ATI Fundamentals: Basic Nursing Skills, Safety & Infection Control
Exam 1 2026 |Rationales
1. A nurse is caring for a client with Clostridioides difficile (C. diff). Which hand
hygiene method is mandatory after providing direct care?
A. Soap and water
B. Chlorhexidine scrub
C. Alcohol-based hand rub
D. Povidone-iodine solution
Answer: A
Rationale: Soap and water is mandatory for C. diff because alcohol-based rubs are
ineffective against the spores produced by this bacterium.
2. Using the RACE mnemonic for fire safety, what is the first action a nurse
should take when discovering a fire?
A. Activate the alarm
B. Extinguish the fire using a portable extinguisher
C. Confine the fire by closing doors
D. Rescue the clients in immediate danger
Answer: D
Rationale: RACE stands for Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish. The priority is always to
move clients to safety first.
,3. A nurse is applying wrist restraints to a client. Which action is appropriate to
ensure safety?
A. Tie the restraints to the side rails of the bed
B. Use a square knot to secure the restraint
C. Assess the skin every 4 hours
D. Ensure two fingers can fit between the restraint and the wrist
Answer: D
Rationale: Allowing two fingers ensures the restraint is not tight enough to impair
circulation. Restraints should be tied to the bed frame (not rails) with a quick-release knot
and assessed every 2 hours.
4. A nurse is preparing a sterile field. Which action would contaminate the
sterile field?
A. Holding sterile objects above waist level
B. Reaching across the sterile field to pick up a tool
C. Dropping a sterile item onto the field from 6 inches above
D. Opening the first flap of a sterile kit away from the body
Answer: B
Rationale: Reaching over a sterile field violates the principle of asepsis as microorganisms
can fall from the nurse’s arm onto the field.
5. A nurse is teaching a client how to use a cane. On which side should the client
hold the cane?
A. The side of the weaker leg
B. The dominant hand side regardless of injury
C. The side that feels most comfortable
D. The side of the stronger leg
Answer: D
, Rationale: The cane should be held on the unaffected (stronger) side to provide support
and stability for the opposite, weaker limb.
6. Which type of precautions should the nurse implement for a client diagnosed
with Pulmonary Tuberculosis?
A. Contact precautions
B. Droplet precautions
C. Protective environment
D. Airborne precautions
Answer: D
Rationale: Airborne precautions are required for TB, involving a negative-pressure room
and N95 respirator use.
7. What is the correct order for removing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?
A. Gloves, goggles, gown, mask
B. Mask, gown, goggles, gloves
C. Gown, gloves, mask, goggles
D. Goggles, mask, gloves, gown
Answer: A
Rationale: Gloves are removed first as they are most contaminated, followed by eyewear,
gown, and finally the mask.
8. A nurse is assessing a client for orthostatic hypotension. Which finding
indicates a positive result?
A. A decrease in systolic blood pressure by 10 mmHg
B. An increase in heart rate by 5 beats per minute
C. An increase in systolic blood pressure by 20 mmHg
D. A decrease in diastolic blood pressure by 10 mmHg
Answer: D
Exam 1 2026 |Rationales
1. A nurse is caring for a client with Clostridioides difficile (C. diff). Which hand
hygiene method is mandatory after providing direct care?
A. Soap and water
B. Chlorhexidine scrub
C. Alcohol-based hand rub
D. Povidone-iodine solution
Answer: A
Rationale: Soap and water is mandatory for C. diff because alcohol-based rubs are
ineffective against the spores produced by this bacterium.
2. Using the RACE mnemonic for fire safety, what is the first action a nurse
should take when discovering a fire?
A. Activate the alarm
B. Extinguish the fire using a portable extinguisher
C. Confine the fire by closing doors
D. Rescue the clients in immediate danger
Answer: D
Rationale: RACE stands for Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish. The priority is always to
move clients to safety first.
,3. A nurse is applying wrist restraints to a client. Which action is appropriate to
ensure safety?
A. Tie the restraints to the side rails of the bed
B. Use a square knot to secure the restraint
C. Assess the skin every 4 hours
D. Ensure two fingers can fit between the restraint and the wrist
Answer: D
Rationale: Allowing two fingers ensures the restraint is not tight enough to impair
circulation. Restraints should be tied to the bed frame (not rails) with a quick-release knot
and assessed every 2 hours.
4. A nurse is preparing a sterile field. Which action would contaminate the
sterile field?
A. Holding sterile objects above waist level
B. Reaching across the sterile field to pick up a tool
C. Dropping a sterile item onto the field from 6 inches above
D. Opening the first flap of a sterile kit away from the body
Answer: B
Rationale: Reaching over a sterile field violates the principle of asepsis as microorganisms
can fall from the nurse’s arm onto the field.
5. A nurse is teaching a client how to use a cane. On which side should the client
hold the cane?
A. The side of the weaker leg
B. The dominant hand side regardless of injury
C. The side that feels most comfortable
D. The side of the stronger leg
Answer: D
, Rationale: The cane should be held on the unaffected (stronger) side to provide support
and stability for the opposite, weaker limb.
6. Which type of precautions should the nurse implement for a client diagnosed
with Pulmonary Tuberculosis?
A. Contact precautions
B. Droplet precautions
C. Protective environment
D. Airborne precautions
Answer: D
Rationale: Airborne precautions are required for TB, involving a negative-pressure room
and N95 respirator use.
7. What is the correct order for removing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?
A. Gloves, goggles, gown, mask
B. Mask, gown, goggles, gloves
C. Gown, gloves, mask, goggles
D. Goggles, mask, gloves, gown
Answer: A
Rationale: Gloves are removed first as they are most contaminated, followed by eyewear,
gown, and finally the mask.
8. A nurse is assessing a client for orthostatic hypotension. Which finding
indicates a positive result?
A. A decrease in systolic blood pressure by 10 mmHg
B. An increase in heart rate by 5 beats per minute
C. An increase in systolic blood pressure by 20 mmHg
D. A decrease in diastolic blood pressure by 10 mmHg
Answer: D
