Infection control & patient safety worksheet with answers

Under US OSHA rules, how often must a health care worker be fit-tested for a tight-fitting respirator such as an N95?

1. AEvery five years, at license renewal
2. BAt least once a year, and when the model changes
3. COnce only, when the worker is first hired by the hospital
4. DOnly after the worker has an exposure

How long should an alcohol-based hand rub be rubbed into the hands?

1. AAbout 2–3 seconds
2. BAt least 5 minutes
3. COnly until the rub has covered the palms
4. DAbout 20–30 seconds, until the hands are dry

A nurse cannot get a good seal with an N95 respirator because of a beard. Which device can be used instead?

1. AA powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR)
2. BTwo surgical masks worn together
3. CA standard surgical mask
4. DA washable cloth face mask worn over the beard

How should the urethral meatus be cared for in a patient with an indwelling urinary catheter?

1. AWith antiseptic cream applied to the meatus every shift
2. BWith daily bladder irrigation using an antibiotic solution through the catheter
3. CBy sliding the catheter in and out a little to clean it
4. DWith routine hygiene, using soap and water during daily washing

A nurse pours sterile saline into a bowl on a sterile field. Which technique is correct?

1. AReach across the field to fill the bowl at the far side
2. BRest the lip of the bottle on the edge of the bowl so that the saline does not splash
3. CPour from below the level of the field to reduce splashing
4. DHold the bottle with the label in the palm and pour without touching the bowl

Why are oral liquid medicines given with oral or enteral syringes rather than standard IV syringes?

1. AOral syringes do not fit IV lines, preventing wrong-route errors
2. BThere is no safety reason; it is only tradition
3. COral syringes measure intravenous doses more accurately
4. DIV syringes cannot measure small volumes of oral liquid accurately

A 2-year-old living in a house built many decades ago has anemia, irritability and poor appetite. Which cause should the nurse suspect?

1. AIron overload from eating too much red meat
2. BLead poisoning from old paint dust or chips
3. CCarbon dioxide from a gas cooker
4. DA food allergy to cow’s milk proteins

A patient dies after a wrong-drug error, and the hospital carries out a root cause analysis. What is its main focus?

1. AFinding the system and process weaknesses that allowed the error
2. BEstimating the legal costs for the hospital
3. CIdentifying which staff member made the error and should be disciplined
4. DDeciding whether to tell the family about the error