NURA 303 EXAM 2 | COMPLETE NURSING STUDY GUIDE & EXAM
REVIEW 2026/2027
A nurse is following the principles of medical asepsis when performing patient care in a hospital setting.
Which nursing action performed by the nurse follows these recommended guidelines?
A. The nurse carries the patients' soiled bed linens close to the body to prevent spreading
microorganisms into the air
B. The nurse places soiled bed linens and hospital gowns on the floor when making the bed
C. The nurse moves the patient table away from the nurse's body when wiping it off after a meal
D. The nurse cleans the most soiled items in the patient's bathroom first and follows with the cleaner
items - correct answer ✔✔c. According to the principles of medical asepsis, the nurse should move
equipment away from the body when brushing, scrubbing, or dusting articles to prevent contaminated
particles from settling on the hair, face, or uniform. The nurse should carry soiled items away from the
body to prevent them from touching the clothing. The nurse should not put soiled items on the floor, as
it is highly contaminated. The nurse should also clean the least soiled areas first and then move to the
more soiled ones to prevent having the cleaner areas soiled by the dirtier areas.
A school nurse is performing an assessment of a student who states, "I'm too tired to keep my head up in
class." The student has a low-grade fever. The nurse would interpret these findings as indicating which
stage of infection?
A. Incubation period
B. Prodromal stage
C. Full stage of illness
D. Convalescent period - correct answer ✔✔b. During the prodromal stage, the person has vague signs
and symptoms, such as fatigue and a low-grade fever. There are no obvious symptoms of infection during
the incubation period, and they are more specific during the full stage of illness before disappearing by
the convalescent period.
A nurse is caring for patients in an isolation ward. In which situations would the nurse appropriately use
an alcohol-based handrub to decontaminate the hands? Select all that apply.
A. Providing a bed bath for a patient
B. Visibly soiled hands after changing the bedding of a patient
C. Removing gloves when patient care is completed
D. Inserting a urinary catheter for a female patient
E. Assisting with a surgical placement of a cardiac stent
F. Removing old magazines from a patient's table - correct answer ✔✔a, c, d, f. It is recommended to use
an alcohol-based handrub in the following situations: before direct contact with patients; after direct
contact with patient skin; after contact with body fluids if hands are not visibly soiled; after removing
gloves; before inserting urinary catheters, peripheral vascular catheters, or invasive devices that do not
require surgical placement; before donning sterile gloves prior to an invasive procedure; if moving from a
contaminated body site to a clean body site; and after contact with objects contaminated by the patient.
Keep in mind that handrubs are not appropriate for use with C. difficile infection.
A nurse is performing hand hygiene after providing patient care. The nurse's hands are not visibly soiled.
Which steps in this procedure are performed correctly? Select all that apply.
A. Removes all jewelry including a platinum wedding band
B. Washes hands to 1 in above the wrists
,C. Uses approximately one teaspoon of liquid soap
D. Keeps hands higher than elbows when placing under faucet
E. Uses friction motion when washing for at least 20 seconds
F. Rinses thoroughly with water flowing toward fingertips - correct answer ✔✔b, c, e, f. Proper hand
hygiene includes removing jewelry (with the exception of a plain wedding band), wetting the hands and
wrist area with the hands lower than the elbows, using about one teaspoon of liquid soap, using friction
motion for at least 20 seconds, washing to 1 in above the wrists with a friction motion for at least 20
seconds, and rinsing thoroughly with water flowing toward fingertips.
The nurse has opened the sterile supplies and put on two sterile gloves to complete a sterile dressing
change, a procedure that requires surgical asepsis. Which action by the nurse is appropriate?
A. Keep splashes on the sterile field to a minimum
B. Cover the nose and mouth with gloved hands if a sneeze is imminent
C. Use forceps soaked in a disinfectant
D. Consider the outer 1 in of the sterile field as contaminated - correct answer ✔✔d. Considering the
outer inch of a sterile field as contaminated is a principle of surgical asepsis. Moisture such as from
splashes contaminates the sterile field, and sneezing would contaminate the sterile gloves. Forceps
soaked in disinfectant are not considered sterile.
The nurse caring for patients in a hospital setting institutes CDC standard precaution recommendations
for which category of patients?
A. Only patients with diagnosed infections
B. Only patients with visible blood, body fluids, or sweat
C. Only patients with nonintact skin
D. All patients receiving care in hospitals - correct answer ✔✔d. Standard precautions apply to all
patients receiving care in hospitals, regardless of their diagnosis or possible infection status. These
recommendations include blood; all body fluids, secretions, and excretions except sweat; nonintact skin;
and mucous membranes.
In addition to standard precautions, the nurse would initiate droplet precautions for which patients?
Select all that apply.
A. A patient diagnosed with rubella
B. A patient diagnosed with diphtheria
C. A patient diagnosed with varicella
D. A patient diagnosed with tuberculosis
E. A patient diagnosed with MRSA
F. An infant diagnosed with adenovirus infection - correct answer ✔✔a, b, f. Rubella, diphtheria, and
adenovirus infection are illnesses transmitted by large-particle droplets and require droplet precautions
in addition to standard precautions. Airborne precautions are used for patients who have infections
spread through the air with small particles; for example, tuberculosis, varicella, and rubeola. Contact
precautions are used for patients who are infected or colonized by a multidrug-resistant organism
(MDRO), such as MRSA.
A nurse is preparing a sterile field using a packaged sterile drape for a confused patient who is scheduled
for a surgical procedure. When setting up the field, the patient accidentally touches an instrument in the
sterile field. What is the appropriate nursing action in this situation?
A. Ask another nurse to hold the hand of the patient and continue setting up the field
B. Remove the instrument that was touched by the patient and continue setting up the sterile field
, C. Discard the supplies and prepare a new sterile field with another person holding the patient's hand
D. No action is necessary since the patient has touched his or her own sterile field - correct answer ✔✔c.
If the patient touches a sterile field, the nurse should discard the supplies and prepare a new sterile field.
If the patient is confused, the nurse should have someone assist by holding the patient's hand and
reinforcing what is happening.
A nurse who created a sterile field for a patient is adding a sterile solution to the field. What is an
appropriate action when performing this task?
A. Place the bottle cap on the table with the edges down
B. Hold the bottle inside the edge of the sterile field
C. Hold the bottle with the label side opposite the palm of the hand
D. Pour the solution from a height of 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) - correct answer ✔✔d. To add a sterile
solution to a sterile field, the nurse would open the solution container according to directions and place
the cap on the table away from the field with the edges up. The nurse would then hold the bottle
outside the edge of the sterile field with the label side facing the palm of the hand and prepare to pour
from a height of 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm).
A nurse is finished with patient care. How would the nurse remove PPE when leaving the room?
A. Remove gown, goggles, mask, gloves, and exit the room
B. Remove gloves, perform hand hygiene, then remove gown, mask, and goggles
C. Untie gown waist strings, remove gloves, goggles, gown, mask; perform hand hygiene
D. Remove goggles, mask, gloves, and gown, and perform hand hygiene - correct answer ✔✔c. If an
impervious gown has been tied in front of the body at the waist, the nurse should untie the waist strings
before removing gloves. Gloves are always removed first because they are most likely to be
contaminated, followed by the goggles, gown, and mask, and hands should be washed thoroughly after
the equipment has been removed and before leaving the room.
A nurse who is caring for a patient diagnosed with HIV/AIDS incurs a needlestick injury when
administering the patient's medications. What would be the first action of the nurse following the
exposure?
A. Report the incident to the appropriate person and file an incident report
B. Wash the exposed area with warm water and soap
C. Consent to PEP at appropriate time
D. Set up counseling sessions regarding safe practice to protect self - correct answer ✔✔b. When a
needlestick injury occurs, the nurse should wash the exposed area immediately with warm water and
soap, report the incident to the appropriate person and complete an incident injury report, consent to
and await the results of blood tests, consent to PEP, and attend counseling sessions regarding safe
practice to protect self and others.
The nurse assesses patients to determine their risk for HAIs. Which hospitalized patient would the nurse
consider most at risk for developing this type of infection?
A. A 60-year-old patient who smokes two packs of cigarettes daily
B. A 40-year-old patient who has a white blood cell count of 6,000/mm3
C. A 65-year-old patient who has an indwelling urinary catheter in place
D. A 60-year-old patient who is a vegetarian and slightly underweight - correct answer ✔✔c. Indwelling
urinary catheters have been implicated in most HAIs. Cigarette smoking, a normal white blood cell count,
and a vegetarian diet have not been implicated as risk factors for HAIs.
REVIEW 2026/2027
A nurse is following the principles of medical asepsis when performing patient care in a hospital setting.
Which nursing action performed by the nurse follows these recommended guidelines?
A. The nurse carries the patients' soiled bed linens close to the body to prevent spreading
microorganisms into the air
B. The nurse places soiled bed linens and hospital gowns on the floor when making the bed
C. The nurse moves the patient table away from the nurse's body when wiping it off after a meal
D. The nurse cleans the most soiled items in the patient's bathroom first and follows with the cleaner
items - correct answer ✔✔c. According to the principles of medical asepsis, the nurse should move
equipment away from the body when brushing, scrubbing, or dusting articles to prevent contaminated
particles from settling on the hair, face, or uniform. The nurse should carry soiled items away from the
body to prevent them from touching the clothing. The nurse should not put soiled items on the floor, as
it is highly contaminated. The nurse should also clean the least soiled areas first and then move to the
more soiled ones to prevent having the cleaner areas soiled by the dirtier areas.
A school nurse is performing an assessment of a student who states, "I'm too tired to keep my head up in
class." The student has a low-grade fever. The nurse would interpret these findings as indicating which
stage of infection?
A. Incubation period
B. Prodromal stage
C. Full stage of illness
D. Convalescent period - correct answer ✔✔b. During the prodromal stage, the person has vague signs
and symptoms, such as fatigue and a low-grade fever. There are no obvious symptoms of infection during
the incubation period, and they are more specific during the full stage of illness before disappearing by
the convalescent period.
A nurse is caring for patients in an isolation ward. In which situations would the nurse appropriately use
an alcohol-based handrub to decontaminate the hands? Select all that apply.
A. Providing a bed bath for a patient
B. Visibly soiled hands after changing the bedding of a patient
C. Removing gloves when patient care is completed
D. Inserting a urinary catheter for a female patient
E. Assisting with a surgical placement of a cardiac stent
F. Removing old magazines from a patient's table - correct answer ✔✔a, c, d, f. It is recommended to use
an alcohol-based handrub in the following situations: before direct contact with patients; after direct
contact with patient skin; after contact with body fluids if hands are not visibly soiled; after removing
gloves; before inserting urinary catheters, peripheral vascular catheters, or invasive devices that do not
require surgical placement; before donning sterile gloves prior to an invasive procedure; if moving from a
contaminated body site to a clean body site; and after contact with objects contaminated by the patient.
Keep in mind that handrubs are not appropriate for use with C. difficile infection.
A nurse is performing hand hygiene after providing patient care. The nurse's hands are not visibly soiled.
Which steps in this procedure are performed correctly? Select all that apply.
A. Removes all jewelry including a platinum wedding band
B. Washes hands to 1 in above the wrists
,C. Uses approximately one teaspoon of liquid soap
D. Keeps hands higher than elbows when placing under faucet
E. Uses friction motion when washing for at least 20 seconds
F. Rinses thoroughly with water flowing toward fingertips - correct answer ✔✔b, c, e, f. Proper hand
hygiene includes removing jewelry (with the exception of a plain wedding band), wetting the hands and
wrist area with the hands lower than the elbows, using about one teaspoon of liquid soap, using friction
motion for at least 20 seconds, washing to 1 in above the wrists with a friction motion for at least 20
seconds, and rinsing thoroughly with water flowing toward fingertips.
The nurse has opened the sterile supplies and put on two sterile gloves to complete a sterile dressing
change, a procedure that requires surgical asepsis. Which action by the nurse is appropriate?
A. Keep splashes on the sterile field to a minimum
B. Cover the nose and mouth with gloved hands if a sneeze is imminent
C. Use forceps soaked in a disinfectant
D. Consider the outer 1 in of the sterile field as contaminated - correct answer ✔✔d. Considering the
outer inch of a sterile field as contaminated is a principle of surgical asepsis. Moisture such as from
splashes contaminates the sterile field, and sneezing would contaminate the sterile gloves. Forceps
soaked in disinfectant are not considered sterile.
The nurse caring for patients in a hospital setting institutes CDC standard precaution recommendations
for which category of patients?
A. Only patients with diagnosed infections
B. Only patients with visible blood, body fluids, or sweat
C. Only patients with nonintact skin
D. All patients receiving care in hospitals - correct answer ✔✔d. Standard precautions apply to all
patients receiving care in hospitals, regardless of their diagnosis or possible infection status. These
recommendations include blood; all body fluids, secretions, and excretions except sweat; nonintact skin;
and mucous membranes.
In addition to standard precautions, the nurse would initiate droplet precautions for which patients?
Select all that apply.
A. A patient diagnosed with rubella
B. A patient diagnosed with diphtheria
C. A patient diagnosed with varicella
D. A patient diagnosed with tuberculosis
E. A patient diagnosed with MRSA
F. An infant diagnosed with adenovirus infection - correct answer ✔✔a, b, f. Rubella, diphtheria, and
adenovirus infection are illnesses transmitted by large-particle droplets and require droplet precautions
in addition to standard precautions. Airborne precautions are used for patients who have infections
spread through the air with small particles; for example, tuberculosis, varicella, and rubeola. Contact
precautions are used for patients who are infected or colonized by a multidrug-resistant organism
(MDRO), such as MRSA.
A nurse is preparing a sterile field using a packaged sterile drape for a confused patient who is scheduled
for a surgical procedure. When setting up the field, the patient accidentally touches an instrument in the
sterile field. What is the appropriate nursing action in this situation?
A. Ask another nurse to hold the hand of the patient and continue setting up the field
B. Remove the instrument that was touched by the patient and continue setting up the sterile field
, C. Discard the supplies and prepare a new sterile field with another person holding the patient's hand
D. No action is necessary since the patient has touched his or her own sterile field - correct answer ✔✔c.
If the patient touches a sterile field, the nurse should discard the supplies and prepare a new sterile field.
If the patient is confused, the nurse should have someone assist by holding the patient's hand and
reinforcing what is happening.
A nurse who created a sterile field for a patient is adding a sterile solution to the field. What is an
appropriate action when performing this task?
A. Place the bottle cap on the table with the edges down
B. Hold the bottle inside the edge of the sterile field
C. Hold the bottle with the label side opposite the palm of the hand
D. Pour the solution from a height of 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) - correct answer ✔✔d. To add a sterile
solution to a sterile field, the nurse would open the solution container according to directions and place
the cap on the table away from the field with the edges up. The nurse would then hold the bottle
outside the edge of the sterile field with the label side facing the palm of the hand and prepare to pour
from a height of 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm).
A nurse is finished with patient care. How would the nurse remove PPE when leaving the room?
A. Remove gown, goggles, mask, gloves, and exit the room
B. Remove gloves, perform hand hygiene, then remove gown, mask, and goggles
C. Untie gown waist strings, remove gloves, goggles, gown, mask; perform hand hygiene
D. Remove goggles, mask, gloves, and gown, and perform hand hygiene - correct answer ✔✔c. If an
impervious gown has been tied in front of the body at the waist, the nurse should untie the waist strings
before removing gloves. Gloves are always removed first because they are most likely to be
contaminated, followed by the goggles, gown, and mask, and hands should be washed thoroughly after
the equipment has been removed and before leaving the room.
A nurse who is caring for a patient diagnosed with HIV/AIDS incurs a needlestick injury when
administering the patient's medications. What would be the first action of the nurse following the
exposure?
A. Report the incident to the appropriate person and file an incident report
B. Wash the exposed area with warm water and soap
C. Consent to PEP at appropriate time
D. Set up counseling sessions regarding safe practice to protect self - correct answer ✔✔b. When a
needlestick injury occurs, the nurse should wash the exposed area immediately with warm water and
soap, report the incident to the appropriate person and complete an incident injury report, consent to
and await the results of blood tests, consent to PEP, and attend counseling sessions regarding safe
practice to protect self and others.
The nurse assesses patients to determine their risk for HAIs. Which hospitalized patient would the nurse
consider most at risk for developing this type of infection?
A. A 60-year-old patient who smokes two packs of cigarettes daily
B. A 40-year-old patient who has a white blood cell count of 6,000/mm3
C. A 65-year-old patient who has an indwelling urinary catheter in place
D. A 60-year-old patient who is a vegetarian and slightly underweight - correct answer ✔✔c. Indwelling
urinary catheters have been implicated in most HAIs. Cigarette smoking, a normal white blood cell count,
and a vegetarian diet have not been implicated as risk factors for HAIs.
