Perioperative Nursing Exam 2026-2027 |
125 CNOR-Style Questions on Anesthesia,
Malpractice, Sterile Technique & Patient
Safety | Answers & Rationales Included
Description:
Master perioperative nursing with 125 exam questions updated for 2026-2027. Covers
anesthesia reversal agents, malignant hyperthermia, LAST treatment, Universal
Protocol, pressure injury stages, and surgical counts. Includes bolded answers and
detailed rationales.
Download now to pass your CNOR or nursing final on the first attempt.
, CNOR Exam Prep 2026-2027: 125 Questions & Answers
Section 1: Legal Foundations of Nursing Practice
Question 1
A nurse fails to raise the side rails on a postoperative patient's bed, and the patient falls,
sustaining a hip fracture. This scenario best represents which legal concept?
A. Respondeat superior
B. Tort
C. Assault
D. Battery
Answer: B
Explanation: A tort is a breach of duty to another person as outlined by law. In this scenario,
the nurse's failure to raise side rails constitutes a breach of the duty of care owed to the
patient, resulting in injury. Respondeat superior refers to employer liability for employee
actions. Assault involves threat of harm, while battery involves actual offensive contact.
Question 2
Under the doctrine of respondeat superior, an employer may be held legally responsible for a
nurse's actions only under which of the following conditions?
A. The nurse was acting outside the scope of practice
B. The nurse's actions occurred during personal time off duty
C. The nurse acted within the scope of practice and during employment, and the actions were
within the employer's best interests
D. The employer had no knowledge of the nurse's actions
Answer: C
Explanation: Respondeat superior holds employers liable when the nurse employee acts
within the scope of practice, the alleged actions occurred during employment, and the nurse's
actions were within the employer's best interests. This doctrine does not apply to actions
outside employment or scope of practice.
,Question 3
A surgical patient experiences physical and emotional damage due to a nurse's failure to
follow established standards of care. This situation is most accurately described as:
A. Battery
B. Nursing malpractice
C. Respondeat superior
D. Assault
Answer: B
Explanation: Nursing malpractice is defined as a nurse's negligence or any intentional act
that causes physical, financial, emotional, psychosocial, or cognitive damage to a person in
the nurse's care. This scenario meets all elements of malpractice including duty, breach,
causation, and injury.
Question 4
Which of the following represents all four required elements of malpractice?
A. Duty, breach of duty, injury to the patient, breach was intentional
B. Duty, breach of duty, breach caused injury, injury was harmful to the patient
C. Negligence, breach, injury, harm
D. Standard of care, breach, harm, causation
Answer: B
Explanation: The four elements of malpractice are: duty owed to the patient, breach of that
duty, the breach directly caused an injury, and the injury resulted in demonstrable harm to the
patient. All four elements must be present for malpractice to be established.
Section 2: Informed Consent and Patient Rights
Question 5
Which statement correctly describes a requirement for obtaining valid informed consent?
A. Any licensed nurse may obtain informed consent
B. The patient must give consent voluntarily with full understanding of all implications
, C. Consent may be obtained by a nursing assistant if witnessed by a nurse
D. Written consent is not required for surgical procedures
Answer: B
Explanation: Valid informed consent requires that the patient gives consent voluntarily with
complete understanding of all implications of the procedure. The licensed professional
performing the procedure must obtain the consent, not just any nurse or assistant.
Question 6
Which components must be included in informed consent documentation?
A. Diagnosis, proposed treatment, patient's insurance information
B. Diagnosis, proposed treatment, treatment alternatives, consequences of accepting or
declining treatment
C. Proposed treatment, patient's age, surgical date
D. Diagnosis, patient's medical history, proposed treatment
Answer: B
Explanation: Informed consent must include: diagnosis, proposed treatment, treatment
alternatives, and consequences of accepting or declining the proposed treatment. Insurance
information and medical history details are not required elements of the consent document
itself.
Question 7
The nurse's role in the informed consent process includes all of the following EXCEPT:
A. Witnessing the patient's signature
B. Ensuring the patient understands the information provided
C. Explaining the surgical risks and benefits to the patient
D. Verifying the consent form is complete
Answer: C
Explanation: Explaining surgical risks and benefits is the responsibility of the licensed
professional performing the procedure (physician, surgeon, or advanced practice provider).
125 CNOR-Style Questions on Anesthesia,
Malpractice, Sterile Technique & Patient
Safety | Answers & Rationales Included
Description:
Master perioperative nursing with 125 exam questions updated for 2026-2027. Covers
anesthesia reversal agents, malignant hyperthermia, LAST treatment, Universal
Protocol, pressure injury stages, and surgical counts. Includes bolded answers and
detailed rationales.
Download now to pass your CNOR or nursing final on the first attempt.
, CNOR Exam Prep 2026-2027: 125 Questions & Answers
Section 1: Legal Foundations of Nursing Practice
Question 1
A nurse fails to raise the side rails on a postoperative patient's bed, and the patient falls,
sustaining a hip fracture. This scenario best represents which legal concept?
A. Respondeat superior
B. Tort
C. Assault
D. Battery
Answer: B
Explanation: A tort is a breach of duty to another person as outlined by law. In this scenario,
the nurse's failure to raise side rails constitutes a breach of the duty of care owed to the
patient, resulting in injury. Respondeat superior refers to employer liability for employee
actions. Assault involves threat of harm, while battery involves actual offensive contact.
Question 2
Under the doctrine of respondeat superior, an employer may be held legally responsible for a
nurse's actions only under which of the following conditions?
A. The nurse was acting outside the scope of practice
B. The nurse's actions occurred during personal time off duty
C. The nurse acted within the scope of practice and during employment, and the actions were
within the employer's best interests
D. The employer had no knowledge of the nurse's actions
Answer: C
Explanation: Respondeat superior holds employers liable when the nurse employee acts
within the scope of practice, the alleged actions occurred during employment, and the nurse's
actions were within the employer's best interests. This doctrine does not apply to actions
outside employment or scope of practice.
,Question 3
A surgical patient experiences physical and emotional damage due to a nurse's failure to
follow established standards of care. This situation is most accurately described as:
A. Battery
B. Nursing malpractice
C. Respondeat superior
D. Assault
Answer: B
Explanation: Nursing malpractice is defined as a nurse's negligence or any intentional act
that causes physical, financial, emotional, psychosocial, or cognitive damage to a person in
the nurse's care. This scenario meets all elements of malpractice including duty, breach,
causation, and injury.
Question 4
Which of the following represents all four required elements of malpractice?
A. Duty, breach of duty, injury to the patient, breach was intentional
B. Duty, breach of duty, breach caused injury, injury was harmful to the patient
C. Negligence, breach, injury, harm
D. Standard of care, breach, harm, causation
Answer: B
Explanation: The four elements of malpractice are: duty owed to the patient, breach of that
duty, the breach directly caused an injury, and the injury resulted in demonstrable harm to the
patient. All four elements must be present for malpractice to be established.
Section 2: Informed Consent and Patient Rights
Question 5
Which statement correctly describes a requirement for obtaining valid informed consent?
A. Any licensed nurse may obtain informed consent
B. The patient must give consent voluntarily with full understanding of all implications
, C. Consent may be obtained by a nursing assistant if witnessed by a nurse
D. Written consent is not required for surgical procedures
Answer: B
Explanation: Valid informed consent requires that the patient gives consent voluntarily with
complete understanding of all implications of the procedure. The licensed professional
performing the procedure must obtain the consent, not just any nurse or assistant.
Question 6
Which components must be included in informed consent documentation?
A. Diagnosis, proposed treatment, patient's insurance information
B. Diagnosis, proposed treatment, treatment alternatives, consequences of accepting or
declining treatment
C. Proposed treatment, patient's age, surgical date
D. Diagnosis, patient's medical history, proposed treatment
Answer: B
Explanation: Informed consent must include: diagnosis, proposed treatment, treatment
alternatives, and consequences of accepting or declining the proposed treatment. Insurance
information and medical history details are not required elements of the consent document
itself.
Question 7
The nurse's role in the informed consent process includes all of the following EXCEPT:
A. Witnessing the patient's signature
B. Ensuring the patient understands the information provided
C. Explaining the surgical risks and benefits to the patient
D. Verifying the consent form is complete
Answer: C
Explanation: Explaining surgical risks and benefits is the responsibility of the licensed
professional performing the procedure (physician, surgeon, or advanced practice provider).
