Final answer:
The statement indicating a need for improved understanding of standard precautions is the one requesting the patient to wear gown, gloves, and mask for contact-droplet isolation, as this generally applies to staff, not patients.
Step-by-step explanation:
Among the statements provided by the medical assistant, the one that indicates a need for a better understanding of standard precautions is: "The patient should wear a gown, gloves, and mask to maintain contact-droplet isolation." Standard precautions are a set of infection control practices used to prevent transmission of diseases that can be acquired by contact with blood, body fluids, non-intact skin (including rashes), and mucous membranes. These precautions need to be applied to all patients, regardless of their diagnosis or presumed infection status.
Hand hygiene is indeed very important for health care workers, emphasizing the need to wash hands thoroughly between every patient contact, after removal of gloves, and after contact with bodily fluids, among others. Sharps containers should indeed be replaced when 2/3 full to prevent needle-stick injuries, and antimicrobial wipes can be used for cleaning surfaces in an examination room to lower the risk of transmissions between patients. Therefore, these statements are appropriate and indicate an understanding of standard precautions.