NCLEX-RN Study Guide

NCLEX Infection Control Questions and Precautions

November 2, 2026 · 5 min read

Short answer. Infection control NCLEX questions test which precaution applies to which organism, and when to escalate a suspected infection to sepsis. Standard precautions apply to every client, and the addition is decided by the route of transmission.

What the 2026 NCLEX tests in this area

Safety and Infection Control: standard and transmission based precautions, sterile technique
Physiological Adaptation: sepsis, septic shock, HIV and opportunistic infection

Key facts to know

Standard precautions	Apply to all clients. Gloves for body fluids, hand hygiene before and after contact
Contact precautions	MRSA, C difficile, scabies, and wound infections with drainage
Droplet precautions	Influenza, pertussis, meningococcal meningitis, and mumps
Airborne precautions	Tuberculosis, measles, varicella. N95 respirator and negative pressure room
Sepsis red flags	Fever or hypothermia, tachycardia, tachypnea, hypotension and altered mental status
CD4 threshold for AIDS defining illness	Below 200 cells per microliter

Practice question from this chapter

A client with Clostridium difficile infection has frequent watery stools and is on contact precautions. After removing the gloves, which hand hygiene method is correct?

Wash with soap and water
Skip hand hygiene because gloves were worn
Rinse with saline
Use alcohol-based hand rub

Show answer and rationale

Correct answer: D. Use alcohol-based hand rub

Clostridium difficile spores are not killed by alcohol-based rub, so hands are washed with soap and water. Alcohol-based rub is ineffective against the spores, and hand hygiene is required even after glove removal.

Second practice question

The nurse is caring for a patient in protective isolation. Which precaution is important for visitors?

Do not enter patient room if experiencing any symptoms of respiratory infection
Visits are not allowed
Visitors must wear gowns at all times
Visitors must wear N95 masks

Show answer and rationale

Correct answer: A. Do not enter patient room if experiencing any symptoms of respiratory infection

The review states that visitors should not enter patient room if experiencing any symptoms of respiratory infection.

Pick the precaution from the route

Ask how the organism leaves the body. Contact spread needs gloves and gown and dedicated equipment. Droplet spread needs a mask within about one metre. Airborne spread needs an N95 and a negative pressure room. Items rarely name the precaution; they name the organism, and the route follows.

Alcohol rub does not kill C difficile spores. That is why soap and water is the required hand hygiene after contact with a client who has it, and why it appears as a correct answer so often.

Sepsis is a time problem

A client with an infection who becomes tachycardic, tachypneic and hypotensive is in sepsis until proven otherwise. Cultures then antibiotics, with fluids for the hypotension, and lactate to measure the response. Waiting for a confirmatory result before treating is the wrong answer, because mortality rises with every hour of delay.

Choose the precaution by route

Three questions resolve almost every isolation item. How does the organism travel, how long does it survive outside the body, and what protects the worker. Contact needs gloves and gown. Droplet needs a mask within about one metre. Airborne needs an N95 and negative pressure. Standard precautions apply to everyone, including clients with no known infection.

Then check the donning and doffing order, because items test it. Gloves last on and first off, hand hygiene before and after, and the mask last off for airborne. Removing personal protective equipment in the wrong order contaminates your hands.

Sepsis recognition and the bundle

The first hour of sepsis matters: cultures, lactate, broad spectrum antibiotics, and fluids for hypotension. A client with an infection who becomes tachycardic and hypotensive with a change in mental status is septic until proven otherwise, and waiting for a confirmatory test is the wrong answer.

HIV items follow a different logic. The concern is opportunistic infection, so a CD4 count below 200 mandates prophylaxis and teaching. Post exposure prophylaxis for a nurse after a needlestick starts within hours, not the next day.

Frequently asked questions

Which precautions for tuberculosis?

Airborne: N95 respirator, negative pressure room, and a fit tested mask for anyone entering.

What type of isolation does MRSA need?

Contact precautions with gloves and gown, dedicated equipment and hand hygiene with soap or alcohol.

Does alcohol sanitiser work for C difficile?

No. Spores survive alcohol. Use soap and water, and expect contact precautions.

Do I need a private room for droplet precautions?

Yes, and a mask for anyone within about one metre. Cohort with the same organism if a private room is unavailable.

What is standard precautions?

The baseline practice for every client: hand hygiene, gloves for body fluids, and protective equipment based on the expected exposure, regardless of whether an infection is known.

How long do airborne precautions last for varicella?

Until all lesions have crusted, which is often about five to seven days after the rash appears. Chickenpox and measles require airborne plus contact precautions.

Practise this chapter with rationales

NCLEXDeck gives you practice questions for every body system, with a rationale for the correct answer and for each distractor. Start on the free tier, no card required.

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