Infection Control
The chain and the hand
Infection needs a germ, a reservoir, a way out, a way in, and a susceptible host. Hand hygiene breaks that chain more than anything else. Use soap and water when hands are visibly soiled, before eating, after toileting, and after caring for a resident with C. difficile (alcohol rub does not kill C. diff spores). Otherwise an alcohol-based rub is acceptable. Rub for at least 15–20 seconds, covering palms, backs, between fingers, and under nails.
Standard precautions and PPE
Treat every resident's blood and body fluids as potentially infectious. Wear gloves for contact with fluids, non-intact skin, and mucous membranes; wear a gown if splashing is likely; wear a mask and eye protection if fluid could spray. Donning order: gown, mask, goggles, gloves. Removing order: gloves first, then goggles, gown, and mask last - with hand hygiene after. Gloves never replace handwashing and are never worn from one resident to the next or into the hallway.
Transmission-based precautions
Contact (MRSA, C. diff, scabies, draining wounds): gown and gloves, dedicated equipment. Droplet (influenza, pertussis): mask, door may stay open. Airborne (tuberculosis, measles, chickenpox): N95 respirator and negative-pressure room. For a needlestick, wash with soap and water, report immediately, and follow post-exposure policy. Do not share razors, toothbrushes, or nail clippers; handle linen away from your body.
Traps
Look for answers that say to use hand sanitizer after C. diff care, to wear gloves instead of washing hands, to remove the mask before the gloves, or to skip precautions for a "nice" resident.
Rule of thumb: clean to dirty, gloves last on and first off, hand hygiene in between.