Infection control & patient safety worksheet with answers

Which practice makes the use of an ice pack safer?

1. APut the ice pack directly on bare skin for several hours
2. BKeep the ice pack on the skin while the patient sleeps overnight
3. CPlace a cloth between the pack and the skin and limit the time it is applied
4. DUse it only on areas where the patient has no feeling, so it is not uncomfortable

How should a nurse clean a stethoscope between patients?

1. AClean it once a week, unless it is visibly dirty
2. BRinse it under running water and dry it on a towel
3. CSend it to be sterilized in an autoclave after every single patient contact
4. DWipe the diaphragm and tubing with an alcohol or approved disinfectant wipe

A patient is colonized with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Which precautions are used?

1. AAirborne precautions
2. BDroplet precautions
3. CContact precautions
4. DProtective (reverse) isolation

A woman who is pregnant asks for the MMR vaccine because she is not immune to rubella. What is correct?

1. AMMR is safe at any stage of pregnancy
2. BMMR is only given to pregnant women who work in hospitals
3. CMMR should be given as soon as possible in the first trimester to protect the baby
4. DMMR is a live vaccine and is not given during pregnancy, but can be given after delivery

While a sterile field is being prepared, the nurse turns away from it to answer a question. What is correct?

1. AThe field is still sterile because nobody touched it in the meantime
2. BThe field can be used if it is covered afterwards
3. CThe field is considered contaminated and must be set up again
4. DOnly the items nearest the nurse need to be replaced

When should the transparent dressing over a peripheral IV site be changed?

1. AOnly when the IV catheter is removed, whatever its state
2. BOnly when the patient asks for a new dressing
3. CEvery hour, so the site can be cleaned again
4. DWhen it is damp, loose or visibly soiled

Which patient most needs fall precautions?

1. AAn alert patient on bed rest who follows instructions
2. BA young adult with a broken finger who walks steadily and safely unaided
3. CA patient awaiting discharge who walks independently
4. DAn older patient, newly confused, on a sedative, with an unsteady gait

A nurse who is not immune to chickenpox was exposed to a patient with varicella before precautions began. What usually happens?

1. AThe nurse continues working with all patients as usual, including newborns
2. BThe nurse must take a two-week course of antibiotics to prevent the infection
3. CThe nurse is assessed and kept from patient contact during the incubation period per policy
4. DThe nurse only needs to wear gloves for the next month