Infection control precautions are a big topic on the NCLEX. To pass the NCLEX, you’ll need to know about the basics: airborne, droplet, contact, enteric and neutropenic precautions. This is helpful information especially when you want to keep your patients safe at clinical.
![Infection Control Precautions on the NCLEX](https://thenclextutor.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/InfectionControlNCLEX.jpg)
It’s also important to know how to put on and take off personal protective equipment (PPE). The Centers for Disease Control go into more detail about Infection Control. But I like to keep things simple!
All of the following are infection control precautions for real life nursing and for the NCLEX for keeping your patients safe.
Airborne Precautions
- most contagious / needs private room
- airborne droplets stay in air for up to 2 hours and travel across the room
- Diseases are: My Chicken haZ TB
- Measles
- Chicken pox / Varicella Zoster (when lesions have crusted over can just be contact)
- Shingles / Herpes Zoster
- TB
- PPE: N95 mask/particulate respirator, gown, gloves, goggles
- client wears surgical mask when leaving room
- negative pressure room, air exchanges and keep door closed
Droplet Precautions
- Private room
- large drops that go out about 3 feet and fall to floor
- SPIDERMAN (3 S’s and 3 P’s)
- scarlet fever, sepsis, streptococcal pharyngitis, parovirus, pertussis, pneumonia, influenza, diphtheria, epiglottis, rubella, meningitis, mumps, mycoplasma/meningococcal pneumonia, adenovirus
- PPE: surgical mask within 3 feet of client; wear gown, googles and gloves if closer
Contact Precautions
- Private room
- disease is transmitted by touching the client or touching something else the client touched
- mostly wound, skin and eye infections
- multi-drug resistant organisms: MRSA, VRE, CRE
- skin and wound infections: CHIPS
- cutaneous diphtheria, herpes simplex, impetigo, pediculosis, scabies, staphylococci
- eye infections (conjunctivitis)
- PPE: gown and gloves (possible mask, eye wear)
Contact & Enteric Precautions
- Private room
- diseases with diarrhea
- C. diff, rotavirus, norovirus
- wash hands with soap and water
Neutropenic Precautions/Protective Isolation
- Private room
- for immunosupressed
- AIDs, burns, organ transplants, immunosuppression meds, chemotherapy
- wear gloves for all procedures
- no live vaccines, avoid invasive procedures, check WBC and temp
Personal Protective Equipment
- putting on/donning
- puts hands over your head, pretend you have it on already and go from bottom up
- ON– gown, mask, googles, gloves
- taking off/doffing
- alphabetical order
- OFF– gloves, goggles, gown, mask
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