A nurse is inserting an intravenous catheter for a client which results in a blood spill on her gloved hand. The client has no documented bloodstream infection. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Rationale: A. Carefully remove the gloves and follow with hand hygiene is correct because gloves are considered personal protective equipment (PPE) that protect the nurse from exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Once contaminated, gloves should be removed properly to prevent further contamination, followed immediately by hand hygiene to ensure any residual microorganisms on the skin are removed. This follows standard infection control protocols. B. Prepare an incident report is incorrect because a blood spill on gloves does not require an incident report if no exposure occurred and proper procedures were followed. Incident reports are reserved for needlestick injuries or other breaches in standard precautions that pose risk of infection. C. Ask the client to undergo a blood test is incorrect because the client has no documented infection, and a blood test is not warranted. Testing the client would be unnecessary, invasive, and not indicated by standard precautions. D. Wash the gloved hands and then throw the gloves away is incorrect because washing gloves is ineffective in removing pathogens and does not replace proper hand hygiene. Contaminated gloves must be discarded and hands washed thoroughly after removal.