A nurse is contributing to the plan of care for a client who has herpes simplex. The nurse should plan to initiate which of the following isolation procedures when caring for this client?

A. Droplet precautions: Droplet precautions are used for infections transmitted by large respiratory droplets, such as influenza or pertussis. Herpes simplex is not spread through respiratory droplets, so droplet precautions are not necessary. B. Protective environment: A protective environment is designed to protect immunocompromised clients from acquiring infections. It is not used for clients who are infectious, such as those with herpes simplex. C. Contact precautions: Herpes simplex virus is transmitted via direct contact with lesions or infected bodily fluids. Contact precautions, including wearing gloves and gowns and proper hand hygiene, prevent transmission to healthcare workers and other clients. D. Airborne precautions: Airborne precautions are reserved for infections transmitted via small droplet nuclei, such as tuberculosis or measles. Herpes simplex does not spread through the airborne route, so these precautions are unnecessary.