Chamberlain NR-
226 Fundamentals
Patient Care Exam
Format: NCLEX-style multiple choice | Focus: Fundamentals of Patient Care concepts
Section 1: Perioperative Nursing
Question 1
The three phases of the perioperative period are:
A) Admission, surgery, discharge
B) Preoperative, intraoperative, postoperative
C) Anesthesia, incision, closure
D) Assessment, planning, evaluation
Rationale: Perioperative nursing includes the preoperative (before surgery),
intraoperative (during surgery), and postoperative (after surgery) phases .
Question 2
The primary goal of preoperative nursing assessment is to:
,A) Identify patient's surgical history only
B) Identify risk factors and plan interventions to reduce surgical complications
C) Schedule the operating room
D) Order laboratory tests
Rationale: Preoperative assessment identifies physical, psychological, and social factors
that may increase surgical risk, allowing for individualized care planning .
Question 3
Informed consent for surgery must be obtained by:
A) The circulating nurse
B) The surgeon (or proceduralist) performing the procedure
C) The anesthesiologist
D) Any licensed nurse
Rationale: The surgeon performing the procedure is responsible for obtaining informed
consent. The nurse's role is to witness the signature and ensure the patient
understands .
Question 4
Which of the following patients would NOT be legally competent to sign their own
surgical consent?
A) An 18-year-old with acute appendicitis
B) A 75-year-old with dementia who is unable to understand the procedure
C) A 30-year-old with mild anxiety
D) A 50-year-old with controlled hypertension
Rationale: Patients must be competent (able to understand information and make
decisions). Dementia with impaired decision-making capacity requires a legally
authorized representative .
,Question 5
A preoperative patient reports an allergy to "codeine." The nurse should:
A) Document the allergy and note it on the medication record
B) Ignore it because it's not a surgical issue
C) Only tell the anesthesiologist
D) Remove the allergy bracelet
Rationale: All allergies must be clearly documented, communicated to the surgical
team, and an allergy band placed .
Question 6
Latex allergy precautions before surgery include:
A) Using latex-free gloves, equipment, and supplies; notifying the operating room
team
B) No special precautions needed
C) Giving epinephrine preoperatively
D) Using latex gloves only
Rationale: Latex allergy requires a latex-safe environment with latex-free supplies and
notification of the surgical team .
Question 7
A patient reports taking aspirin 81 mg daily for cardiac prevention. The nurse should:
A) Notify the surgeon, as aspirin may need to be stopped 7-10 days before surgery
B) Continue aspirin through surgery
C) Double the dose
D) Ignore it
, Rationale: Aspirin increases bleeding risk. Discontinuation timing depends on
procedure, patient risk, and surgeon's orders .
Question 8
Which herbal supplement is associated with increased bleeding risk and should be
stopped before surgery?
A) Garlic, ginkgo, ginseng, fish oil
B) Echinacea
C) St. John's wort
D) Green tea extract
Rationale: Garlic, ginkgo, ginseng, fish oil, and vitamin E have antiplatelet effects and
increase bleeding risk. Typically stopped 7 days preoperatively .
Question 9
St. John's wort can interact with anesthesia by:
A) Increasing bleeding
B) Inducing liver enzymes, affecting metabolism of anesthetic drugs
C) Causing hypertension
D) No interaction
Rationale: St. John's wort is a potent CYP450 inducer, altering metabolism of many
drugs including anesthesia .
Question 10
Preoperative smoking cessation for at least _____ reduces postoperative pulmonary
complications.
226 Fundamentals
Patient Care Exam
Format: NCLEX-style multiple choice | Focus: Fundamentals of Patient Care concepts
Section 1: Perioperative Nursing
Question 1
The three phases of the perioperative period are:
A) Admission, surgery, discharge
B) Preoperative, intraoperative, postoperative
C) Anesthesia, incision, closure
D) Assessment, planning, evaluation
Rationale: Perioperative nursing includes the preoperative (before surgery),
intraoperative (during surgery), and postoperative (after surgery) phases .
Question 2
The primary goal of preoperative nursing assessment is to:
,A) Identify patient's surgical history only
B) Identify risk factors and plan interventions to reduce surgical complications
C) Schedule the operating room
D) Order laboratory tests
Rationale: Preoperative assessment identifies physical, psychological, and social factors
that may increase surgical risk, allowing for individualized care planning .
Question 3
Informed consent for surgery must be obtained by:
A) The circulating nurse
B) The surgeon (or proceduralist) performing the procedure
C) The anesthesiologist
D) Any licensed nurse
Rationale: The surgeon performing the procedure is responsible for obtaining informed
consent. The nurse's role is to witness the signature and ensure the patient
understands .
Question 4
Which of the following patients would NOT be legally competent to sign their own
surgical consent?
A) An 18-year-old with acute appendicitis
B) A 75-year-old with dementia who is unable to understand the procedure
C) A 30-year-old with mild anxiety
D) A 50-year-old with controlled hypertension
Rationale: Patients must be competent (able to understand information and make
decisions). Dementia with impaired decision-making capacity requires a legally
authorized representative .
,Question 5
A preoperative patient reports an allergy to "codeine." The nurse should:
A) Document the allergy and note it on the medication record
B) Ignore it because it's not a surgical issue
C) Only tell the anesthesiologist
D) Remove the allergy bracelet
Rationale: All allergies must be clearly documented, communicated to the surgical
team, and an allergy band placed .
Question 6
Latex allergy precautions before surgery include:
A) Using latex-free gloves, equipment, and supplies; notifying the operating room
team
B) No special precautions needed
C) Giving epinephrine preoperatively
D) Using latex gloves only
Rationale: Latex allergy requires a latex-safe environment with latex-free supplies and
notification of the surgical team .
Question 7
A patient reports taking aspirin 81 mg daily for cardiac prevention. The nurse should:
A) Notify the surgeon, as aspirin may need to be stopped 7-10 days before surgery
B) Continue aspirin through surgery
C) Double the dose
D) Ignore it
, Rationale: Aspirin increases bleeding risk. Discontinuation timing depends on
procedure, patient risk, and surgeon's orders .
Question 8
Which herbal supplement is associated with increased bleeding risk and should be
stopped before surgery?
A) Garlic, ginkgo, ginseng, fish oil
B) Echinacea
C) St. John's wort
D) Green tea extract
Rationale: Garlic, ginkgo, ginseng, fish oil, and vitamin E have antiplatelet effects and
increase bleeding risk. Typically stopped 7 days preoperatively .
Question 9
St. John's wort can interact with anesthesia by:
A) Increasing bleeding
B) Inducing liver enzymes, affecting metabolism of anesthetic drugs
C) Causing hypertension
D) No interaction
Rationale: St. John's wort is a potent CYP450 inducer, altering metabolism of many
drugs including anesthesia .
Question 10
Preoperative smoking cessation for at least _____ reduces postoperative pulmonary
complications.
