When gloves are needed

CNA
Basic Nursing Skills
Multiple choice
Difficulty 2 of 5

Question

A nursing assistant is caring for a resident who has no known infection and is not on any transmission-based precautions. Which task requires her to put on gloves?

Brushing the resident's teeth during morning care✓ Correct

Correct. Oral care means contact with saliva and the mucous membranes of the mouth, so gloves are worn.
Pushing the resident's wheelchair to the dining room✗ Incorrect

Routine mobility tasks do not involve expected contact with body fluids, so gloves are not needed.
Counting the resident's pulse and respirations✗ Incorrect

Routine vital signs on intact skin do not call for gloves unless isolation precautions require them.
Walking the resident to the bathroom with a gait belt✗ Incorrect

Helping with walking involves no expected contact with blood or body fluids, so gloves are not required for this alone.

Answer

A. Brushing the resident's teeth during morning care

Rationale

Gloves are chosen by the contact the aide expects, not out of habit. Brushing teeth means touching saliva and mouth tissue, which is expected exposure to body fluids and mucous membranes. Pushing a wheelchair, counting a pulse and walking with a gait belt carry no such exposure unless an isolation order says otherwise.

RememberGlove up for expected contact with body fluids or mucous membranes, not for routine tasks.

Sources

Sources marked “Adapted from” are licensed under CC BY 4.0. We changed the material: its facts are rewritten into an original question, answer options and rationale. The original authors and publishers do not endorse SwipeExam.

Adapted from Open RN Nursing Assistant: Chapter 4: Adhere to Principles of Infection Control Open RN (Chippewa Valley Technical College) · License: CC BY 4.0 · Retrieved November 2, 2026 · PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) › Gloves · 2022
Clinical Safety: Hand Hygiene for Healthcare Workers (Source: CDC) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · License: CDC content (credit required) · Retrieved November 2, 2026 · When to wear gloves
Adapted from Open RN Nursing Assistant: Chapter 5: Provide for Personal Care Needs of Clients Open RN (Chippewa Valley Technical College) · License: CC BY 4.0 · Retrieved November 2, 2026 · SKILLS CHECKLIST: ORAL CARE · 2022
IV: Recommendations (Source: CDC) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · License: CDC content (credit required) · Retrieved November 2, 2026 · IV.B.2. Gloves; Perform hand hygiene ~ in the following clinical situations:
Implementation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Use in Nursing Homes to Prevent Spread of Multidrug-resistant Organisms (MDROs) (Source: CDC) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · License: CDC content (credit required) · Retrieved November 2, 2026 · Standard Precautions

Last verified: November 2, 2026 2 independent automated checks Question cna-bns-00001, version 1

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