Final answer:
The nurse should don a gown and gloves when providing care to the client with MRSA. This is a key aspect of contact precautions to prevent the infection's spread. MRSA is a significant concern as it is highly contagious and resistant to many standard antibiotics.
Step-by-step explanation:
When caring for a client who has a positive culture for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the nurse should take several precautions to prevent the spread of this infection. According to the guidelines for preventing MRSA transmission, the nurse should don a gown and gloves when providing care to the client. This falls under standard contact precautions and helps prevent skin and mucous membrane exposure when in direct contact with the patient or their environment.
MRSA is a significant concern in medical settings because it is resistant to many antibiotics, and there is a risk of it becoming a "super bug" by acquiring additional resistance genes. It is contagious and can be spread via skin-to-skin contact or from the nasal carriers to others. To control its spread, hospitals may use screening, decolonization protocols, and promote good hand hygiene.
For early treatment of suspected S. aureus infections, health-care professionals often use antibiotics known to be effective against MRSA, such as trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMZ), clindamycin, or doxycycline, pending results from antibiotic sensitivity testing. This is crucial as MRSA can cause various infections ranging from skin conditions to more severe diseases like pneumonia and septicemia.