UPDATED ACTUAL Exam Questions and
CORRECT Answers
ABHES - CORRECT ANSWER - Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools.
Organization that offers accreditation to higher education institutions.
ACS - CORRECT ANSWER - American College of Surgeons. A professional organization
that establishes educational standards for surgeons and surgical residency programs.
Allied Health Profession - CORRECT ANSWER - A profession that follows the principles of
medicine and nursing but that focuses on an expertise set apart from those practices.
AORN - CORRECT ANSWER - Association of periOperative Registered Nurses. The
professional organization for surgical nurses; originally known as the Association of Operating
Room Nurses.
AMA - CORRECT ANSWER - American Medical Association. Association founded in 1847
made up of medical doctors whose mission is to promote healthy lifestyles across all patient
populations.
ARC/STSA - CORRECT ANSWER - Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical
Technology and Surgical Assisting. The ARC/STSA establishes, maintains, and promotes quality
standards for education programs in surgical technology and surgical first assisting.
ANSI - CORRECT ANSWER - American National Standards Institute. Organization that
creates business and health standards to serve as a baseline for assessment.
Assistant Circulator - CORRECT ANSWER - The surgical technologist in the nonsterile role
of the surgical team responsible for monitoring conditions in the operating room as related to
patient care, safety, documentation, distribution of sterile supplies and counts. A registered
, perioperative nurse in this role would be considered a circulator and will have additional
responsibilities.
AST - CORRECT ANSWER - Association of Surgical Technologists. The professional
association for surgical technologists that strives to uphold and support the standards of patient
care and the profession.
CAAHEP - CORRECT ANSWER - Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education
Programs. Accredits health science programs, including those for surgical technology.
Certification - CORRECT ANSWER - Acknowledgment by a private agency that a person has
achieved a minimum level of knowledge and skill. Certification usually is established by
graduation from an accredited institution and passing a written examination. Certification does
not confer legal status.
Continuing education - CORRECT ANSWER - More formally called professional
development. It demonstrates an ongoing learning process in an individual's profession.
Continuing education (CE) credits are provided by a professional organization. Credits are
earned by attending lectures and in-service presentations or by study and examination. Usually
only peer-reviewed professional literature qualifies for CE credits.
CST - CORRECT ANSWER - Certified surgical technologist. A surgical technologist who has
successfully passed the certified examination given by the National Board of Surgical
Technology and Surgical Assisting.
CST-CFA - CORRECT ANSWER - Certified surgical technologist-certified first assistant. A
surgical technologist with advanced training who has successfully passed the certification
examination for surgical first assistants and is credentialed by the National Board of Surgical
Technology and Surgical Assisting.
Licensure - CORRECT ANSWER - Professional status, granted by state government, that
defines the limits (scope) of practice and regulates those who hold a license.