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NCLEX Review on Precautions and Safety

Apr 13, 2025

NCLEX Review: Precautions

Overview

  • Focus on Standard Precautions and Transmission-Based Precautions (Airborne, Droplet, Contact).
  • Key elements include how diseases are transmitted and required PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).

Standard Precautions

  • Apply to all patients to protect oneself and others.
  • Components include:
    • Hand Hygiene: Before and after patient contact, after glove removal, or touching surfaces. Use soap and water when visibly soiled, before eating, after bathroom use, or with diarrhea illnesses (C. diff, norovirus).
    • PPE: Gloves, gowns, goggles, facemask/shield as needed to protect against splashes and fluids.
    • Handling of equipment, environmental cleaning, respiratory hygiene, and laundry management.

Transmission-Based Precautions

  • Apply when patients are known or suspected to have infectious diseases.

Airborne Precautions

  • Transmission: Via inhalation of droplet nuclei that remain airborne (e.g., chickenpox, TB).
  • Diseases: Chickenpox (also contact), Disseminated Herpes Zoster (also contact), Measles, TB.
  • PPE: N95 mask always required. Special room ventilation (negative pressure room) necessary.
  • Mnemonic: "Airborne Chicken Number 95 Dissected Her Tubby Mealworms"

Droplet Precautions

  • Transmission: Larger droplets from coughing, sneezing into eyes, nose, or mouth.
  • Diseases: Diphtheria, epiglottitis, flu, meningococcal diseases, mumps, pneumonia, rubella.
  • PPE: Surgical mask at all times, plus additional PPE based on exposure.
  • Mnemonic: "Who's Adjustable Droplet Mask Salt Scary Pneumatic Fluid Parasite Playing Plaguing Distinguished German Men My Epic Moms Rhonda"

Contact Precautions

  • Transmission: Direct or indirect contact with patient or environments.
  • Diseases: MRSA, VRE, C. diff, norovirus, skin infections, conjunctivitis.
  • PPE: Gloves and gown at all times; soap and water for hand hygiene with diarrhea illnesses.
  • Mnemonic: "Dawn Medical Gloves I Scan With Every Contact Precaution Session"

Key Points

  • Always combine transmission-based precautions with standard precautions.
  • Ensure special ventilation rooms for airborne transmission.
  • Use specific PPE and hand hygiene methods based on the mode of transmission and exposure risk.

Conclusion

  • Understanding and properly implementing standard and transmission-based precautions is crucial for patient and healthcare provider safety.
  • Remember to review and practice these guidelines for the NCLEX exam.

Full transcript