Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse Practice Test

The nurse is teaching infection control measures. What is the first line of intervention for preventing the spread of infection?

1. Wearing gloves

2. Administering antibiotics

3. Hand hygiene

4. Assigning private rooms for patients

The correct answer is: Hand hygiene

Hand hygiene is the first line of intervention for preventing the spread of infection because clean hands are crucial in reducing the transmission of pathogens from one person to another. By performing hand hygiene, such as washing hands with soap and water or using hand sanitizer, healthcare providers can effectively remove and kill germs that could potentially cause infections. This simple act is considered the most important measure in infection control practices. While wearing gloves, administering antibiotics, and assigning private rooms for patients are all important in infection control, none of these measures are as fundamental as proper hand hygiene in preventing the spread of infections.