# Situation: The public health nurse of a Rural Health Unit (RHU) makes home visits to a couple and their first baby, a healthy 3-week-old girl born at term in a birthing facility. The mother and baby have had no problems since discharge. In the family's small house, the only free surfaces are the floor and the parents' bed. Where should the nurse place her public health bag?

> source: MyMerci (mymerci.kr)  
> url: https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=627137  
> language: ko  
> subject: Nursing Practice I — Community Health Nursing

## 문제

Situation: The public health nurse of a Rural Health Unit (RHU) makes home visits to a couple and their first baby, a healthy 3-week-old girl born at term in a birthing facility. The mother and baby have had no problems since discharge.

In the family's small house, the only free surfaces are the floor and the parents' bed. Where should the nurse place her public health bag?

## 보기

1. On a chair or small table she asks for, over a lining **✔ 정답**
2. On her own lap, keeping the bag closed during the visit
3. On the bed, over a clean paper lining, away from the baby
4. On the floor, over a plastic lining, near the door

**정답: 1**

## 해설

The bag is placed on a clean, flat, raised surface out of reach of children, over a lining, and never on the floor or bed. When no table is free, the nurse asks the family for a chair or small table. This prevents contamination of the bag and its contents.

## 심화 해설

A home visit bag is a portable clinical workspace, not just a carrying case. Its outer surface and contents can become contaminated when placed on low or unclean surfaces, and it can also transfer organisms into the home. The guiding principle is to keep the bag on a clean, flat, raised surface, out of the child’s reach, with a protective lining underneath.

In this scenario, the only free surfaces are the floor and the parents’ bed. Both are unsuitable. The floor is heavily contaminated and places the bag where the baby could reach it, while the bed is a personal care area that risks cross-contamination between the bag and the family’s sleeping space. The correct action is to ask the family for a chair or small table and place the bag there over a lining. This keeps the bag elevated, contained, and away from the infant.

Watch out! Placing the bag on the nurse’s own lap keeps it closed but does not provide a stable work surface, and it places the nurse’s uniform in contact with the bag’s potentially contaminated base. The lap is not an acceptable substitute for a clean, flat surface.

Key point! A plastic lining on the floor does not make the floor acceptable. The bag would still be within the baby’s reach and at risk of contamination from foot traffic and floor-level dust.

The public health nursing bag has historically been a core tool for home-based care, and its proper handling reflects infection control practice in the community setting [1]. When teaching or performing home visits, the placement of the bag is a deliberate step that protects both the nurse’s supplies and the household environment. Asking for a chair or small table is not an inconvenience to the family; it is a standard safety measure that maintains the integrity of the bag and its contents.

| Surface option | Why it is rejected | Correct principle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Floor with plastic lining | Contaminated, within baby’s reach, unstable | Never place the bag on the floor |
| Parents’ bed with paper lining | Personal care area, risk of cross-contamination, soft and unstable | Never place the bag on a bed |
| Nurse’s own lap | No stable work surface, contaminates uniform, bag remains closed | Not a substitute for a raised surface |
| Chair or small table over a lining | Clean, flat, raised, out of child’s reach | Preferred placement when no free table exists |

The lining under the bag serves as a clean barrier between the bag and the household surface. When the visit is complete, the nurse can fold the lining inward and discard or clean it according to agency protocol, reducing the transfer of organisms in either direction. This practice is consistent with the continued teaching of public health nursing bag technique in baccalaureate programs, where proper bag placement is reinforced as part of safe home visiting [1].References (research sources)

- [1]Use of the public health nursing bag in the academic setting.Research articleAaltonen P, Richards EL, Webster K, Davis L (2009) · DOI: 10.1111/j.1525-1446.2008.00757.x

## 임상 시나리오

Public Health Bag PlacementInfection Control During Home Visits
The guiding principle is to place the bag on a clean, flat, raised surface out of the child's reach. If no table is free, the nurse should ask the family for a chair or small table.

A protective lining should always be placed underneath the bag to create a barrier. The bag should never be placed on the floor or the bed.

CautionThe nurse's lap is not an acceptable substitute. It does not provide a stable work surface and can contaminate the nurse's uniform with the bag's base.

## 핵심 개념

- **Bag Technique** — A systematic method used by community health nurses to manage the public health bag, aiming to prevent the spread of infection during home visits.
- **Cross-contamination** — The unintentional transfer of microorganisms from one surface or object to another, such as from the bag to the family's bed.
- **Clean, flat, raised surface** — The required placement for a public health bag, such as a chair or table, to keep it away from contaminated areas and out of a child's reach.
- **Protective lining** — A barrier, such as paper or plastic, placed under the public health bag to protect both the bag and the surface it rests on.

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