Category 2 · 10–16% of the exam
Safety and Infection Control
Precautions, PPE, sterile technique, and keeping patients and staff safe.
Client need · Safe and Effective Care Environment
Protecting clients and health care personnel from health and environmental hazards.
Learning objectives
- ✓Select the correct isolation precaution and PPE
- ✓Maintain surgical asepsis and recognize contamination
- ✓Apply restraint, fall, and fire safety rules
- ✓Report incidents and errors appropriately
3-day lesson plan
Day 1
Learn
Memorize airborne / droplet / contact examples, PPE donning and doffing order, RACE and PASS.
Day 2
Apply
Practice room-assignment and precaution questions. Review restraint rules (least restrictive, frequent checks, provider order).
Day 3
Check
Take the category quiz and a 10-question mixed quiz.
Study checklist
Isolation precautions to know
| Precaution | Examples | Key protection |
|---|---|---|
| Airborne | TB, measles, chickenpox | Appropriate respirator and airborne infection isolation room |
| Droplet | Influenza, pertussis, meningococcal disease | Surgical mask under applicable precautions |
| Contact | C. difficile, draining wounds, certain resistant organisms | Gown and gloves as indicated |
Test plan related content
Content areas NCSBN lists for this category.
Accident / error / injury preventionEmergency response planErgonomic principlesHandling hazardous and infectious materialsHome safetyReporting of incident / event / irregular occurrence / varianceSafe use of equipmentSecurity planStandard precautions / transmission-based precautions / surgical asepsisUse of restraints / safety devices
Must know
- ●For C. difficile, wash with soap and water when indicated and use appropriate sporicidal environmental cleaning.
- ●RACE: Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish/Evacuate.
- ●PASS: Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep.