Nursing Prioritization Delegation Assignment Q 11
The school nurse is asked which action will take to have the most impact on the incidence of infectious diseases in school. The correct response is:
A. Grant written information about infection control to all parents.
B. Ensure that students are immunized according to national guidelines.
C. Make soap and water easily accessible in the classrooms.
D. Educate students on how to cover their mouths when coughing.
Correct Answer: B. Ensure that students are immunized according to national guidelines.
The incidence of once-common infectious diseases like measles, chickenpox, and mumps has been most effectively reduced by immunization of all school-aged children. Infectious diseases that used to be common in children in the United States – including polio, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), rubella (German measles), and chickenpox – are preventable with vaccines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Option A: People are to be given information on the infectious disease hazards in their environment, the modes of transmission and appropriate control methods. This is best provided during induction and in ongoing training.
Option C: Infectious disease can be spread via contaminated hands. Hand hygiene is one of the most important measures in preventing transmission of infection. Hands can become contaminated from touching contaminated surfaces or by being contaminated through coughing, sneezing, rubbing eyes etc. The infectious agent can then be passed on to others e.g. shaking hands and/or contaminating clean surfaces. Hand should be regularly washed with soap, running water and then dried.
Option D: Respiratory hygiene is a set of routine practices to prevent potentially infectious secretions from the nose and mouth from contaminating others directly or indirectly via surfaces. Cough into a single use tissue or into the sleeve, never into the hands. Always turn to direct the cough away from others and away from surfaces or food sources.