Hand hygiene
Perform hand hygiene at the appropriate moments using the method required by local policy and the clinical situation.
NurseNet Clinical Skills
Standard Infection Control Precautions
Learn the core precautions used in everyday nursing practice to reduce the risk of infection, protect patients and staff, and make safer decisions during routine clinical care.
Core infection-control principles
01
Hand hygiene
Clean hands at the right moments.
02
PPE
Select protection according to the clinical risk.
03
Aseptic practice
Protect key parts and key sites from contamination.
04
Safe environment
Keep equipment and surroundings appropriately clean.
05
Safe disposal
Manage waste, linen and sharps correctly.
Every patient. Every setting.
What are standard infection control precautions?
Standard infection control precautions are the routine measures used to reduce the risk of microorganisms spreading between patients, healthcare workers, equipment and the clinical environment.
They are not reserved only for patients known to have an infection. Safe infection-prevention practice begins by assuming that exposure risks can exist during everyday care.
Student nurses should learn to assess the task, identify the possible route of transmission and choose the appropriate precautions before care begins.
Infection prevention is not one single action. It is a collection of
safe habits used consistently throughout patient care.
The foundations
Core standard infection control precautions
The precise procedures used will depend on your organisation and the care being delivered, but these principles sit at the centre of safe practice.
Personal protective equipment
Select gloves, aprons, gowns, masks or eye protection according to anticipated exposure risk rather than habit.
Aseptic technique
Protect key parts and key sites from contamination during procedures where microorganisms could be introduced.
Respiratory hygiene
Follow local respiratory and cough-hygiene precautions to reduce the spread of respiratory secretions.
Environmental cleanliness
Keep patient-care areas and frequently touched surfaces appropriately clean and report contamination that requires attention.
Safe equipment
Use patient-care equipment according to cleaning, decontamination and single-use requirements.
Sharps safety
Handle needles and other sharps carefully, dispose of them immediately in the correct container and follow local needlestick procedures.
Waste management
Segregate and dispose of clinical waste using the correct waste stream and local guidance.
Linen management
Handle used or contaminated linen in a way that reduces unnecessary movement, exposure and environmental contamination.
Risk assessment
Think before you begin care
Infection prevention starts before the procedure itself. A short risk assessment helps you decide what precautions are required.
1
What am I about to do?
Consider the type of patient contact or clinical procedure you are preparing to perform.
2
What exposure could occur?
Think about blood, body fluids, respiratory secretions, contaminated equipment and contact with non-intact skin or mucous membranes.
3
What precautions are needed?
Decide on hand hygiene, PPE, aseptic technique and any environmental preparation required.
4
What happens afterwards?
Plan safe disposal, decontamination, hand hygiene and documentation before beginning the task.
Breaking the chain
How infection can spread in healthcare
Infection prevention works by interrupting opportunities for microorganisms to move from one place or person to another.
Hands
Hands can transfer microorganisms between patients, surfaces, equipment and healthcare workers.
Equipment
Shared or inadequately decontaminated equipment can create a route for transmission.
Environment
Frequently touched surfaces may become contaminated during routine patient care.
Body fluids
Blood and body fluid exposure requires appropriate precautions and safe handling.
Respiratory secretions
Respiratory droplets or aerosols may require additional precautions depending on the clinical situation.
Clinical procedures
Invasive procedures can create opportunities for microorganisms to reach vulnerable body sites if asepsis is not maintained.
Student nurse practice
Common infection-control mistakes to avoid
- Wearing gloves instead of performing hand hygiene.
- Using the same gloves for multiple different tasks.
- Touching phones, pens or clean equipment with contaminated gloves.
- Leaving used equipment for someone else to decontaminate without following local procedure.
- Overfilling or incorrectly using sharps containers.
- Carrying contaminated linen against your uniform.
- Ignoring a break in aseptic technique.
- Assuming infection precautions apply only when a diagnosis is known.
Small lapses can create a route for transmission. Safe practice depends
on consistent attention to detail throughout the whole episode of care.
Patient safety
What if you are unsure?
Infection-control requirements can vary depending on the patient, procedure, organism and clinical environment.
Check before proceeding.
If you are unsure which precautions, PPE or isolation measures are required, review the local policy or ask an appropriately qualified member of staff before beginning care. Do not guess when infection risk is unclear.
Student nurse focus
How to make infection prevention part of your routine
Strong infection-control practice becomes easier when you stop thinking of individual precautions as separate tasks and begin planning them as part of the whole episode of care.
- Pause before care and identify the likely infection risks.
- Know where PPE, sharps bins and waste streams are located.
- Recognise the hand hygiene moments within the task.
- Prepare equipment before starting an aseptic procedure.
- Clean or dispose of equipment immediately after use as required.
- Ask your supervisor to explain local infection-control procedures you have not seen before.
Infection prevention is everyone's responsibility. Consistent everyday
practice protects patients, colleagues and you.
Next clinical skill
Next: Pressure Ulcer Prevention.
The next NurseNet guide moves into fundamental patient care and explores how nurses assess pressure risk, protect skin and help prevent pressure damage.
Continue to pressure ulcer prevention