Beds on the unit have rapidly filled and the patient with bacterial pneumonia is about to have a roommate. The roommate is a postsurgical patient without an infection. The nurse would

Appeared in: ESIC Nursing Officer - 2019 (Shift-2)

Explanation

Bacterial pneumonia is a respiratory infection that requires Droplet Precautions to prevent its spread.
The standard infection control guideline for Droplet Precautions is to place the patient in a private room.
If a private room is unavailable, the patient may only be cohorted (roomed with) another patient infected with the exact same pathogen.
A postsurgical patient is considered 'clean' and is at a higher risk for acquiring infections. Placing them with an infectious patient is a major safety breach.
The nurse's role as a patient advocate includes preventing unsafe situations. Notifying the admitting office to correct the room assignment is the appropriate and responsible action.

Option B: Special air filtration systems and negative-pressure rooms are required for Airborne Precautions (e.g., TB, measles), not Droplet Precautions. Respiratory droplets are too large and heavy to be effectively managed by such systems.
Option C: This is a passive and negligent response. It completely ignores the significant risk of transmitting a potentially serious infection to a vulnerable postsurgical patient, violating the fundamental principle of 'do no harm'.
Option D: Privacy curtains are not a barrier to infection. Respiratory droplets can easily travel around, under, and through the gaps in a curtain. This action provides a false sense of security and is completely ineffective for infection control.

Visual 1: Infographic: A side-by-side comparison of Droplet vs. Airborne Precautions, highlighting the differences in PPE (Surgical Mask vs. N95 Respirator) and room requirements (Standard/Private Room vs. Negative Pressure Room).
Visual 2: Diagram: An illustration showing a person coughing, with large droplets traveling a short distance (3-6 feet) and falling to the ground, contrasted with small airborne particles that remain suspended in the air.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Infection Control: Transmission-Based Precautions and Patient Placement to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
A core nursing responsibility is the prevention of nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections (HAIs). Correct patient placement is a critical first step in this process.
Nurses must act as patient advocates, which includes questioning and correcting orders or assignments that could compromise patient safety, such as inappropriate room placements.
What if? If the new patient also had the same type of bacterial pneumonia, cohorting (placing them in the same room) would be an acceptable practice according to infection control guidelines, especially if private rooms are limited.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the diagnosis of the patient requiring isolation: 'bacterial pneumonia'.
Recall the mode of transmission for this diagnosis. Most bacterial pneumonias are spread via respiratory droplets.
Determine the corresponding transmission-based precaution: Droplet Precautions.
Review the specific guidelines for Droplet Precautions, focusing on patient placement (room assignment). The rule is a private room or cohorting with a patient who has the identical infection.
Analyze the status of the proposed roommate: 'postsurgical patient without an infection'. This patient is 'clean' and at high risk.
Compare the required action with the options. The only option that aligns with patient safety and infection control standards is to intervene and prevent the unsafe assignment.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Infection Control: Transmission-Based Precautions and Patient Placement
Stem keywords: bacterial pneumonia, postsurgical patient, roommate, infection control
Lead-in keywords: nurse would
Clinical cues: The combination of an infectious patient (bacterial pneumonia) and a high-risk, non-infected patient (postsurgical) is the key conflict requiring intervention.

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Practise the full ESIC Nursing Officer - 2019 (Shift-2)

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.