Free BCEN Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) Practice Question

The appropriate initial step for a patient presenting with symptoms suggestive of C. difficile infection is to initiate contact precautions and collect a stool sample for testing. This prevents the spread of the bacteria and confirms the diagnosis, allowing for specific treatment. Administering further antibiotics without testing may worsen the condition if wrongly selected, hydrating the patient while necessary, doesn’t address the underlying cause directly at this point, and monitoring vital signs, while important, is not specific enough as an initial intervention for suspected C. difficile.