The technique which is used to prevent cross infection is known as?

Appeared in: HSSC Staff Nurse - 2015

Explanation

Barrier nursing is the specific term for techniques used to create a physical barrier to prevent the spread of microorganisms.
It is a fundamental component of infection control aimed at stopping cross-infection between patients, or from patients to staff and vice-versa.
Core practices include the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), hand hygiene, patient isolation, and environmental controls.
This technique is essential in managing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs).

Option A: This is a very broad term that encompasses all aspects of patient care, including assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. It is not specific to infection control.
Option B: 'Actual nursing' is not a standard or formally recognized term in nursing practice or theory. It is too vague and non-specific.
Option C: Preventive nursing is a broad field that includes primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies for a wide range of health issues (e.g., health education, screenings, vaccinations). Barrier nursing is just one specific strategy within the larger scope of preventive care.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Infection control techniques in nursing helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Barrier nursing is the foundation of Standard and Transmission-Based Precautions, which are critical for preventing Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs).
Mastery of these techniques protects not only the patients but also the healthcare providers and the wider community from the spread of infectious diseases, including multidrug-resistant organisms.
What if? If a patient is diagnosed with an airborne infection like tuberculosis or measles, standard barrier nursing is not enough. The nurse must upgrade to Airborne Precautions, which includes using an N95 respirator and placing the patient in a negative-pressure isolation room.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key concepts in the question stem: 'technique' and 'prevent cross infection'.
Analyze the options to see which one most specifically describes a method for preventing the spread of infection between people.
Eliminate overly broad options. 'Nursing care' and 'Preventive nursing' describe large domains of nursing, not a specific technique.
Eliminate vague or non-standard terms like 'Actual nursing'.
Select the term that directly relates to creating a physical block or barrier against pathogens, which is 'Barrier nursing'.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QS5AfNtWndgnx4g2SJ52ZX

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart C (pp 404-604 of 604) p. 26-28

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Taylor p. 170-172

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