Read the passage, then answer the question.
Hand hygiene is the single most effective way to limit the spread of infection in a clinic. Staff are expected to clean their hands before touching a patient, before any clean or sterile task, after contact with body fluids, after touching a patient, and after touching the patient's surroundings. Alcohol-based hand rub is the preferred method when hands are not visibly dirty, because it works quickly and is easier on the skin than repeated washing. Soap and water are still required when hands are visibly soiled or after caring for a patient with certain infections that alcohol does not kill. The clinic posts compliance rates on the staff board each month. Last quarter the rate rose from 71 percent to 88 percent after dispensers were moved to eye level beside every doorway. The infection control nurse believes the improvement came from convenience rather than from training, since no new training was given during that period. The next step is to add reminder cards in every exam room.
What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Cleaning hands at the right moments is the most effective way to limit infection in the clinic, and convenience improved compliance.
B. Staff training is the most important factor in hand hygiene compliance.
C. Compliance rates should be posted on the staff board every month.
D. Alcohol-based hand rub should replace soap and water in all situations.
Show answer and reasoning
Correct answer: A. Cleaning hands at the right moments is the most effective way to limit infection in the clinic, and convenience improved compliance.
Correct. The passage opens by naming hand hygiene as the most effective infection control measure, explains when and how to do it, and ends with the finding that convenience raised compliance.
- B: The passage says the nurse believes convenience, not training, drove the improvement.
- C: Posting rates is a detail, not the main point.
- D: The passage says soap and water are still required in some situations, so this contradicts a detail.
Source: HESI A2 Reading Comprehension | Main idea and supporting details
Read the passage, then answer the question.
Hand hygiene is the single most effective way to limit the spread of infection in a clinic. Staff are expected to clean their hands before touching a patient, before any clean or sterile task, after contact with body fluids, after touching a patient, and after touching the patient's surroundings. Alcohol-based hand rub is the preferred method when hands are not visibly dirty, because it works quickly and is easier on the skin than repeated washing. Soap and water are still required when hands are visibly soiled or after caring for a patient with certain infections that alcohol does not kill. The clinic posts compliance rates on the staff board each month. Last quarter the rate rose from 71 percent to 88 percent after dispensers were moved to eye level beside every doorway. The infection control nurse believes the improvement came from convenience rather than from training, since no new training was given during that period. The next step is to add reminder cards in every exam room.
As used in the passage, what does the word 'compliance' mean?
A. Speed of hand washing
B. Following the required practice
C. Cleaning equipment
D. Complaining about a rule
Show answer and reasoning
Correct answer: B. Following the required practice
Correct. Compliance means the degree to which people follow a rule or standard; here it is the rate at which staff cleaned their hands as required.
- A: Speed is not what a compliance rate measures.
- C: The passage is about hands, not equipment.
- D: Complaining is unrelated to the meaning of compliance.
Source: HESI A2 Reading Comprehension | Word meaning in context
Read the passage, then answer the question.
Hand hygiene is the single most effective way to limit the spread of infection in a clinic. Staff are expected to clean their hands before touching a patient, before any clean or sterile task, after contact with body fluids, after touching a patient, and after touching the patient's surroundings. Alcohol-based hand rub is the preferred method when hands are not visibly dirty, because it works quickly and is easier on the skin than repeated washing. Soap and water are still required when hands are visibly soiled or after caring for a patient with certain infections that alcohol does not kill. The clinic posts compliance rates on the staff board each month. Last quarter the rate rose from 71 percent to 88 percent after dispensers were moved to eye level beside every doorway. The infection control nurse believes the improvement came from convenience rather than from training, since no new training was given during that period. The next step is to add reminder cards in every exam room.
Which statement from the passage is an opinion rather than a fact?
A. No new training was given during that period.
B. The rate rose from 71 percent to 88 percent last quarter.
C. The improvement came from convenience rather than from training.
D. Dispensers were moved to eye level beside every doorway.
Show answer and reasoning
Correct answer: C. The improvement came from convenience rather than from training.
Correct. This is what the infection control nurse believes; it is an interpretation of the data, not a measured result.
- A: Whether training was given is a verifiable fact.
- B: The percentages are recorded figures and can be verified.
- D: Moving the dispensers is a reported action that can be checked.
Source: HESI A2 Reading Comprehension | Fact versus opinion
Read the passage, then answer the question.
Hand hygiene is the single most effective way to limit the spread of infection in a clinic. Staff are expected to clean their hands before touching a patient, before any clean or sterile task, after contact with body fluids, after touching a patient, and after touching the patient's surroundings. Alcohol-based hand rub is the preferred method when hands are not visibly dirty, because it works quickly and is easier on the skin than repeated washing. Soap and water are still required when hands are visibly soiled or after caring for a patient with certain infections that alcohol does not kill. The clinic posts compliance rates on the staff board each month. Last quarter the rate rose from 71 percent to 88 percent after dispensers were moved to eye level beside every doorway. The infection control nurse believes the improvement came from convenience rather than from training, since no new training was given during that period. The next step is to add reminder cards in every exam room.
Based on the passage, what can the reader infer about why alcohol rub is preferred when hands are not visibly dirty?
A. Soap and water are not available in the clinic.
B. Alcohol rub kills every kind of germ.
C. Alcohol rub is cheaper than soap.
D. Staff are more likely to clean their hands when the method is quick and comfortable.
Show answer and reasoning
Correct answer: D. Staff are more likely to clean their hands when the method is quick and comfortable.
Correct. The passage says rub works quickly and is easier on the skin, and it links higher compliance to convenience, which supports this inference.
- A: The passage says soap and water are still required in some situations, so they must be available.
- B: The passage explicitly says alcohol does not kill certain infections.
- C: Cost is never mentioned.
Source: HESI A2 Reading Comprehension | Inference and conclusion
Read the passage, then answer the question.
Dehydration happens when the body loses more fluid than it takes in. Mild dehydration causes thirst, a dry mouth, and darker urine. As it worsens, a person may feel dizzy when standing, have a rapid heartbeat, and produce very little urine. Older adults are at higher risk because the sense of thirst weakens with age and because some medications increase fluid loss. Infants are also vulnerable, since they cannot ask for a drink and lose fluid quickly through vomiting or diarrhea. The best treatment for mild cases is to drink small amounts of fluid often; for children with diarrhea, an oral rehydration solution that contains the right balance of salt and sugar is more effective than plain water or juice. Severe dehydration, marked by confusion, fainting, or no urine for many hours, needs medical care and may require fluids given through a vein. Prevention is simpler than treatment: drink regularly during hot weather and exercise, and do not wait until thirst appears.
According to the passage, which sign indicates that dehydration has become severe?
A. Confusion or fainting
B. Darker urine
C. Thirst
D. A dry mouth
Show answer and reasoning
Correct answer: A. Confusion or fainting
Correct. The passage lists confusion, fainting, and no urine for many hours as marks of severe dehydration.
- B: Darker urine is listed under mild dehydration.
- C: Thirst is a sign of mild dehydration.
- D: A dry mouth is listed under mild dehydration.
Source: HESI A2 Reading Comprehension | Summary and sequence
