You just finished preparing IV medications for a patient, and you thoroughly washed your hands before doing so. As you enter the patient's room with the medication, describe the first thing you do to prevent patient infection.
While hospitalized or receiving outpatient medical treatment, patients are at significant risk of picking up an infection as a consequence of the care they are receiving. Although infection prevention measures in the healthcare industry have greatly improved over the years, the risk still exists and healthcare professionals must be vigilant in order to prevent healthcare-acquired infections. Although it may seem obvious, the simple task of handwashing is the first step in infection prevention. The interviewer is asking this question to determine if the candidate understands the importance of handwashing and is in the habit of washing their hands upon entering a patient's room and/or before administering IV medication. To effectively answer this question, the candidate should explain that the first step they would take to prevent infection would be to wash their hands thoroughly. A more successful answer to this question would include an example of how the candidate has helped train colleagues on handwashing in such situations and/or assisted in the development and implementation of handwashing policies for their nursing unit.
"The first thing I would do to prevent the patient from getting an infection is to wash my hands. There are other actions I would need to take in preventing infection, but handwashing is primary. I have always been an advocate of handwashing, even when many of my colleagues were not. When I found out that my nursing and care partner colleagues on my unit were not following handwashing protocols last year, I worked with my supervisor to develop a training on the importance of proper handwashing, handwashing technique, and infection prevention. After this training, handwashing compliance on my unit improved greatly, and the infection control nurse attributed it to a reduction in secondary infections."
"Upon entering the patient's room, it's very important for me to practice hand hygiene again, either by washing my hands or using the alcohol-based hand sanitizer available outside of the patient's room. Although I washed my hands prior to preparing the patient's IV medication, I have potentially touched other items on my way to the patient's room, and I had to knock on the patient's door and touch the door handle to enter. Hand hygiene is the number one way to prevent patient infections, and I demonstrate good hand hygiene at all times. When our hospital did an audit of nurses' hand hygiene using 'undercover' staff members to score the nurses, I scored a 100%, because I know how important hand hygiene is."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
The first thing I would do is wash my hands. This helps reduce the spread of infection. It is important to perform proper hand hygiene before engaging with the patient, prior to providing care including bodily fluid, and after care when you leave the room.
Cindy's Feedback
Good. Again, your answer demonstrates knowledge of protocol.
Anonymous Answer
As soon as I walk into the patient's room I will wash my hands again and put gloves on. I will then continue to administer the medications. I will ensure that the patient's IV is intact, wipe the hub with an alcohol pad, flush the line and check for blood return then administer the medication.
Chad's Feedback
Good answer! I suggest a slight rewording of your opening sentence to demonstrate to the interviewer you understand why handwashing is so important. I have offered a revision below.
"As soon as I walk into the patient's room, the first thing I would do to prevent the patient from getting an infection is to thoroughly wash my hands again before putting gloves on. I would then proceed to administer the medications. To do so, I would ensure that the patient's IV is intact, wipe the hub with an alcohol pad, flush the line and check for blood return, then administer the medication."
Anonymous Answer
Wash hands again or alcohol rub, break the chain of infection!
Cindy's Feedback
Good! To enhance your answer, can you explain why thoroughly washing your hands before preparing the IV medications isn't enough? This seems like a deliberate detail to lead you to address why another hand-wash is necessary despite a recent one.
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