Infection Control and Patient Safety: practice problems and exam questions

Standard and transmission-based precautions, PPE, hand hygiene, sterile technique, sharps, fall and restraint safety, medication safety and fire safety, with the microbiology behind them.

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Cram pack (PDF)Formula sheets, method steps and practice problems with full solutions, ready to print.

Topics in this course

  1. Infection control & patient safetykey terms and facts · applying the concepts · cases and analysismultiple choice
  2. Nursing fundamentalskey terms and facts · applying the concepts · cases and analysismultiple choice
  3. Microbiologykey terms and facts · applying the concepts · cases and analysismultiple choice

Exam tips for Infection Control and Patient Safety

  • Match the precaution to the route: contact, droplet or airborne, on top of standard precautions for everyone.
  • If you are not sure that something is sterile, treat it as contaminated.
  • Check the rights of medication administration and two identifiers before every dose.

Example questions

Infection control & patient safetyEasy

What is seclusion?

  1. AKeeping a patient alone in a room or area that they are prevented from leaving
  2. BClosing the curtains during personal care
  3. CPlacing a patient on contact precautions in a single room with the door closed
  4. DMoving a patient to a private room at their request
Show hints
  1. The key point is that the patient cannot leave.
  2. Two wrong answers are now crossed out. One of the remaining two is right.
Show the answer and explanation

Why this is the answer

Seclusion is the involuntary confinement of a person alone in a room they cannot leave. It is used only for immediate safety, with an order and close monitoring.

Answer

A · Keeping a patient alone in a room or area that they are prevented from leaving
Nursing fundamentalsMedium

What is the most reliable way to check that a nasogastric tube is in the stomach before use?

  1. APlacing the end of the tube in water to look for bubbles
  2. BTesting aspirate pH, with a chest X-ray if needed
  3. CListening for a "whoosh" after injecting air
  4. DAsking the patient whether it feels right
Show hints
  1. The air "whoosh" test is no longer considered safe.
  2. Two wrong answers are now crossed out. One of the remaining two is right.
Show the answer and explanation

Why this is the answer

Aspirate pH supports gastric placement (5.5 or less in UK guidance; 5 or less is typical in US guidance). An X-ray is the most accurate confirmation, used for first placement in many US settings and whenever pH is unclear or no aspirate is obtained. The air insufflation test is unreliable.

Answer

B · Testing aspirate pH, with a chest X-ray if needed

How practising works

  • “Practise this course” mixes problems from all its topics, like a real exam.
  • Every problem has new values, so you learn the method instead of an answer.
  • Stuck? Open a small hint first, and the full explanation only when you need it.
  • Mock exams are timed and have no hints, and you get your score and a full review at the end.

Calculators for this course

Mean arterial pressure calculator (MAP)

Related courses

Nursing Fundamentals and Clinical PracticeNCLEX-style practice questions (RN)NCLEX-PN-style practice questions (LPN/LVN)Health AssessmentNCLEX-style Prioritization & DelegationMedical SciencesLab Values for NursesECG Interpretation
Practise this course for freePractise this courseTake a mock exam5 free problems every day. No card needed.