NCLEX-RN Safety and Infection Prevention Practice Test
Isolation precautions, falls, restraints, triage and error prevention. Here are 8 NCLEX-RN safety and infection prevention questions, each with the answer and the reason.
Updated by the Tigertest team. Based on the NCSBN 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan Client Needs categories. Original questions, not affiliated with NCSBN.
Wound culture: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Orders: contact precautions. Change sacral wound dressing daily.
1.Which action by the nurse is appropriate when caring for this client?
- A.
Remove the gown after leaving the room
- B.
Wear gloves only when touching the wound
- C.
Keep a dedicated stethoscope in the room
- D.
Wear an N95 respirator for wound care
Answer: C.Contact precautions use dedicated or disposable equipment so organisms are not carried to other clients, along with a gown and gloves on entry. An N95 is for airborne diseases, the gown comes off before leaving, and gloves are worn for any contact with the client or the room.
- A.
- 2.
Which client should the nurse identify as having the highest risk for a latex allergy?
- A.
Client allergic to kiwi and avocado
- B.
Client allergic to shellfish
- C.
Client allergic to penicillin
- D.
Client with seasonal pollen allergy
Answer: A.Kiwi, avocado, banana and chestnut share proteins with natural rubber latex, so these food allergies point to latex-fruit syndrome. Shellfish and penicillin allergies are not linked to latex, and seasonal pollen allergy is a much weaker association.
- A.
Lab result: stool positive for Clostridioides difficile toxin. Orders: contact precautions. Oral vancomycin 125 mg every 6 hours.
3.Which action should the nurse take when leaving this client's room after care?
- A.
Use alcohol-based hand rub
- B.
Remove the gown in the hallway
- C.
Clean equipment with alcohol wipes
- D.
Wash hands with soap and water
Answer: D.Alcohol does not kill C. difficile spores, so hands are washed with soap and water, whose friction and rinsing remove spores. The gown is removed before leaving the room, and shared equipment needs a sporicidal disinfectant such as bleach, not alcohol.
- A.
Nurses' notes, 0215: 79-year-old client found sitting on the floor beside the bed. States, "I was going to the bathroom." Alert and oriented. Bed alarm was off.
4.The nurse responds to this fall. Which action should the nurse take first?
- A.
Complete an incident report
- B.
Notify the HCP about the fall
- C.
Assess the client for injury
- D.
Help the client back into bed
Answer: C.The nurse checks for injury, such as head trauma or hip pain, before moving the client, because moving an injured client can worsen harm. Helping the client up, notifying the HCP and completing an incident report follow the assessment.
- A.
- 5.
Before giving a medication, which pair of identifiers should the nurse use?
- A.
Full name and date of birth
- B.
Name and room number
- C.
Room and bed number
- D.
Name on the door and chart
Answer: A.Two person-specific identifiers, such as full name and date of birth or medical record number, are checked against the wristband and the MAR. A room or bed number is never an identifier because clients move.
- A.
- 6.
At a mass casualty scene, the nurse uses START triage. Which adult should be tagged immediate (red)?
- A.
Apneic after the airway is repositioned
- B.
Walking and talking, deep arm cut
- C.
RR 24, cap refill 1 s, obeys commands
- D.
RR 34, cap refill 1 s, obeys commands
Answer: D.In START, a respiratory rate over 30 earns an immediate (red) tag even when perfusion and mental status are normal. The victim with RR 24, brisk capillary refill and who obeys commands is delayed (yellow), the walking victim is minor (green), and no breathing after repositioning the airway is expectant (black).
- A.
- 7.
A cleaning chemical splashes into a nurse's eye. Which action should the nurse take first?
- A.
Cover the eye with a dry gauze pad
- B.
Flush the eye at an eyewash station
- C.
Find the safety data sheet for it
- D.
Report to occupational health
Answer: B.Immediate irrigation, generally for at least 15 minutes, limits tissue damage from a chemical splash. The safety data sheet and an occupational health report are important next steps but must not delay flushing.
- A.
Mobility assessment: 58-year-old client, 118 kg. Cannot bear weight on either leg. Needs help to sit up and has poor trunk control. Follows commands. Order: out of bed to chair twice daily.
8.Which method should the nurse use to move this client from the bed to a chair?
- A.
Powered sit-to-stand lift with one staff
- B.
Two-person pivot with a gait belt
- C.
Slide board with one staff member
- D.
Full-body mechanical lift and two staff
Answer: D.A client who cannot bear weight and has poor trunk control needs a full-body mechanical lift operated by at least two staff to protect both client and staff. A sit-to-stand lift and pivot transfers require partial weight bearing, and a slide board requires trunk control.
- A.
Drill every safety and infection prevention question in the NCLEX-RN Safety and Infection Prevention drill: questions you miss come back until you have mastered them. Then take a timed practice test with the NCLEX-RN section in it.
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