Fundamentals of Nursing: Health and Wellness Practice Test 2026 – The All-in-One Guide to Master Your Nursing Exam!

Standard precautions are the baseline infection-control practices used with every patient, in every healthcare encounter, to reduce the spread of pathogens. They’re applied regardless of whether an infection is suspected or known. Core elements include strict hand hygiene before and after patient contact, the use of personal protective equipment (gloves, gown, mask, eye protection) when exposure to blood or body fluids is possible, safe handling and disposal of needles and other sharps, safe injection practices, respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, and proper cleaning, disinfection, and handling of equipment, environmental surfaces, textiles, and waste. They cover contact with blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions, non-intact skin, and mucous membranes. Because they’re universal, you don’t wait for a diagnosis to protect yourself and others. If a patient is known or suspected to have a contagious infection that requires extra measures, transmission-based precautions (such as contact, droplet, or airborne) are added on top of standard precautions.