Which type of personal protective equipment should a nurse use when caring for a client with bacterial meningitis?

When caring for a client with bacterial meningitis, a surgical mask is the appropriate type of personal protective equipment. Bacterial meningitis can be spread through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. The surgical mask serves to protect the nurse from inhaling these droplets, thus helping to prevent transmission of the bacteria.

Surgical masks are designed to create a barrier that can block large respiratory droplets, which are the primary method of transmission for pathogens that cause bacterial meningitis. In addition to wearing a surgical mask, other precautions such as gloves and hand hygiene are typically recommended to further reduce the risk of infection.

While N95 masks provide a higher level of filtration and are used for airborne precautions, they are generally not necessary for droplet precautions unless the situation changes significantly or there are specific procedures that may aerosolize respiratory secretions. The face shield may provide additional protection to the eyes but does not substitute for the mask needed for respiratory protection. Wearing gloves alone does not provide adequate protection from infection in this context.