# A nurse is caring for a client with confirmed Clostridioides difficile infection. Which actions are appropriate for infection control? For each action, select whether it is appropriate or not appropriate.

> source: MyMerci (mymerci.kr)  
> url: https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=620074&lang=en  
> language: en  
> subject: Standard/Transmission-Based Precautions/Surgical Asepsis  
> category: SIPC

## Question

A nurse is caring for a client with confirmed Clostridioides difficile infection. Which actions are appropriate for infection control? For each action, select whether it is appropriate or not appropriate.

|  | Appropriate | Not Appropriate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Perform hand hygiene with soap and water after care |  |  |
| Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer as the primary method after glove removal |  |  |
| Wear a gown and gloves when entering the room |  |  |
| Use a dedicated stethoscope and blood pressure cuff for the client |  |  |

## Explanation

C. difficile spores are resistant to alcohol and require mechanical removal with soap and water. Therefore, hand hygiene with soap and water is appropriate, while alcohol-based hand sanitizer alone is not appropriate as the primary method. Contact precautions, including gown and gloves, are required to prevent transmission. Using dedicated equipment for the client reduces the risk of spreading spores to other clients. All these measures align with CDC guidelines for C. difficile infection control.

## In-depth explanation

Quick answer
C. difficile spores are resistant to alcohol and require mechanical removal with soap and water. Therefore, hand hygiene with soap and water is appropriate, while alcohol-based hand sanitizer alone is not appropriate as the primary method. Contact precautions, including gown and gloves, are required to prevent transmission. Using dedicated equipment for the client reduces the risk of spreading spores to other clients. All these measures align with CDC guidelines for C. difficile infection control.
Key cues
Use the client-specific assessment findings and timing in the scenario rather than a memorized diagnosis label.
Clinical reasoning
Connect the relevant cues to the safest nursing interpretation and action for this exact care setting.
Why the alternatives do not fit
The distractors are plausible in another context but are unsupported, mistimed, lower priority, or incomplete for the findings presented.
Priority and safety
Address immediate threats first, stay within nursing scope, and reassess the client after the selected intervention.
Takeaway
For classifying infection-control actions for C. difficile care, select responses that are both clinically supported and appropriate at this point in care.
**Sources**
- CDC C. difficile Clinical Guidance

- CDC Standard Precautions

## Clinical scenario

A nurse is caring for a client with confirmed Clostridioides difficile infection. Which actions are appropriate for infection control? For each action, select whether it is appropriate or not appropriate.

## Key concepts

- **Clostridioides difficile** — A spore-forming bacterium that causes antibiotic-associated diarrhea and colitis, often transmitted via contaminated surfaces and hands.
- **Contact precautions** — Infection control measures including gown and gloves to prevent direct or indirect transmission of pathogens.
- **Hand hygiene with soap and water** — The recommended method for removing C. difficile spores from hands because alcohol-based hand rubs are not sporicidal.

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