Certified Nurses Operating Room (CNOR) Practice Exam

Which personal protective equipment is essential for contact precautions?

1. N95 mask

2. Face shield

3. Gown and gloves

4. Surgical cap

The correct answer is: Gown and gloves

The essential personal protective equipment for contact precautions is a gown and gloves. Contact precautions are implemented in healthcare settings to prevent the spread of infectious agents that can be transmitted via direct or indirect contact. The gown serves as a barrier to protect the healthcare worker's clothing and skin from contaminants, while gloves provide a protective layer to prevent pathogens from being transferred during patient care activities. Using a gown and gloves is crucial in situations where there is a risk of exposure to blood, bodily fluids, or contaminated surfaces, particularly with infections known to be transmitted through direct contact, such as Clostridium difficile or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Proper use of these items significantly reduces the risk of infection transmission, thereby safeguarding both the healthcare worker and other patients. In contrast, while an N95 mask is necessary for airborne precautions, and a face shield may be required to protect the eyes from splashes, they do not specifically address the direct transmission concerns that contact precautions focus on. A surgical cap is not typically required for contact precautions but is more relevant in certain surgical settings to reduce the risk of hair shedding into sterile fields. Therefore, the combination of gown and gloves is the most appropriate choice for effectively adhering to contact precautions in a healthcare environment.