AORN Periop 101 Module Examination 2026/2027 Verified Answers
AORN Periop 101 Module
Questions and Answers
• Verified Answers
A Comprehensive 100-Question Examination Aligned with AORN Periop 101: A Core
Curriculum™, the AORN Guidelines for Perioperative Practice, and The Joint
Commission Universal Protocol.
Total Questions 100
Cognitive Mix 30% Recall / 50% Application / 20% Analysis
Question Style 75% Scenario-based / 20% Direct Recall / 5% Clinical Analysis
Format Multiple Choice (4 options, one correct); SATA where appropriate
Sections 9 Integrated Clinical Domains
Aligned Standards AORN, The Joint Commission, evidence-based perioperative practice
Examination Blueprint
# Section Items
1 Perioperative Nursing Foundations and Professional Practice Q1–Q15
2 Patient Safety, Risk Management, and Regulatory Compliance Q16–Q30
3 Aseptic Technique and Sterile Field Management Q31–Q45
4 Surgical Instrumentation, Equipment, and Energy Devices Q46–Q55
5 Patient Positioning, Skin Prep, and Preoperative Assessment Q56–Q65
6 Anesthesia Considerations and Intraoperative Patient Care Q66–Q75
7 Wound Healing, Hemostasis, Sterilization, and Infection Prevention Q76–Q85
8 Surgical Counts, Specimen Handling, and Medication Safety Q86–Q92
AORN Periop 101 | A Core Curriculum (TM) | AORN Guidelines for Perioperative Practice Page 1
,AORN Periop 101 Module Examination 2026/2027 Verified Answers
9 Integrated Clinical Scenarios and Comprehensive Reasoning Q93–Q100
Instructions for the candidate: Read each stem carefully. Select the single best answer unless the question is
marked Select All That Apply (SATA). Rationales cite the relevant AORN Guideline, The Joint Commission
Universal Protocol element, or evidence-based perioperative principle.
AORN Periop 101 | A Core Curriculum (TM) | AORN Guidelines for Perioperative Practice Page 2
,AORN Periop 101 Module Examination 2026/2027 Verified Answers
Section 1: Perioperative Nursing Foundations and Professional Practice
Question Range: Q1 – Q15
Q1: A perioperative nurse is collecting baseline data on a patient scheduled for an elective cholecystectomy, including
vital signs, allergies, NPO status, and a review of the chart. The nurse documents these findings in the patient record.
Which phase of the perioperative nursing process does this activity represent?
A. Outcome identification
B. Planning
C. Assessment [CORRECT]
D. Evaluation
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Data collection, including vital signs, allergies, NPO status, and chart review, is part of the Assessment phase of the
perioperative nursing process. Outcome identification involves defining nursing goals and intervention strategies; planning
organizes the interventions; evaluation measures the patient's progress toward outcomes. The AORN Periop 101: A Core
Curriculum (TM) specifies that assessment is the foundational step that informs every subsequent phase.
Q2: While caring for a patient preoperatively, the nurse defines specific nursing goals such as "the patient will remain
free from perioperative hypothermia" and identifies warming interventions to achieve that goal. Which phase of the
nursing process is the nurse demonstrating?
A. Assessment
B. Outcome identification [CORRECT]
C. Implementation
D. Diagnosis
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Defining nursing goals and the intervention strategies required to achieve them is the essence of Outcome
Identification. Assessment gathers data, implementation executes the planned interventions, and nursing diagnosis interprets the
data to identify problems. AORN Periop 101 emphasizes that outcome identification transforms assessment data into
measurable patient-centered goals that drive evidence-based perioperative interventions.
AORN Periop 101 | A Core Curriculum (TM) | AORN Guidelines for Perioperative Practice Page 3
, AORN Periop 101 Module Examination 2026/2027 Verified Answers
Q3: A newly hired perioperative nurse is uncertain whether a specific intraoperative practice aligns with current
professional expectations. Which source best reflects the requirement that perioperative nurses must practice within
professional standards and maintain current knowledge?
A. Personal clinical experience accumulated over years of practice
B. The facility's outdated policy manual from five years ago
C. AORN Guidelines for Perioperative Practice combined with facility policy [CORRECT]
D. Verbal guidance from any senior surgeon on duty
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Professional standards require perioperative nurses to practice within current AORN Guidelines and institutional
policy, while maintaining current knowledge through ongoing education. Personal experience alone is insufficient, outdated
manuals are not authoritative, and individual surgeon preference does not override professional standards. AORN writes the
standards of perioperative nursing, and these standards must be reflected in and harmonized with departmental policy.
Q4: A perioperative educator is reviewing the purpose of competency statements with new staff. Which statement most
accurately describes the role of competency statements in perioperative nursing practice?
A. They replace the need for ongoing in-service education once achieved.
B. They direct practice, model evaluation of practice quality, and ascertain skills necessary for the role.
[CORRECT]
C. They are optional tools used only during annual performance reviews.
D. They are written exclusively by human resources without clinical input.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Competency statements serve three integrated functions: they direct clinical practice, provide a model for evaluating
the quality of practice, and ascertain the skills necessary for the professional role. They do not replace continuing education, are
not optional, and must be developed collaboratively by clinical experts. AORN Periop 101 uses competency statements as the
foundation for validated skills assessment throughout the orientation period and beyond.
Q5: A perioperative nurse is asked by a colleague, "Which organization writes the standards of perioperative nursing?"
Which response by the nurse is correct?
A. The Joint Commission writes the standards of perioperative nursing.
B. The American Nurses Association (ANA) writes the standards of perioperative nursing.
C. AORN writes the standards of perioperative nursing. [CORRECT]
D. Each individual hospital writes its own standards of perioperative nursing.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: AORN writes the standards of perioperative nursing and publishes them in the AORN Guidelines for Perioperative
Practice. The Joint Commission sets accreditation standards that often reference AORN, the ANA writes broad nursing
standards that AORN operationalizes for perioperative practice, and individual facilities write policies that must align with
AORN standards but do not author the standards themselves.
AORN Periop 101 | A Core Curriculum (TM) | AORN Guidelines for Perioperative Practice Page 4
AORN Periop 101 Module
Questions and Answers
• Verified Answers
A Comprehensive 100-Question Examination Aligned with AORN Periop 101: A Core
Curriculum™, the AORN Guidelines for Perioperative Practice, and The Joint
Commission Universal Protocol.
Total Questions 100
Cognitive Mix 30% Recall / 50% Application / 20% Analysis
Question Style 75% Scenario-based / 20% Direct Recall / 5% Clinical Analysis
Format Multiple Choice (4 options, one correct); SATA where appropriate
Sections 9 Integrated Clinical Domains
Aligned Standards AORN, The Joint Commission, evidence-based perioperative practice
Examination Blueprint
# Section Items
1 Perioperative Nursing Foundations and Professional Practice Q1–Q15
2 Patient Safety, Risk Management, and Regulatory Compliance Q16–Q30
3 Aseptic Technique and Sterile Field Management Q31–Q45
4 Surgical Instrumentation, Equipment, and Energy Devices Q46–Q55
5 Patient Positioning, Skin Prep, and Preoperative Assessment Q56–Q65
6 Anesthesia Considerations and Intraoperative Patient Care Q66–Q75
7 Wound Healing, Hemostasis, Sterilization, and Infection Prevention Q76–Q85
8 Surgical Counts, Specimen Handling, and Medication Safety Q86–Q92
AORN Periop 101 | A Core Curriculum (TM) | AORN Guidelines for Perioperative Practice Page 1
,AORN Periop 101 Module Examination 2026/2027 Verified Answers
9 Integrated Clinical Scenarios and Comprehensive Reasoning Q93–Q100
Instructions for the candidate: Read each stem carefully. Select the single best answer unless the question is
marked Select All That Apply (SATA). Rationales cite the relevant AORN Guideline, The Joint Commission
Universal Protocol element, or evidence-based perioperative principle.
AORN Periop 101 | A Core Curriculum (TM) | AORN Guidelines for Perioperative Practice Page 2
,AORN Periop 101 Module Examination 2026/2027 Verified Answers
Section 1: Perioperative Nursing Foundations and Professional Practice
Question Range: Q1 – Q15
Q1: A perioperative nurse is collecting baseline data on a patient scheduled for an elective cholecystectomy, including
vital signs, allergies, NPO status, and a review of the chart. The nurse documents these findings in the patient record.
Which phase of the perioperative nursing process does this activity represent?
A. Outcome identification
B. Planning
C. Assessment [CORRECT]
D. Evaluation
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Data collection, including vital signs, allergies, NPO status, and chart review, is part of the Assessment phase of the
perioperative nursing process. Outcome identification involves defining nursing goals and intervention strategies; planning
organizes the interventions; evaluation measures the patient's progress toward outcomes. The AORN Periop 101: A Core
Curriculum (TM) specifies that assessment is the foundational step that informs every subsequent phase.
Q2: While caring for a patient preoperatively, the nurse defines specific nursing goals such as "the patient will remain
free from perioperative hypothermia" and identifies warming interventions to achieve that goal. Which phase of the
nursing process is the nurse demonstrating?
A. Assessment
B. Outcome identification [CORRECT]
C. Implementation
D. Diagnosis
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Defining nursing goals and the intervention strategies required to achieve them is the essence of Outcome
Identification. Assessment gathers data, implementation executes the planned interventions, and nursing diagnosis interprets the
data to identify problems. AORN Periop 101 emphasizes that outcome identification transforms assessment data into
measurable patient-centered goals that drive evidence-based perioperative interventions.
AORN Periop 101 | A Core Curriculum (TM) | AORN Guidelines for Perioperative Practice Page 3
, AORN Periop 101 Module Examination 2026/2027 Verified Answers
Q3: A newly hired perioperative nurse is uncertain whether a specific intraoperative practice aligns with current
professional expectations. Which source best reflects the requirement that perioperative nurses must practice within
professional standards and maintain current knowledge?
A. Personal clinical experience accumulated over years of practice
B. The facility's outdated policy manual from five years ago
C. AORN Guidelines for Perioperative Practice combined with facility policy [CORRECT]
D. Verbal guidance from any senior surgeon on duty
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Professional standards require perioperative nurses to practice within current AORN Guidelines and institutional
policy, while maintaining current knowledge through ongoing education. Personal experience alone is insufficient, outdated
manuals are not authoritative, and individual surgeon preference does not override professional standards. AORN writes the
standards of perioperative nursing, and these standards must be reflected in and harmonized with departmental policy.
Q4: A perioperative educator is reviewing the purpose of competency statements with new staff. Which statement most
accurately describes the role of competency statements in perioperative nursing practice?
A. They replace the need for ongoing in-service education once achieved.
B. They direct practice, model evaluation of practice quality, and ascertain skills necessary for the role.
[CORRECT]
C. They are optional tools used only during annual performance reviews.
D. They are written exclusively by human resources without clinical input.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Competency statements serve three integrated functions: they direct clinical practice, provide a model for evaluating
the quality of practice, and ascertain the skills necessary for the professional role. They do not replace continuing education, are
not optional, and must be developed collaboratively by clinical experts. AORN Periop 101 uses competency statements as the
foundation for validated skills assessment throughout the orientation period and beyond.
Q5: A perioperative nurse is asked by a colleague, "Which organization writes the standards of perioperative nursing?"
Which response by the nurse is correct?
A. The Joint Commission writes the standards of perioperative nursing.
B. The American Nurses Association (ANA) writes the standards of perioperative nursing.
C. AORN writes the standards of perioperative nursing. [CORRECT]
D. Each individual hospital writes its own standards of perioperative nursing.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: AORN writes the standards of perioperative nursing and publishes them in the AORN Guidelines for Perioperative
Practice. The Joint Commission sets accreditation standards that often reference AORN, the ANA writes broad nursing
standards that AORN operationalizes for perioperative practice, and individual facilities write policies that must align with
AORN standards but do not author the standards themselves.
AORN Periop 101 | A Core Curriculum (TM) | AORN Guidelines for Perioperative Practice Page 4
