1
AORN Periop 101 Final Exam
(2023–2024) – 100 Verified
Questions and Correct
Answers | Graded A+
1. What is the primary role of the circulating nurse during surgery?
a) Perform surgical hand scrub
b) Manage the perioperative environment and ensure patient safety
c) Pass instruments to the surgeon
d) Administer anesthesia
Rationale: The circulating nurse oversees the perioperative environment, ensuring safety
and coordinating care, per AORN standards.
2. Which principle of sterile technique is most directly related to surgical conscience?
a) Use disposable drapes only
b) Speak out when sterility is compromised
c) Open sterile supplies in advance
d) Allow non-sterile items in the sterile field
Rationale: Surgical conscience involves mental discipline to report breaches in sterility,
ensuring patient safety.
3. What should the nurse do if a sterile drape falls below the waist level of the scrub
person?
a) Ignore the drape
b) Replace the drape with a sterile one
c) Adjust the drape
d) Continue the procedure
Rationale: A drape below waist level is contaminated and must be replaced, per AORN
sterile technique guidelines.
4. Which of the following ensures patient safety during a time-out?
a) Administer medications
b) Verify patient identity, procedure, and site
c) Perform a surgical scrub
d) Document post-op care
Rationale: The time-out confirms patient identity, procedure, and site to prevent errors,
per AORN universal protocol.
5. What is the first step in sterilizing used surgical instruments?
a) Sterilization
, 2
b) Decontamination
c) Packaging
d) Storage
Rationale: Decontamination removes bioburden from instruments before sterilization,
per AORN guidelines.
6. How should the perioperative nurse position a patient in Trendelenburg?
a) Head elevated, knees straight
b) Head lowered, knees over the bed break
c) Flat with arms extended
d) Supine with head turned
Rationale: Trendelenburg requires the head lowered and knees flexed over the bed break
to prevent sliding, per AORN positioning guidelines.
7. Which documentation element is critical for skin prep?
a) Room temperature
b) Skin prep agent used
c) Surgeon’s preference
d) Patient’s weight
Rationale: Documenting the skin prep agent ensures traceability for adverse reactions,
per AORN documentation standards.
8. What indicates malignant hyperthermia in the perioperative setting?
a) Hypotension
b) Unexplained increase in end-tidal CO2
c) Bradycardia
d) Hypothermia
Rationale: Increased end-tidal CO2 is the earliest sign of malignant hyperthermia, per
AORN guidelines.
9. How should sterile gloves be changed during a procedure?
a) Every 3 hours
b) After 90–150 minutes or when contaminated
c) Only at the end of the case
d) When requested by the surgeon
Rationale: Gloves should be changed every 90–150 minutes or if contaminated to
maintain sterility, per AORN guidelines.
10. What is the purpose of postoperative phone calls within 24–48 hours?
a) Schedule follow-up surgery
b) Assess patient satisfaction and complications
c) Update preference cards
d) Verify insurance coverage
Rationale: Postoperative calls evaluate satisfaction and detect complications, per AORN
patient care standards.
11. What should the nurse do if a patient reports an allergy to a skin prep agent?
a) Use the agent in a diluted form
b) Alert the surgeon for alternative selection
c) Proceed with standard prep
d) Skip the skin prep
AORN Periop 101 Final Exam
(2023–2024) – 100 Verified
Questions and Correct
Answers | Graded A+
1. What is the primary role of the circulating nurse during surgery?
a) Perform surgical hand scrub
b) Manage the perioperative environment and ensure patient safety
c) Pass instruments to the surgeon
d) Administer anesthesia
Rationale: The circulating nurse oversees the perioperative environment, ensuring safety
and coordinating care, per AORN standards.
2. Which principle of sterile technique is most directly related to surgical conscience?
a) Use disposable drapes only
b) Speak out when sterility is compromised
c) Open sterile supplies in advance
d) Allow non-sterile items in the sterile field
Rationale: Surgical conscience involves mental discipline to report breaches in sterility,
ensuring patient safety.
3. What should the nurse do if a sterile drape falls below the waist level of the scrub
person?
a) Ignore the drape
b) Replace the drape with a sterile one
c) Adjust the drape
d) Continue the procedure
Rationale: A drape below waist level is contaminated and must be replaced, per AORN
sterile technique guidelines.
4. Which of the following ensures patient safety during a time-out?
a) Administer medications
b) Verify patient identity, procedure, and site
c) Perform a surgical scrub
d) Document post-op care
Rationale: The time-out confirms patient identity, procedure, and site to prevent errors,
per AORN universal protocol.
5. What is the first step in sterilizing used surgical instruments?
a) Sterilization
, 2
b) Decontamination
c) Packaging
d) Storage
Rationale: Decontamination removes bioburden from instruments before sterilization,
per AORN guidelines.
6. How should the perioperative nurse position a patient in Trendelenburg?
a) Head elevated, knees straight
b) Head lowered, knees over the bed break
c) Flat with arms extended
d) Supine with head turned
Rationale: Trendelenburg requires the head lowered and knees flexed over the bed break
to prevent sliding, per AORN positioning guidelines.
7. Which documentation element is critical for skin prep?
a) Room temperature
b) Skin prep agent used
c) Surgeon’s preference
d) Patient’s weight
Rationale: Documenting the skin prep agent ensures traceability for adverse reactions,
per AORN documentation standards.
8. What indicates malignant hyperthermia in the perioperative setting?
a) Hypotension
b) Unexplained increase in end-tidal CO2
c) Bradycardia
d) Hypothermia
Rationale: Increased end-tidal CO2 is the earliest sign of malignant hyperthermia, per
AORN guidelines.
9. How should sterile gloves be changed during a procedure?
a) Every 3 hours
b) After 90–150 minutes or when contaminated
c) Only at the end of the case
d) When requested by the surgeon
Rationale: Gloves should be changed every 90–150 minutes or if contaminated to
maintain sterility, per AORN guidelines.
10. What is the purpose of postoperative phone calls within 24–48 hours?
a) Schedule follow-up surgery
b) Assess patient satisfaction and complications
c) Update preference cards
d) Verify insurance coverage
Rationale: Postoperative calls evaluate satisfaction and detect complications, per AORN
patient care standards.
11. What should the nurse do if a patient reports an allergy to a skin prep agent?
a) Use the agent in a diluted form
b) Alert the surgeon for alternative selection
c) Proceed with standard prep
d) Skip the skin prep
