Final answer:
To prevent the spread of MRSA in a healthcare setting, the nurse should use contact precautions, including wearing a gown and gloves. MRSA is concerning for medical professionals due to its potential for resistance transfer, serious illness from delayed treatment, and development into a "super bug."
Step-by-step explanation:
When a client has a positive culture for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the appropriate nursing action would be to implement contact precautions, which includes wearing a gown and gloves. This is because MRSA is a highly contagious pathogen that can spread through skin-to-skin contact and through contact with contaminated surfaces. Therefore, the correct answer among the options given is: d. Use contact precautions and wear a gown and gloves. It is essential for healthcare workers to follow these precautions to prevent the spread of MRSA to other patients, particularly in a hospital setting where individuals may be more susceptible to infection.
Medical professionals are concerned about MRSA because it poses several challenges in healthcare settings: a. MRSA can transfer methicillin-resistance to other bacteria, b. Rapid administration of correct antibiotics is needed to prevent serious illness, and c. MRSA has the potential to acquire additional antibiotic resistance genes and become a "super bug." Therefore, all of the above options are valid concerns (d. All of the above).