A nurse is caring for a client who has a Clostridium difficile infection. Which of the following actions should the nurse take? (Select all that apply.)

Rationale: A. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are not effective against Clostridium difficile spores. Hand hygiene for C. difficile requires washing with soap and water because mechanical friction is needed to physically remove the spores from the hands. B. Contact precautions are required for C. difficile infection. A gown must be worn because the organism is transmitted via the fecal-oral route and can contaminate clothing and skin through contact with infected stool or contaminated surfaces. C. Equipment used for a client with C. difficile must remain dedicated to that client or be properly disinfected before reuse. Removing a thermometer without proper disinfection risks spreading spores to other clients. D. Gloves should be changed after contact with contaminated material and before touching clean surfaces or leaving the room. This helps prevent cross-contamination and spread of spores within the client’s environment. E. C. difficile is transmitted via contact, not airborne droplets or aerosols. An N95 respirator is not required. Standard contact precautions (gown and gloves) are sufficient.