Perioperative Care Exam Questions With Complete
Solutions
1. The nurse is precepting a student nurse and explains that
perioperative nursing care occurs
a. Before, during, and after surgery.
b. In preadmission testing.
c. During the surgical procedure.
d. In the postanesthesia care unit. Correct Answers ANS: A
Perioperative nursing care occurs before, during, and after a
surgery. Preadmission testing occurs before surgery and is
considered preoperative. Nursing care provided during the
surgical procedure is considered intraoperative, and in the
postanesthesia care unit, it is considered postoperative. All of
these are parts of the perioperative phase, but each individual
phase does not explain the term completely.
DIF: Remember REF: 1254 OBJ: Explain the concept of
perioperative nursing care.
TOP: Implementation
MSC: Physiological Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
10. The nurse is encouraging the postoperative patient to utilize
diaphragmatic breathing. Reasons for this intervention include
,a. Management of pain.
b. Decreased healing time.
c. Prevention of atelectasis.
d. Decreased thrombus formation. Correct Answers ANS: C
During general anesthesia, the lungs are not fully inflated during
surgery and the cough reflex is suppressed, so mucus collects
within airway passages. After surgery, patients may have
reduced lung volume and may require greater effort to cough
and deep breathe; inadequate lung expansion can lead to
atelectasis and pneumonia. Purposely utilizing diaphragmatic
breathing can decrease this risk. Diaphragmatic breathing,
except for the components of distraction, minimal increased
level of oxygen, and minimal chest wall movement, does not
influence pain, healing time, or thrombus formation. Better,
more effective interventions are available for these situations.
DIF: Understand REF: 1281
OBJ: Demonstrate postoperative exercises: diaphragmatic
breathing, coughing, incentive spirometer use, turning, and leg
exercises. TOP: Intervention
MSC: Physiological Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
11. The nurse is caring for a postoperative patient on the
medical-surgical floor. To prevent venous stasis and the
,formation of thrombus after general anesthesia, the nurse
encourages
a. Coughing.
b. Diaphragmatic breathing.
c. Incentive spirometry.
d. Leg exercises. Correct Answers ANS: D
After general anesthesia, circulation slows, and when the rate of
blood slows, a greater tendency for clot formation is noted.
Immobilization results in decreased muscular contractions in the
lower extremities; these promote venous stasis. Coughing,
diaphragmatic breathing, and incentive spirometry are utilized to
decrease atelectasis.
DIF: Remember REF: 1282-1283
OBJ: Demonstrate postoperative exercises: diaphragmatic
breathing, coughing, incentive spirometer use, turning, and leg
exercises. TOP: Intervention
MSC: Physiological Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
12. The nurse is caring for a preoperative patient. The nurse
teaches the principles and demonstrates leg exercises for the
patient. The patient is unable to perform leg exercises correctly.
What is the nurses best next step?
, a. Assess for the presence of anxiety, pain, or fatigue.
b. Ask the patient why he does not want to do the exercises.
c. Encourage the patient to practice at a later date.
d. Assess the educational methods used to educate the patient.
Correct Answers ANS: A
If the patient is unable to perform leg exercises after sound
educational principles and demonstration are provided, the nurse
should look for circumstances that may be impacting the
patients ability to learn. In this case, the patient can be
anticipating the upcoming surgery and may be experiencing
anxiety. The patient may also be in pain or may be fatigued;
both of these can affect the ability to learn. Assessment of
educational methods may be needed, but in this case, sound
principles and demonstration are being utilized. Asking anyone
why can cause defensiveness and may not help in attaining the
answer. In this case, the patient really may want to participate
and may not know why he is unable to learn. The nurse is aware
that the patient is unable to do the exercises. Moving forward
without ascertaining that learning has occurred will not help the
patient in meeting goals.
DIF: Apply REF: 1292
OBJ: Demonstrate postoperative exercises: diaphragmatic
breathing, coughing, incentive spirometer use, turning, and leg
exercises. TOP: Intervention
Solutions
1. The nurse is precepting a student nurse and explains that
perioperative nursing care occurs
a. Before, during, and after surgery.
b. In preadmission testing.
c. During the surgical procedure.
d. In the postanesthesia care unit. Correct Answers ANS: A
Perioperative nursing care occurs before, during, and after a
surgery. Preadmission testing occurs before surgery and is
considered preoperative. Nursing care provided during the
surgical procedure is considered intraoperative, and in the
postanesthesia care unit, it is considered postoperative. All of
these are parts of the perioperative phase, but each individual
phase does not explain the term completely.
DIF: Remember REF: 1254 OBJ: Explain the concept of
perioperative nursing care.
TOP: Implementation
MSC: Physiological Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
10. The nurse is encouraging the postoperative patient to utilize
diaphragmatic breathing. Reasons for this intervention include
,a. Management of pain.
b. Decreased healing time.
c. Prevention of atelectasis.
d. Decreased thrombus formation. Correct Answers ANS: C
During general anesthesia, the lungs are not fully inflated during
surgery and the cough reflex is suppressed, so mucus collects
within airway passages. After surgery, patients may have
reduced lung volume and may require greater effort to cough
and deep breathe; inadequate lung expansion can lead to
atelectasis and pneumonia. Purposely utilizing diaphragmatic
breathing can decrease this risk. Diaphragmatic breathing,
except for the components of distraction, minimal increased
level of oxygen, and minimal chest wall movement, does not
influence pain, healing time, or thrombus formation. Better,
more effective interventions are available for these situations.
DIF: Understand REF: 1281
OBJ: Demonstrate postoperative exercises: diaphragmatic
breathing, coughing, incentive spirometer use, turning, and leg
exercises. TOP: Intervention
MSC: Physiological Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
11. The nurse is caring for a postoperative patient on the
medical-surgical floor. To prevent venous stasis and the
,formation of thrombus after general anesthesia, the nurse
encourages
a. Coughing.
b. Diaphragmatic breathing.
c. Incentive spirometry.
d. Leg exercises. Correct Answers ANS: D
After general anesthesia, circulation slows, and when the rate of
blood slows, a greater tendency for clot formation is noted.
Immobilization results in decreased muscular contractions in the
lower extremities; these promote venous stasis. Coughing,
diaphragmatic breathing, and incentive spirometry are utilized to
decrease atelectasis.
DIF: Remember REF: 1282-1283
OBJ: Demonstrate postoperative exercises: diaphragmatic
breathing, coughing, incentive spirometer use, turning, and leg
exercises. TOP: Intervention
MSC: Physiological Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
12. The nurse is caring for a preoperative patient. The nurse
teaches the principles and demonstrates leg exercises for the
patient. The patient is unable to perform leg exercises correctly.
What is the nurses best next step?
, a. Assess for the presence of anxiety, pain, or fatigue.
b. Ask the patient why he does not want to do the exercises.
c. Encourage the patient to practice at a later date.
d. Assess the educational methods used to educate the patient.
Correct Answers ANS: A
If the patient is unable to perform leg exercises after sound
educational principles and demonstration are provided, the nurse
should look for circumstances that may be impacting the
patients ability to learn. In this case, the patient can be
anticipating the upcoming surgery and may be experiencing
anxiety. The patient may also be in pain or may be fatigued;
both of these can affect the ability to learn. Assessment of
educational methods may be needed, but in this case, sound
principles and demonstration are being utilized. Asking anyone
why can cause defensiveness and may not help in attaining the
answer. In this case, the patient really may want to participate
and may not know why he is unable to learn. The nurse is aware
that the patient is unable to do the exercises. Moving forward
without ascertaining that learning has occurred will not help the
patient in meeting goals.
DIF: Apply REF: 1292
OBJ: Demonstrate postoperative exercises: diaphragmatic
breathing, coughing, incentive spirometer use, turning, and leg
exercises. TOP: Intervention
