Perioperative Nursing Lectures 1 & 2 - MedSurg Nursing I Exam Questions and
Answers With Verified Solutions 2025
What does the preop phase of surgery refer to? (5) - ✔✔-Time before surgery
-Patient identified as candidate for surgical intervention
-Patient assessed & prepped for surgery
-Interventions include lab tests, med admin, assessment, teaching, skin preps, etc.
What does the intraop phase of surgery refer to? - ✔✔-Actual surgical intervention phase
-Patients prepped, draped, positioned properly, monitored for sterile technique, receive surgical time
out, & receive monitoring such as sponge/instrument counts
What does the postop phase of surgery refer to? - ✔✔-Recovery phase
-Starts when patient leaves surgical suite
-Patients are monitored for complications & receive nursing interventions/teaching that move them
towards recovery
Members of surgical team? Identify if they are sterile or not. (7) - ✔✔-Patient
-Anesthesiologist or CRNA (non-sterile)
-Surgeon (sterile)
-Circulating nurse (non-sterile)
-Scrub nurse
-Registered nurse first assistants/RNFAs or certified surgical techs/assistants
What is the job of the circulating nurse in surgery? (7) - ✔✔-Leadership
-Verifies consent & ensures time out
-Monitors environment
-Monitors patient
-Site/surgery verification
,-Coordinates x-ray/lab
-Coordinates care with scrub nurse
What does the scrub nurse do in surgery? (5) - ✔✔-Sets up sterile equipment & field
-Prepares special equipment (i.e. laparascope)
-Anticipates instrument/supplies
-Counts items (prevent things being left in pt)
-Debrief at end
What is the RNFA's & surgical techs' jobs? (4) - ✔✔-Handling tissue
-Exposing operative field
-Suturing
-Hemostasis
What happens during time out? - ✔✔-Right site
-Right patient
-Imaging is applicable to surgery
-Right limb, matches with hx & physical
Modifiable risk factors for surgery? What can they lead to? (6) - ✔✔-Smoking (pulmonary complications)
-Obesity/nutrition (clots, joint replacement failure)
-Electrolytes (K, Na, Mg → K & Mg can cause arrythmias)
-Medications (go off most/NPO after midnight)
-Infection
-Alcohol (bleeding & decreased immunity risk; cancel surgery if intoxicated)
Non-modifiable risk factors for surgery? (4) - ✔✔-Chronic conditions: cardiac, URI, COPD, renal, liver
-Pregnancy
-Infants & elders at higher risk
, -Disability
Why are infants & children more at risk for surgery? - ✔✔-Preterm infants prone to respiratory
complications
-Infants can tolerate less blood loss & fluid/electrolyte balance are at concern (lower circulating
volume/less blood to lose)
What should you consider when teaching children? - ✔✔Developmental level - encourage comfort items
from home
-Keep hospital room for children a safe zone (teddy bear from home, do blood draws outside of room so
the room doesn't cause anxiety)
What positions should & shouldn't you place a pregnant woman in for surgery? Why? Why are they
more at risk for surgery? - ✔✔-Don't put them on back (compresses inferior vena cava → H0TN)
-Keep in left lateral recumbent position
-Increased DVT risk
Why are elders more at risk for surgery? (5) - ✔✔-Hearing impacts ability to hear teaching
-Increased risk for atelectasis & pneumonia
-Increased risk for skin breakdown & hypothermia
-Increased risk for DVT
-Increased risk for surgical site infection, may not present with fever
Why are elders more at risk for atelectasis & pneumonia? - ✔✔Reduced lung function so decreased
elasticity in lungs (immuosenesence)
What can you do about atelectasis & pneumonia? - ✔✔Incentive spirometry 10-12 breaths hourly
Explain how to use an incentive spirometer. - ✔✔-Sit upright
-Identify goal mark for inhalation
-Exhale normally
Answers With Verified Solutions 2025
What does the preop phase of surgery refer to? (5) - ✔✔-Time before surgery
-Patient identified as candidate for surgical intervention
-Patient assessed & prepped for surgery
-Interventions include lab tests, med admin, assessment, teaching, skin preps, etc.
What does the intraop phase of surgery refer to? - ✔✔-Actual surgical intervention phase
-Patients prepped, draped, positioned properly, monitored for sterile technique, receive surgical time
out, & receive monitoring such as sponge/instrument counts
What does the postop phase of surgery refer to? - ✔✔-Recovery phase
-Starts when patient leaves surgical suite
-Patients are monitored for complications & receive nursing interventions/teaching that move them
towards recovery
Members of surgical team? Identify if they are sterile or not. (7) - ✔✔-Patient
-Anesthesiologist or CRNA (non-sterile)
-Surgeon (sterile)
-Circulating nurse (non-sterile)
-Scrub nurse
-Registered nurse first assistants/RNFAs or certified surgical techs/assistants
What is the job of the circulating nurse in surgery? (7) - ✔✔-Leadership
-Verifies consent & ensures time out
-Monitors environment
-Monitors patient
-Site/surgery verification
,-Coordinates x-ray/lab
-Coordinates care with scrub nurse
What does the scrub nurse do in surgery? (5) - ✔✔-Sets up sterile equipment & field
-Prepares special equipment (i.e. laparascope)
-Anticipates instrument/supplies
-Counts items (prevent things being left in pt)
-Debrief at end
What is the RNFA's & surgical techs' jobs? (4) - ✔✔-Handling tissue
-Exposing operative field
-Suturing
-Hemostasis
What happens during time out? - ✔✔-Right site
-Right patient
-Imaging is applicable to surgery
-Right limb, matches with hx & physical
Modifiable risk factors for surgery? What can they lead to? (6) - ✔✔-Smoking (pulmonary complications)
-Obesity/nutrition (clots, joint replacement failure)
-Electrolytes (K, Na, Mg → K & Mg can cause arrythmias)
-Medications (go off most/NPO after midnight)
-Infection
-Alcohol (bleeding & decreased immunity risk; cancel surgery if intoxicated)
Non-modifiable risk factors for surgery? (4) - ✔✔-Chronic conditions: cardiac, URI, COPD, renal, liver
-Pregnancy
-Infants & elders at higher risk
, -Disability
Why are infants & children more at risk for surgery? - ✔✔-Preterm infants prone to respiratory
complications
-Infants can tolerate less blood loss & fluid/electrolyte balance are at concern (lower circulating
volume/less blood to lose)
What should you consider when teaching children? - ✔✔Developmental level - encourage comfort items
from home
-Keep hospital room for children a safe zone (teddy bear from home, do blood draws outside of room so
the room doesn't cause anxiety)
What positions should & shouldn't you place a pregnant woman in for surgery? Why? Why are they
more at risk for surgery? - ✔✔-Don't put them on back (compresses inferior vena cava → H0TN)
-Keep in left lateral recumbent position
-Increased DVT risk
Why are elders more at risk for surgery? (5) - ✔✔-Hearing impacts ability to hear teaching
-Increased risk for atelectasis & pneumonia
-Increased risk for skin breakdown & hypothermia
-Increased risk for DVT
-Increased risk for surgical site infection, may not present with fever
Why are elders more at risk for atelectasis & pneumonia? - ✔✔Reduced lung function so decreased
elasticity in lungs (immuosenesence)
What can you do about atelectasis & pneumonia? - ✔✔Incentive spirometry 10-12 breaths hourly
Explain how to use an incentive spirometer. - ✔✔-Sit upright
-Identify goal mark for inhalation
-Exhale normally
