Infection prevention and isolation precautions
150 practice questions with answer rationales
COURSE Infection control and isolation
QUESTIONS 150
PREPARED August 2026
,Infection control and isolation
Exam Overview
This academic exam resource gives Nursing School a focused 150-question practice set for Infection
control and isolation. The material is written to support careful review, practical reasoning, and steady
preparation without promotional claims or repeated title wording. Questions use clear professional
language, credible answer choices, and concise rationales that help students understand why one
option is best. The document provides high-quality academic material for independent revision,
classroom reinforcement, and identifying knowledge gaps before assessments. Students should pair it
with course notes, textbooks, instructor guidance, and current academic standards for the strongest
preparation. Each item supports careful review, confident practice, and.
Question 1: Which action best describes standard precautions in nursing practice?
A. Using isolation only for patients with confirmed infections
B. Cleaning hands only after visible contamination
C. Wearing a mask for all patient contact
D. Applying infection-control measures to every patient regardless of diagnosis
Answer: D
Rationale: Standard precautions are used for all patients to reduce transmission risk from blood, body
fluids, and other potentially infectious materials.
Question 2: What is the most important step before and after patient contact to prevent
spread of infection?
A. Changing gloves
B. Wearing a gown
C. Hand hygiene
D. Using a face shield
Answer: C
Rationale: Hand hygiene is the single most effective measure for preventing transmission in
healthcare settings.
Question 3: Which organism class is commonly associated with contact precautions
because it can spread by direct touch or contaminated surfaces?
A. Measles virus
B. Varicella-zoster virus
C. Mycobacterium tuberculosis
D. Clostridioides difficile
Answer: D
Rationale: C. difficile is spread through spores and contaminated hands or surfaces, so contact
precautions are used.
Page 1 of 41
,Infection control and isolation
Question 4: A patient with suspected influenza should be placed on which type of
precautions?
A. Airborne precautions
B. Contact precautions
C. Droplet precautions
D. Reverse isolation
Answer: C
Rationale: Influenza is primarily spread by respiratory droplets, so droplet precautions are indicated.
Question 5: Which personal protective equipment is most appropriate when entering a
room under contact precautions?
A. Sterile gloves and cap
B. N95 respirator only
C. Shoe covers only
D. Gloves and gown
Answer: D
Rationale: Contact precautions typically require gown and gloves to prevent contamination of
clothing and hands.
Question 6: A patient has a draining wound caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA). Which isolation precaution is most appropriate in addition to standard
precautions?
A. Airborne precautions with a negative-pressure room
B. Protective environment precautions with filtered air
C. Droplet precautions with a surgical mask for all staff
D. Contact precautions with gown and gloves
Answer: D
Rationale: MRSA spreads mainly through direct contact with infected skin, drainage, or
contaminated surfaces, so contact precautions are indicated. Airborne precautions are used for
pathogens that remain suspended in air, such as tuberculosis, which is not the usual route for MRSA.
Question 7: A private room with negative air pressure is most important for a patient with
which condition?
A. Chickenpox
B. MRSA wound infection
C. Tuberculosis
D. Norovirus
Page 2 of 41
, Infection control and isolation
Answer: C
Rationale: Negative-pressure rooms help prevent airborne spread of organisms such as
Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Question 8: When should gloves be removed during routine care?
A. After touching the patient and then the chart
B. Only after handwashing outside the room
C. At the end of the shift
D. Before leaving the patient room and after completing the task
Answer: D
Rationale: Gloves should be removed promptly after use and before leaving the care area to avoid
contaminating the environment.
Question 9: After caring for a client on contact precautions, which action should the nurse
perform first when removing personal protective equipment?
A. Perform hand hygiene
B. Remove goggles or face shield
C. Remove gown
D. Remove gloves
Answer: D
Rationale: Gloves are removed first because they are the most contaminated item and are likely to
transfer organisms to the hands or other PPE during removal. Hand hygiene is essential, but it comes
after contaminated gloves are taken off and before further removal steps that may touch the face or
clothing.
Question 10: A client is admitted with confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis. Which room
placement is the priority nursing action?
A. Shared room with another client who has the same diagnosis
B. Private room with droplet precautions
C. Private room with negative-pressure airflow
D. Private room with closed-door contact precautions
Answer: C
Rationale: Pulmonary tuberculosis spreads through airborne particles, so the client needs a
negative-pressure room to keep contaminated air from circulating outside the room. Droplet or contact
precautions do not control airborne spread effectively.
Question 11: What is the purpose of cohorting patients?
A. To place all patients in a shared room regardless of diagnosis
Page 3 of 41
150 practice questions with answer rationales
COURSE Infection control and isolation
QUESTIONS 150
PREPARED August 2026
,Infection control and isolation
Exam Overview
This academic exam resource gives Nursing School a focused 150-question practice set for Infection
control and isolation. The material is written to support careful review, practical reasoning, and steady
preparation without promotional claims or repeated title wording. Questions use clear professional
language, credible answer choices, and concise rationales that help students understand why one
option is best. The document provides high-quality academic material for independent revision,
classroom reinforcement, and identifying knowledge gaps before assessments. Students should pair it
with course notes, textbooks, instructor guidance, and current academic standards for the strongest
preparation. Each item supports careful review, confident practice, and.
Question 1: Which action best describes standard precautions in nursing practice?
A. Using isolation only for patients with confirmed infections
B. Cleaning hands only after visible contamination
C. Wearing a mask for all patient contact
D. Applying infection-control measures to every patient regardless of diagnosis
Answer: D
Rationale: Standard precautions are used for all patients to reduce transmission risk from blood, body
fluids, and other potentially infectious materials.
Question 2: What is the most important step before and after patient contact to prevent
spread of infection?
A. Changing gloves
B. Wearing a gown
C. Hand hygiene
D. Using a face shield
Answer: C
Rationale: Hand hygiene is the single most effective measure for preventing transmission in
healthcare settings.
Question 3: Which organism class is commonly associated with contact precautions
because it can spread by direct touch or contaminated surfaces?
A. Measles virus
B. Varicella-zoster virus
C. Mycobacterium tuberculosis
D. Clostridioides difficile
Answer: D
Rationale: C. difficile is spread through spores and contaminated hands or surfaces, so contact
precautions are used.
Page 1 of 41
,Infection control and isolation
Question 4: A patient with suspected influenza should be placed on which type of
precautions?
A. Airborne precautions
B. Contact precautions
C. Droplet precautions
D. Reverse isolation
Answer: C
Rationale: Influenza is primarily spread by respiratory droplets, so droplet precautions are indicated.
Question 5: Which personal protective equipment is most appropriate when entering a
room under contact precautions?
A. Sterile gloves and cap
B. N95 respirator only
C. Shoe covers only
D. Gloves and gown
Answer: D
Rationale: Contact precautions typically require gown and gloves to prevent contamination of
clothing and hands.
Question 6: A patient has a draining wound caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA). Which isolation precaution is most appropriate in addition to standard
precautions?
A. Airborne precautions with a negative-pressure room
B. Protective environment precautions with filtered air
C. Droplet precautions with a surgical mask for all staff
D. Contact precautions with gown and gloves
Answer: D
Rationale: MRSA spreads mainly through direct contact with infected skin, drainage, or
contaminated surfaces, so contact precautions are indicated. Airborne precautions are used for
pathogens that remain suspended in air, such as tuberculosis, which is not the usual route for MRSA.
Question 7: A private room with negative air pressure is most important for a patient with
which condition?
A. Chickenpox
B. MRSA wound infection
C. Tuberculosis
D. Norovirus
Page 2 of 41
, Infection control and isolation
Answer: C
Rationale: Negative-pressure rooms help prevent airborne spread of organisms such as
Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Question 8: When should gloves be removed during routine care?
A. After touching the patient and then the chart
B. Only after handwashing outside the room
C. At the end of the shift
D. Before leaving the patient room and after completing the task
Answer: D
Rationale: Gloves should be removed promptly after use and before leaving the care area to avoid
contaminating the environment.
Question 9: After caring for a client on contact precautions, which action should the nurse
perform first when removing personal protective equipment?
A. Perform hand hygiene
B. Remove goggles or face shield
C. Remove gown
D. Remove gloves
Answer: D
Rationale: Gloves are removed first because they are the most contaminated item and are likely to
transfer organisms to the hands or other PPE during removal. Hand hygiene is essential, but it comes
after contaminated gloves are taken off and before further removal steps that may touch the face or
clothing.
Question 10: A client is admitted with confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis. Which room
placement is the priority nursing action?
A. Shared room with another client who has the same diagnosis
B. Private room with droplet precautions
C. Private room with negative-pressure airflow
D. Private room with closed-door contact precautions
Answer: C
Rationale: Pulmonary tuberculosis spreads through airborne particles, so the client needs a
negative-pressure room to keep contaminated air from circulating outside the room. Droplet or contact
precautions do not control airborne spread effectively.
Question 11: What is the purpose of cohorting patients?
A. To place all patients in a shared room regardless of diagnosis
Page 3 of 41
