Test Bank
MULTIPLE CHOICE
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.
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
2. The nurse is caring for a patient who is scheduled to undergo a surgical procedure. The nurse is
completing an assessment and reviews the patient’s laboratory tests and allergies. In which
perioperative nursing phase would this work be completed?
a. Perioperative
b. Preoperative
c. Intraoperative
d. Postoperative
ANS: B
Reviewing the patient’s laboratory tests and allergies is done before surgery in the preoperative
phase. Perioperative means before, during, and after surgery. Intraoperative means during the
surgical procedure in the operating suite; postoperative means after the surgery and could occur
in the postanesthesia care unit, in the ambulatory surgical area, or on the hospital unit.
DIF: Understand REF: 1254 OBJ: Explain the concept of perioperative nursing care.
TOP: Assessment MSC: Physiological Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
3. The nurse is caring for a patient in the postanesthesia care unit. The patient has developed
profuse bleeding from the surgical site, and the surgeon has determined the need to return to the
operative area. This procedure would be classified as
a. Elective.
b. Urgent.
c. Emergency.
d. Major.
ANS: C
, An emergency procedure must be done immediately to save life or preserve function of a body
part. An example would be repair of a perforated appendix, repair of a traumatic amputation, or
control of internal hemorrhaging. An urgent procedure is necessary for a patient’s health and
often prevents additional problems form developing. An example would be excision of a
cancerous tumor, removal of a gallbladder for stones, or vascular repair for obstructed artery.
An elective procedure is performed on the basis of the patient’s choice; it is not essential and is
not always necessary for health. An example would be a bunionectomy, plastic surgery, or
hernia reconstruction. A major procedure involves extensive reconstruction or alteration in
body parts; it poses great risks to well-being. An example would be a coronary artery bypass or
colon resection.
DIF: Remember REF: 1256
OBJ: Differentiate between classifications of surgery and types of anesthesia.
TOP: Assessment MSC: Physiological Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
4. The nurse is caring for a patient in preadmission testing. The patient has been assigned a
physical status classification by the American Society of Anesthesiologist of P3. Which of the
following assessments would support this classification?
a. Denial of any major illnesses or conditions
b. Normal, healthy patient
c. History of hypertension, 80 pounds overweight, history of asthma
d. History of myocardial infarction that limits activity
ANS: C
A P3 is a patient with a severe systemic disease. Patients with hypertension, obesity, diabetes
mellitus, and asthma fit into this category. A P1 is a normal healthy patient. A P2 is a patient
with mild systemic disease. A P4 is a patient with severe systemic disease that is a constant
threat to life.
DIF: Understand REF: 1256
OBJ: Differentiate between classifications of surgery and types of anesthesia.
TOP: Assessment MSC: Physiological Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
5. The patient has presented to the ambulatory surgery center to have a colonoscopy. The patient is
scheduled to receive moderate sedation (conscious sedation) during the procedure. Moderate
sedation is used routinely for procedures that require
a. Performance on an outpatient basis.
b. A depressed level of consciousness.
c. Loss of sensation in an area of the body.
d. The patient to be immobile.
ANS: B
Moderate sedation (conscious sedation) is used routinely for procedures that do not require
complete anesthesia, but rather a depressed level of consciousness. Not all patients who are
treated on an outpatient basis receive moderate sedation. Regional anesthesia such as local
anesthesia provides loss of sensation in an area of the body. General anesthesia is used for
patients who need to be immobile and to not remember the surgical procedure.
DIF: Remember REF: 1273-1274
OBJ: Differentiate between classifications of surgery and types of anesthesia.
TOP: Assessment MSC: Physiological Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
, 6. The nurse is caring for a patient in the postanesthesia care unit who has undergone a left total
knee arthroplasty. The anesthesia provider has indicated that the patient received a left femoral
peripheral nerve block. Which assessment would be an expected finding for a patient with this
type of regional block?
a. Decreased pulse at the left posterior tibia
b. Left toes cool to touch and slightly cyanotic
c. Sensation decreased in the left leg
d. Patient report of pain in the left foot
ANS: C
Induction of regional anesthesia results in loss of sensation in an area of the body. The
peripheral nerve block influences the portion of sensory pathways that are anesthetized in the
targeted area of the body. Decreased pulse, toes cool to touch, and cyanosis are indications of
decreased blood flow and are not expected findings. Reports of pain the in the left foot may
indicate that the block is not working or is subsiding and is not an expected finding in the
immediate postoperative period.
DIF: Understand REF: 1273-1274
OBJ: Differentiate between classifications of surgery and types of anesthesia.
TOP: Assessment MSC: Physiological Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
7. The nurse is preparing a patient for surgery. Aims of assessment before surgery include
a. Establishing a patient’s baseline of normal function.
b. Planning for care after the procedure.
c. Educating the patient and family about the procedure.
d. Gathering appropriate equipment for the patient’s needs.
ANS: A
The aim of assessment of the patient before surgery is to establish the patient’s normal
preoperative function to prevent and minimize possible postoperative complications. Gathering
appropriate equipment, planning care, and educating the patient and family are all important
interventions that must be provided for the surgical patient; they are part of the nursing process
but are not the reason for completing an assessment of the surgical patient.
DIF: Understand REF: 1369
OBJ: Describe the assessment data to be collected for the surgical patient.
TOP: Assessment MSC: Physiological Integrity: Reduction of Risk Potential
8. The nurse is completing a medication history for the surgical patient in preadmission testing.
Which of the following medications should the nurse instruct the patient to hold in preparation
for surgery?
a. Ibuprofen
b. Acetaminophen
c. Vitamin C
d. Miconazole
ANS: A