Title: Demonstrate infection-control measures, as required by Virginia Board of Nursing regulation.
Course: Nurse Aide I Condensed (14051-I-A) > Section: Understanding Infection Control and Medical Asepsis

Demonstration should include

- use of personal protective equipment (PPE) (e.g., gloves, gowns, masks)
- use of Standard Precautions as required by the CDC
- list of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations regarding infection control
- use of transmission-based precautions (e.g., appropriate isolation techniques, PPE).

Demonstration should also include isolation precautions for a client who may be infected or colonized with certain infectious agents and

- measures taken to contain pathogens
- CDC guidelines or facility policy
- protocols to prevent exposure of clients/residents/patients and staff to pathogens
- two levels of isolation precautions
  - first level—Standard Precautions
  - second level—transmission-based
- three types of transmission
  - contact—transmitted by touching, such as skin, wound infections, feces, respiratory secretions
  - droplet—transmitted by droplets from mouth or nose, such as influenza, strep throat, pneumonia
  - airborne—transmitted through air, such as tuberculosis or chicken pox
- infectious agents commonly seen
  - Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
  - Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE)
    - multidrug-resistant bacteria
    - indicative of chronic illness
  - Clostridium difficile (C. Diff)—a bacterium that causes inflammation of the colon resulting in diarrhea and serious illness.

Refer to Unit III in Nurse Aide Curriculum, Virginia Board of Nursing, Virginia Department of Health Professions, 2023.

Process/Skill Questions:

- Why should PPE be used in client care?
- Why are Standard Precautions important for a CNA?
- Why are Standard Precautions important for a client?
- How does following OSHA regulations protect a CNA?
- What are the OSHA guidelines that health employers must follow?
- Why does the government provide such regulations?
- How is it determined which type of isolation is appropriate?