International Licensing Examination (ILE) Practice Test

Which of the following is NOT a part of hand hygiene practices?

1. Washing with antimicrobial soap

2. Using alcohol-based no-rinse hand sanitizers

3. Wearing gloves at all times

4. Washing with plain soap and water

The correct answer is: Wearing gloves at all times

Wearing gloves at all times is not considered a part of hand hygiene practices. While gloves can provide a barrier against pathogens, they do not replace the need for effective hand hygiene. Proper hand hygiene includes actions that reduce the number of microorganisms on hands, such as washing with antimicrobial soap, using alcohol-based no-rinse hand sanitizers, and washing with plain soap and water. The practice of wearing gloves is meant to be complementary to hand hygiene, used in situations where there is a risk of contamination, but gloves can give a false sense of security; they may also become contaminated during use and can lead to the transmission of pathogens if hand hygiene is neglected. Therefore, while gloves are a tool for preventing infection, they do not inherently constitute a hand hygiene practice by themselves.