Isolation Questions

Students General Students

Published

  • Specializes in Med Surg, Specialty.

Hi everyone! I'm a 1st semester nursing student who just started as a CNA in a hospital this week and I have some basic isolation questions.

I know that in general, anything that comes into the contact/droplet isolation room that is touched by your glove or the patient should be wiped off with the decontamination cloth. What about meal trays that the patient ate off of - can we just bring them out into the area with all the other trays and be ok, or is something special done with these?

How cautious are you in general with contact/droplet isolation patients? I had two contact isolation patients this week, one with C-diff and another with wound MRSA. Can you just wipe down the machines used for vitals quickly and be OK or do you really have to get into every nook and cranny? And, when these types of patients are ready to be discharged, is the process different than a normal one?

Thanks in advance for the help!

Imafloat, BSN, RN

1 Article; 1,289 Posts

I am very anal about contact isolation. Where I did my clinicals we had a closet with two doors, one that opened into the room and one that opened into the hallway that we put the trays in there. I make sure that I wipe down the machines well and use a disposable cuff and stethoscope that I leave in the room. I would hate to spread something to another patient.

z's playa

2,056 Posts

My pt had Cdiff and MRSA so we didn't bring the tray into the room...just the contents. She also had her own BP machine, stethescope as well as her own laundry bags.

Z

+ Add a Comment