client with a history of heart failure
An acute medicine unit of a hospital currently has a number of clients who have tested positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Which measures should the nursing staff prioritize in preventing the spread of MRSA to clients who are currently MRSA-negative?
diligent handwashing practices
The nurse is caring for a client who developed pneumonia while hospitalized. How will the nurse document this condition?
health care-associated infection (HCAI)
A client comes to the emergency department reporting becoming very ill after consuming shrimp and lobster. How will the nurse document this condition?
noncommunicable disease
The nurse is donning a pair of sterile gloves. The nurse correctly dons the first glove, but inadvertently inserts the thumb and index finger into the thumb hole of the second glove. The glove remains intact. Which action is most appropriate?
Continue to don the glove, then use the other gloved hand to carefully insert the finger into the proper hole.
Which client presents the most significant risk factors for the development of Clostridium difficile infection?
An 81-year-old client who has been receiving multiple antibiotics for the treatment of sepsis
The nurse needs to place gauze from a wrapped item into the sterile field. Which action does the nurse take?
Drop the item from 6 in (15 cm) above the sterile field.
A lead nurse is removing personal protective equipment after dressing the infected wounds of a client. Which is the priority nursing action?
Handwashing before leaving the client's room.
In which situation is an alcohol-based rub an inappropriate option for hand hygiene?
When the nurse's hands are visibly soiled
The nurse has admitted a client on airborne precautions onto the medical-surgical unit. When the client asks, "When will these airborne precautions be removed?" what is the appropriate nursing response?
"When your sputum culture is negative."
Which practice is a correct application of infection control practices?
A nurse performs hand washing each time the nurse removes a pair of gloves
Which practice is a correct application of infection control practices?
A nurse performs hand washing each time the nurse removes a pair of gloves.
Which client should the nurse determine to be at the greatest risk for hospital-acquired infection (HAI)?
Client with a urinary catheter
The nurse is setting up a sterile field to perform a catheterization when the client touches the end of the sterile field. What would be the nurse's next appropriate action?
Discard the sterile field and the supplies and start over.
What is an accurate guideline for the use of PPE?
Replace gloves if they are visibly soiled.
The client is an employee on the medical unit at the local children's hospital. The nurse is an occupational health nurse educating the client on various routes of exposure. The nurse knows that as a hospital employee, the client is most susceptible to infection by what mode of transmission?
contact
The nurse is caring for a client with a draining abscess. Which precautions will the nurse begin?
contact
The nurse is caring for an older adult with a recurrent wound infection. Which precautions will the nurse begin?
contact
A client has sexual intercourse with someone infected with HIV. The vehicle of transmission is:
semen
The nurse is educating a client with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) about ways the virus can be transmitted. Which statements made by the client demonstrates the education provided was effective? Select all that apply.
"I may transmit the virus to my child during pregnancy and childbirth." "I may transmit the virus if I share needles with another person." "If someone is exposed to my blood, I may transmit the virus to him or her."
The nurse is caring for a client who is to have a sterile dressing change to a wound. A student nurse enters the client's room and notices the nurse preparing the sterile field. After reviewing the image, which response by the student nurse to the nurse is the most accurate understanding of this procedure?
"The way you are doing it helps to minimize contamination of the non-waterproof side."
The charge nurse observes the licensed practical nurse (LPN) removing personal protective equipement (PPE) googles as demonstrated. What response should the nurse make to the LPN regarding removal technique?
"You are implementing the goggle removal technique correctly."
A pregnant woman with a history of genital herpes infection who is near term asks the nurse why she must have a cesarean section when she has not had an outbreak in a "long time". The nurse responds:
"You may have infection in your birth canal that you are unaware of."
A client has tested positive for colonization with a multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) and has been placed on contact precautions. Which actions should be included in this client's care? Select all that apply.
Arrange for the client to be housed in a single room. Use appropriate PPE.
The nurse is preparing to don sterile gloves for a procedure that requires surgical asepsis. Place the following steps in the order that the nurse should take when donning sterile gloves. Use all options.
Carefully open the inner package taking care not to touch the inner surface of the package or the gloves. With the thumb and forefinger, grasp the folded cuff of the glove, insert fingers while pulling the glove over thee hand. Place the fingers of the gloved hand inside the cuff of the remaining glove and insert the fingers while stretching it over the hand. Adjust gloves on both hands if necessary, touching only sterile areas with other sterile area
What is the primary purpose for the demonstrated glove application?
Cover exposed wrist skin
The nurse has finished caring for a client on contact precautions. Which nursing action regarding the stethoscope used to auscultate this client's lungs and bowel sounds is appropriate?
Disinfect it with alcohol swabs.
The nurse is providing care for a client with varicella. What action should the nurse perform?
Ensure the client is housed in a negative pressure room.
A nurse is applying the principles of standard precautions on a hospital unit. In which instances should the nurse perform hand hygiene? Select all that apply.
Immediately after touching a client Before performing a clean procedure After touching a client's surroundings
An older adult woman has been in the hospital for more than 1 week. While assessing her intravenous catheter port, the nurse finds a staph infection, which has developed in the past day or so. This infection is an example of which type of infection?
Healthcare-associated infection
To eliminate needlesticks as potential hazards to nurses, the nurse should:
Immediately deposit uncapped needles into puncture-proof plastic container.
The nurse working with the hospital's infection control team is attempting to decrease the transmission of healthcare-associated pathogens. Which intervention will be most effective?
Incentivizing health care workers to utilize hand hygiene
The nurse is caring for a client who has active tuberculosis and is under airborne precautions. The health care provider prescribes a computed tomography (CT) examination of the chest. Which action by the nurse is appropriate?
Place a surgical mask on the client and transport to the CT department at the specified time.
The nurse suspecting that a client has an infected surgical wound should assess for which sign? Select all that apply.
Redness Swelling Pain Exudate
The nurse manager for a long-term facility notes an increase in infection rates among residents. Which would be the best to implement?
Review the current infection control protocols.
A nurse is applying the principles of Standard and Contact Precautions in the care of a hospital client. Which action violates these principles?
The nurse removes her gown and then removes her gloves.
The nurse is preparing to perform handwashing. Place the following steps in the correct order. Use all options.
Turn on the faucet and adjust force and temperature of the water. Wet the hand and wrists. Apply soap. Wash the palms and backs of the hands for at least 20 seconds. Pat the hands dry with a paper towel. Turn the faucet off with a paper towel. Correct response: Turn on the faucet and adjust force and temperature of the water. Wet the hand and wrists. Apply soap. Wash the palms and backs of the hands for at least 20 seconds. Pat the hands dry with a paper towel. Turn the faucet off with a paper towel.
To eliminate needlesticks as potential hazards to nurses, the nurse should:
immediately deposit uncapped needles into a puncture-proof plastic container.
An infection-control nurse is discussing needlestick injuries with a group of newly hired nurses. The infection control nurse informs the group that most needlestick injuries result from:
recapping a needle
Standard precautions apply to blood; all body fluids, secretions, and excretions; intact and nonintact skin and mucous membranes.
true
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is used in health care facilities to protect the staff from potentially infected clients.
true
