16 Safety & Infection Control Practice Questions & Answers

1. 1. According to CDC hand hygiene guidelines, when should a nursing assistant perform hand hygiene in relation to resident care?

   • A.Only when the hands look visibly dirty
   • B.Both before and after contact with the resident✓ Answer
   • C.Only after contact with the resident
   • D.Only before contact with the resident

   Hand hygiene must be performed both before and after contact with a resident because hands can transfer pathogens to the resident before care and pick up pathogens during care; cleaning at both moments breaks the chain of infection in both directions.

   Source: CDC Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings; NNAAP outline: Infection Control - Standard PrecautionsReport a problem with this question

2. 2. A resident has visibly soiled hands and the nursing assistant's hands are visibly contaminated with body fluid. What is the correct method of hand hygiene?

   • A.Wipe hands with a dry paper towel
   • B.Wash with soap and running water✓ Answer
   • C.Apply hand lotion and wipe
   • D.Use alcohol-based hand rub only

   When hands are visibly soiled or contaminated with body fluids, they must be washed with soap and running water because alcohol-based rubs do not remove visible dirt or organic material and are less effective against certain organisms like C. difficile spores.

   Source: CDC Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings (2002)Report a problem with this question

3. 3. Under Standard Precautions, how should a nursing assistant treat the blood and body fluids of every resident?

   • A.As infectious only during an outbreak
   • B.As safe if the resident appears healthy
   • C.As infectious only if the resident has a known diagnosis
   • D.As potentially infectious from every resident✓ Answer

   Standard Precautions require treating the blood and body fluids of every resident as potentially infectious, because a person can carry a bloodborne pathogen without symptoms or a known diagnosis, so precautions cannot depend on who appears sick.

   Source: CDC Standard Precautions; OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard 29 CFR 1910.1030Report a problem with this question

4. 4. A resident is on airborne precautions for active tuberculosis. Which type of mask must the nursing assistant wear when entering the room?

   • A.A standard surgical mask
   • B.A cloth face covering
   • C.A fit-tested N95 respirator✓ Answer
   • D.No mask is required

   Airborne precautions for tuberculosis require a fit-tested N95 respirator because TB spreads via tiny droplet nuclei that stay suspended in air, and only a sealed respirator can filter these particles, whereas a loose surgical mask cannot.

   Source: CDC Transmission-Based Precautions: Airborne PrecautionsReport a problem with this question

5. 5. When putting on personal protective equipment (PPE) for isolation care, which sequence is correct?

   • A.Gown, mask, goggles, gloves✓ Answer
   • B.Gloves, gown, mask, goggles
   • C.Goggles, gloves, gown, mask
   • D.Mask, gloves, gown, goggles

   The correct donning sequence is gown, then mask/respirator, then goggles/face shield, then gloves, because gloves are put on last so they cover the gown cuffs and remain the cleanest barrier at the point of resident contact.

   Source: CDC Sequence for Donning PPEReport a problem with this question

6. 6. After providing care to a resident on contact precautions, which piece of PPE should the nursing assistant remove first?

   • A.The mask or respirator
   • B.The goggles or face shield
   • C.The gown
   • D.The gloves✓ Answer

   Gloves are removed first during doffing because they are the most contaminated item, so taking them off first prevents spreading pathogens from the gloves to the face, neck, and clean skin when removing the other items.

   Source: CDC Sequence for Doffing PPEReport a problem with this question

7. 7. How should a nursing assistant handle soiled linens when removing them from a resident's bed?

   • A.Roll them away from the body without shaking, holding them away from the uniform✓ Answer
   • B.Shake them out to remove debris before bagging
   • C.Place them on the floor until finished
   • D.Carry them pressed against the uniform to the hamper

   Soiled linens should be rolled inward without shaking and held away from the uniform, because shaking releases pathogens and dust into the air and contact with the uniform transfers microorganisms that can be carried to other residents.

   Source: CDC Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control: Laundry and LinensReport a problem with this question

8. 8. A nursing assistant is asked to transport a labeled urine specimen to the lab. How should it be handled?

   • A.Placed in a leak-proof bag or container while wearing gloves✓ Answer
   • B.Carried in a bare hand to save time
   • C.Left uncovered at the nurses' station
   • D.Wrapped in a bed sheet for transport

   Specimens must be placed in a leak-proof, labeled bag or container and handled with gloves, because all body fluids are treated as potentially infectious and a sealed container prevents spills that could expose the worker and others to pathogens.

   Source: OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard 29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(2)(xiii)Report a problem with this question

9. 9. Which action best helps prevent falls for a resident in a long-term care facility?

   • A.Keeping the call light within reach and the floor clear of clutter✓ Answer
   • B.Dimming all hallway lights at all times
   • C.Removing the resident's non-slip footwear
   • D.Keeping the bed in the highest position

   Keeping the call light within reach and the floor free of clutter prevents falls because the resident can summon help instead of getting up alone, and a clear, dry floor removes the tripping and slipping hazards that cause most falls.

   Source: NNAAP outline: Safety/Emergencies - Fall Prevention; CMS F-Tag 689 (Accidents)Report a problem with this question

10. 10. Before a physical restraint is ever considered, what must the care team do first?

    • A.Ask the resident's roommate for permission
    • B.Try less-restrictive alternatives first✓ Answer
    • C.Apply the restraint and observe the resident's reaction
    • D.Obtain the restraint from the supply room

    Less-restrictive alternatives must be tried first because restraints are a last resort that can cause injury, loss of dignity, and decline; regulations require documented alternatives (such as increased monitoring or activity) before any restraint may be used.

    Source: CMS Requirements for Restraint Use, 42 CFR 483.12; NNAAP outline: Restraint AlternativesReport a problem with this question

11. 11. If a physician orders a physical restraint, how often must the restraint be released and the resident repositioned and checked?

    • A.Only when the resident complains
    • B.Once per shift
    • C.Every 8 hours
    • D.At least every 2 hours✓ Answer

    A restraint must be released at least every 2 hours to reposition, check circulation and skin, and offer toileting and fluids, because prolonged immobility from restraints can cause pressure injuries, impaired circulation, and other serious harm.

    Source: CMS restraint guidance 42 CFR 483.12; NNAAP outline: Safe Restraint UseReport a problem with this question

12. 12. A resident who is eating suddenly cannot speak, cough, or breathe and clutches the throat. What should the nursing assistant do?

    • A.Perform abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver)✓ Answer
    • B.Give the resident water to wash it down
    • C.Lay the resident flat and wait for the cough to clear it
    • D.Encourage the resident to keep eating slowly

    An inability to speak, cough, or breathe signals a complete airway obstruction, so abdominal thrusts must be performed to force air upward and expel the object, because without airflow the person cannot clear it themselves and will lose consciousness quickly.

    Source: American Red Cross / AHA First Aid: Conscious Choking (complete airway obstruction)Report a problem with this question

13. 13. In the RACE fire-response sequence, what does the letter 'R' stand for?

    • A.Rescue anyone in immediate danger✓ Answer
    • B.Run from the building
    • C.Report to the family
    • D.Restart the fire alarm

    In RACE, 'R' stands for Rescue, meaning move anyone in immediate danger away from the fire first, because protecting life takes priority before alarming, containing, or extinguishing; the full sequence is Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish/Evacuate.

    Source: NFPA fire safety RACE protocol; NNAAP outline: Safety/Emergencies - Fire SafetyReport a problem with this question

14. 14. A resident is receiving oxygen therapy. Which safety measure must the nursing assistant follow?

    • A.Allow smoking as long as a window is open
    • B.Cover the oxygen tubing with a wool blanket
    • C.Post 'No Smoking / Oxygen in Use' signs and keep open flames away✓ Answer
    • D.Apply petroleum jelly to the resident's lips

    Oxygen supports combustion and makes fires ignite and spread faster, so 'No Smoking / Oxygen in Use' signs must be posted and open flames and sparks kept away; petroleum-based products near oxygen are also avoided because they are flammable.

    Source: NFPA 99 Health Care Facilities Code (oxygen safety); NNAAP outline: Oxygen SafetyReport a problem with this question

15. 15. A nurse aide finishes cleaning a resident who has an intestinal infection. Which piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) should the aide remove FIRST?

    • A.Gown
    • B.Mask
    • C.Gloves✓ Answer
    • D.Eye protection (goggles)

    Gloves are removed first during doffing because they are the most heavily contaminated item; taking them off first prevents the aide from spreading pathogens to the face, hair, or clean surfaces while removing the other PPE. Hand hygiene is always performed last, after all PPE is off.

    Source: CDC Sequence for Removing PPE (glove-first order); NNAAP Skill: Doffing PPEReport a problem with this question

16. 16. A nurse aide discovers a small fire in a resident's trash can. Using the RACE procedure, what is the FIRST action the aide should take?

    • A.Pull the fire alarm
    • B.Remove residents from immediate danger✓ Answer
    • C.Extinguish the fire with an extinguisher
    • D.Close all doors and windows

    In the RACE fire-response sequence, R stands for Rescue: the first priority is always to move any resident in immediate danger to safety, because protecting human life takes precedence over sounding the alarm (Alarm), containing the fire (Confine), or extinguishing it (Extinguish/Evacuate).

    Source: RACE fire-safety protocol (Rescue-Alarm-Confine-Extinguish); NNAAP Safety/Emergency ProceduresReport a problem with this question

Practice questions based on the NNAAP written content outline. Not affiliated with Credentia/Pearson VUE or any state nurse-aide registry, and not medical advice. Requirements vary by state. About CNA testing →