# A nurse is preparing to perform venipuncture and dispose of the used hollow-bore needle. For each action, select the best classification. > source: MyMerci (mymerci.kr) > url: https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=395579&lang=en > language: en > subject: Standard/Transmission-Based Precautions/Surgical Asepsis > category: SIPC ## Question A nurse is preparing to perform venipuncture and dispose of the used hollow-bore needle. For each action, select the best classification. | | Routine standard-precaution action | Action only when recapping is clinically unavoidable | Unsafe or increases exposure risk | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Perform hand hygiene before and after care and after removing gloves | | | | | Select gloves, gown, mask, and eye protection according to anticipated blood or body-fluid exposure | | | | | Activate the safety feature and immediately place the device in the nearby sharps container | | | | | Use a one-handed scoop or mechanical device according to the exposure-control plan | | | | | Routinely recap with two hands or bend, shear, break, or remove the contaminated needle | | | | | Overfill the sharps container or reach inside it to rearrange discarded devices | | | | ## Explanation Use hand hygiene, anticipated-exposure PPE, the needle safety feature, and immediate disposal into an appropriate sharps container. Never routinely recap, bend, shear, or remove a contaminated needle. If recapping is unavoidable, use a one-handed scoop or mechanical device per the exposure-control plan. ## In-depth explanation Quick answer Use standard precautions, activate the safety feature, and discard the entire device immediately into a closable puncture-resistant sharps container. Routine two-handed recapping is unsafe. Why this is correct Used hollow-bore needles can transmit bloodborne pathogens. Engineering controls, PPE selected for anticipated exposure, and immediate point-of-use disposal reduce handling and prevent percutaneous injury. Easy analogy or mental picture A used sharp has one safe destination: directly from the hand into the nearby protected container, with no extra handoff or manipulation. Memory hook Activate, do not manipulate, dispose immediately. NCLEX decision rule Do not recap, bend, shear, break, or remove contaminated needles unless no alternative is feasible or a specific procedure requires it. When recapping is unavoidable, follow the exposure-control plan and use a one-handed scoop or mechanical device. Why the other choices are wrong Two-handed recapping brings a hand toward the contaminated point. Overfilling a container or reaching inside it creates another avoidable sharps exposure. Source 1OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens General Guidance 2OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Worker Protections 32026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan ## Clinical scenario The nurse uses standard precautions and an engineered sharps-safety device. The exposure-control plan specifies what to do only when recapping is clinically unavoidable and provides puncture-resistant sharps containers at the point of use. ## Key concepts - **Engineering control** — A device or equipment change that isolates or removes a bloodborne-pathogen hazard, such as a needle safety feature. - **Sharps container** — A closable, puncture-resistant, leak-resistant, and appropriately labeled or color-coded container for contaminated sharps. - **One-handed scoop technique** — A recapping method that keeps the free hand away from the needle and is used only when recapping is unavoidable. ## Related questions - [A nurse is caring for a client newly admitted with suspected methicillin-resistant Staphyl…](https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=360517&lang=en) - [A nurse is about to enter the room of a client with Clostridioides difficile infection dur…](https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=361226&lang=en) - [A 22-year-old female client presents to the emergency department with a 4-week history of …](https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=361677&lang=en) - [A 65-year-old client admitted to the medical ICU with sepsis and acute delirium has just p…](https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=361679&lang=en) - [A new graduate registered nurse (RN) on a medical unit just hung an intravenous antibiotic…](https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=361710&lang=en) - [A nurse is caring for a client newly admitted with active Clostridioides difficile infecti…](https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=363996&lang=en) - [A nurse is caring for an adult client newly admitted with suspected active pulmonary tuber…](https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=366306&lang=en) - [A nurse cares for a client newly admitted with a positive surveillance culture for vancomy…](https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=366709&lang=en) ## Read in another language - [en](https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=395579&lang=en) - [ko](https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=395579&lang=ko) - [ja](https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=395579&lang=ja) - [zh-TW](https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=395579&lang=zh-tw) - [vi](https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=395579&lang=vi) --- More free questions: [NCLEX-RN Practice](https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_bank.php?lang=en) _For study reference only. Always follow current clinical guidelines and your institution’s protocols._