A client with suspected Clostridioides difficile infection has watery diarrhea. Which infection control action is most appropriate?
1Use airborne precautions and keep the door closed during care.
2Allow shared bathroom use if the other client is receiving antibiotics.
3Remove gloves and use alcohol-based hand rub without soap and water.
4Use contact precautions and wash hands with soap and water after care.✓ Correct answer
Explanation
C. difficile requires contact precautions, and soap-and-water hand hygiene is preferred after care because spores are difficult to remove with alcohol-based products alone. Airborne precautions are not the primary requirement. Shared bathroom use can spread spores.
Clinical Judgment Use the client cues, timing, labs, and safety risks to select the response that best fits C. difficile contact precautions.
Memory Tip Match the strongest cue cluster to the safest nursing judgment.
KR vs US NCLEX items reward cue-based priority thinking rather than isolated recall.
Clinical Practice GuideFor C. difficile contact precautions, compare the complete cue pattern with the client's current stability, ordered data, and expected nursing scope.
CautionDo not choose an action from one isolated cue when the full scenario changes priority or safety.
Clostridioides difficile — A spore-forming organism that can cause antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
Contact Precautions — Precautions used to prevent transmission by direct or indirect contact.
Soap-and-Water Hand Hygiene — Handwashing method that mechanically removes organisms and spores.