Never recap, bend, or break used needles; activate the safety device and drop straight into the sharps bin.
Before you read
Test yourself first: 5 questions
Question 1 of 5
A nurse is reviewing standard precautions with a new graduate. Which statement by the new graduate indicates correct understanding of standard precautions when caring for any client?
Answer: A. Standard precautions apply to all clients regardless of diagnosis and include hand hygiene and using gloves and other personal protective equipment whenever contact with blood or body fluids is anticipated. Gloves alone are not enough, precautions are not reserved only for clients with a known infection, and hand hygiene is required even when gloves are worn.
Question 2 of 5
A nurse is caring for a hospitalized client with bacterial pneumonia. Which infection-control measure is most appropriate for routine care of this client?
Answer: B. Standard precautions, including consistent hand hygiene, are appropriate for most clients with typical bacterial pneumonia. Droplet precautions are added for specific organisms (for example, suspected influenza or certain bacteria). Airborne and contact precautions are not indicated for ordinary community-acquired bacterial pneumonia.
Question 3 of 5
A client is admitted with suspected Ebola virus disease. Which level of precaution best reflects safe nursing care?
Answer: B. Ebola requires strict standard, contact, and droplet precautions with full barrier PPE covering all skin, plus trained doffing observers. Standard precautions alone are inadequate.
Question 4 of 5
A nurse is caring for a client with a subarachnoid hemorrhage from a ruptured aneurysm and aneurysm precautions are ordered. Which environment best meets these precautions?
Answer: B. Aneurysm precautions aim to prevent rebleeding by minimizing stimuli and Valsalva. A quiet, dimly lit room with limited visitors, stool softeners, and avoidance of straining reduces ICP spikes.
Question 5 of 5
Setting up seizure precautions for a client, the nurse ensures:
Answer: B. Seizure precautions: padded side rails, suction and oxygen available at the bedside, bed low, and remove hazards. Do not place objects in the mouth or restrain during a seizure.
Keep the streak going with more questions like these, each with a full rationale.
What is standard precautions?
They assume all blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions (except sweat), non-intact skin, and mucous membranes may be infectious. The core principle is hand hygiene plus risk-based use of PPE.
Key points to remember
- Apply to all patients regardless of known infection status; they are the foundation under all transmission-based precautions.
- Cover blood, all body fluids, secretions, excretions, non-intact skin, and mucous membranes; sweat is the only excluded fluid.
- Hand hygiene before and after every patient contact is the single most effective measure to prevent infection spread.
- Gloves are worn for any anticipated contact with body fluids or contaminated surfaces and changed between patients.
- Include respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette, safe injection practices, and never recapping needles.
- Choice of gown, mask, or eye protection is driven by the anticipated risk of splash or spray.
Nursing priorities
- Perform hand hygiene before and after patient contact and after glove removal.
- Select PPE based on the expected exposure to blood and body fluids for the task.
- Dispose of sharps in a puncture-resistant container immediately at point of use.
- Clean and disinfect shared equipment and high-touch surfaces between patients.
- Apply cough etiquette: offer masks and tissues and maintain spacing for coughing patients.
Patient teaching
- Anyone can carry organisms without symptoms, so the same precautions protect both you and others.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow and perform hand hygiene afterward.
Red flags: report now
- Never recap, bend, or break used needles; activate the safety device and drop straight into the sharps bin.
- Do not reuse gloves between patients or rely on gloves as a substitute for hand hygiene.
- Report any blood or body fluid exposure to mucous membranes or non-intact skin immediately.
References
Clinical references for this topic
