Body substances include blood and all body fluids. Standard refers to the blood and body fluids of all patients, not just known infected patients. Treating all patients' blood and body fluids as hazardous provides the best protection of student nurses without compromising patient care and confidentiality. Health Care Workers are defined by the CDC as persons, including students and trainees whose activities involve contact with patients or with blood or other body fluids from patients in a health-care setting. Students will be taught the following guidelines and will practice these techniques both in simulation labs and in the actual clinical settings in hospitals, clinics, offices, and homes.
Standard precautions apply to blood and other body fluids containing visible blood.
All health care workers should routinely use appropriate barrier precautions to prevent skin and mucous membrane exposure when contact with blood or other body fluids of any client is anticipated. Gloves should be worn for touching blood and body fluids, mucous membranes, or non-intact skin of all clients for handling items or surfaces soiled with blood or body fluids, and for performing venipuncture and other vascular access procedures. Masks and protective eyewear or face shields should be worn during procedures that are likely to generate droplets of blood or other body fluids. Gowns or aprons should be worn during procedures that are likely to generate splashes of blood or other body fluids. Standard precautions are intended to supplement rather than replace recommendations for routine infection control, such as handwashing and using gloves to prevent gross microbial contamination of hands.