A nurse is planning teaching for a client who has a new diagnosis of HIV. Which of the following information should the nurse include about preventing the spread of the infection?

A. Remove the thermometer from client's room for use on another client: Equipment used for clients with C. difficile should be dedicated or thoroughly disinfected to prevent cross-contamination; sharing without proper cleaning poses a high infection risk.
B. Wear an N95 respirator when providing care: C. difficile is spread via the fecal-oral route, not through airborne transmission. A surgical mask or respirator is not required unless aerosol-generating procedures are performed for another condition.
C. Wash hands with an alcohol-based cleaner: Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are ineffective against C. difficile spores. Soap and water must be used for hand hygiene after contact to physically remove the spores.
D. Wear a gown when providing care: A gown is necessary when providing care to prevent contact with contaminated surfaces or infectious materials, especially when contact with feces is possible.
E. Change gloves after contact with infectious material: Gloves must be changed between tasks to prevent the spread of spores and reduce contamination between different body sites or surfaces.

A. Critical pathways have an unlimited timeframe for completion: Critical pathways are designed with specific timelines to standardize care and ensure timely achievement of outcomes, so they do not have unlimited timeframes.
B. Nurses should discontinue the critical pathway if variances occur: Variances are documented and addressed, not a reason to discontinue the pathway. They help track deviations and guide individualized care adjustments.
C. Nurses' notes are used to create the critical pathway: Critical pathways are developed from evidence-based guidelines and clinical expertise, not directly from nurses' notes, though documentation helps evaluate their effectiveness.
D. Critical pathways should reduce health care costs: By standardizing care, minimizing delays, and improving efficiency, critical pathways aim to reduce unnecessary interventions and overall health care costs.