Safety
Infection Prevention & CDC Transmission Precautions
Standard precautions, isolation categories, and hand hygiene from authoritative CDC guidance.
Standard precautions for every patient
The CDC applies standard precautions to all patient contact—hand hygiene, safe injection practices, respiratory hygiene, and appropriate PPE when exposure to blood or body fluids is possible.1 Treat every patient as potentially infectious.
Hand hygiene is the single most effective infection prevention act. The CDC recommends alcohol-based rub when hands are not visibly soiled, and soap and water when they are or after caring for C. difficile patients.2
Transmission-based precautions
Contact precautions protect against MRSA and wound infections; droplet for influenza and pertussis; airborne for tuberculosis and measles (fit-tested N95 or higher). Know your facility’s signage and PPE station layout.
Practical nurses often perform direct care in isolation rooms—don and doff PPE in correct order to avoid self-contamination.
Surveillance and reporting
Healthcare-associated infections are tracked nationally to drive improvement.1 Report breaches, exposures, and positive cultures per facility policy.
Vaccination of healthcare workers, including annual influenza immunization, protects patients and staff—a professional obligation.
Practice this skill
Apply what you read with a hands-on Isolation Precautions drill — instant feedback on every scenario.
