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NCLEX · Safety and Infection Control

When should a nurse perform hand hygiene according to the principles of standard precautions?

Reviewed by Jordan Morley, Editorial Lead at 247SimpleTests. Written by the 247SimpleTests Editorial Team from the official source material cited on every question.

Correct answer

Before and after client contact, before aseptic procedures, after exposure to body fluids, and after touching the client's environment

  1. A Only when hands look dirty
  2. B Only after caring for a client
  3. C Only once per shift
  4. D Before and after client contact, before aseptic procedures, after exposure to body fluids, and after touching the client's environment

Why this is the answer

Hand hygiene should be performed at the WHO 'FIVE MOMENTS': (1) BEFORE touching a client; (2) BEFORE an aseptic/clean procedure; (3) AFTER body fluid exposure risk; (4) AFTER touching a client; (5) AFTER touching the client's SURROUNDINGS/environment. NCLEX safe care/infection control. Also: before and after glove use (gloves don't replace hand hygiene), after using the restroom, before handling medications/food. STANDARD PRECAUTIONS apply to ALL clients regardless of diagnosis (treat all blood/body fluids as potentially infectious). Hand hygiene is the cornerstone of infection prevention. Performing it at all the key moments — not just when hands look dirty or once per shift — is essential. Knowing the moments for hand hygiene is a heavily tested NCLEX concept.
Source: NCLEX Safe Care — Hand Hygiene Moments

Practice more questions

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About this topic: Safety and Infection Control

Safety and infection control questions cover Standard and transmission-based precautions, isolation set-up, sterile technique, error prevention, restraints, and emergency and disaster response. This is one of 24 RN: Safe and Effective Care Environment questions on safety and infection control, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

New to this exam? Our NCLEX exam guide explains the format, scoring, and how to prepare.

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