Which of the following is the first priority in preventing infections when providing care for a client?
A. Wearing gowns and goggles
B. Using a barrier between client’s furniture and nurse’s bag
C. Handwashing
D. Wearing gloves
Correct Answer: C. Handwashing
Handwashing remains the most effective way to avoid spreading infection. However, too often nurses do not practice good handwashing techniques and do not teach families to do so. Nurses need to wash their hands before and after touching the client and before entering the nursing bag.
Option A: Isolation gowns are generally the preferred PPE for clothing but aprons occasionally are used where limited contamination is anticipated. If contamination of the arms can be anticipated, a gown should be selected. Goggles provide barrier protection for the eyes; personal prescription lenses do not provide optimal eye protection and should not be used as a substitute for goggles.
Option B: In terms of airflow blocking, a barrier height of at least 40 cm above the desk level (at 80 cm) is recommended to prevent the coughing flow of an infected person, considering an unknown location in the open office and subject to a modified ventilation mode.
Option D: Gloves are the most common type of PPE used in healthcare settings. However, gloves should never replace the practice of handwashing. The nurse should learn to work from clean to dirty. This is a basic principle of infection control. In this instance, it refers to touching clean body sites or surfaces before you touch dirty or heavily contaminated areas.