Perioperative Nursing Exam 1 (Practice
Version) 2025/2026
Latest Verified & Updated | Expert-Verified Q&A | Clinical & Exam-Ready
1. What is the primary goal of perioperative nursing?
Answer: To ensure patient safety and optimal outcomes before, during, and after surgery.
Rationale: The perioperative nurse’s primary responsibility is holistic care that prevents
complications and promotes recovery throughout the surgical continuum.
2. Which phase of perioperative nursing begins when the patient is
scheduled for surgery?
Answer: The preoperative phase.
Rationale: It starts with the decision for surgery and ends when the patient is transferred to the
operating room.
3. A nurse verifies the patient’s identity and surgical consent before
surgery. Which safety protocol is this part of?
Answer: The “Time-Out” or Universal Protocol.
Rationale: This process ensures the correct patient, procedure, and site, minimizing surgical
errors.
4. Which nursing intervention helps prevent postoperative atelectasis?
Answer: Encouraging deep breathing and incentive spirometry.
Rationale: These techniques expand the lungs and prevent respiratory complications after
anesthesia.
,5. During intraoperative care, what is the nurse’s primary responsibility?
Answer: Maintaining aseptic technique and patient safety.
Rationale: Preventing infection and ensuring all procedures follow sterile protocol are critical
intraoperative duties.
6. What is the purpose of preoperative teaching?
Answer: To reduce anxiety, enhance cooperation, and promote recovery.
Rationale: Educating the patient before surgery improves understanding and compliance with
postoperative instructions.
7. Which position increases risk for nerve injury during surgery?
Answer: The lithotomy position.
Rationale: Incorrect leg positioning can compress the peroneal or femoral nerves, leading to
postoperative complications.
8. A patient reports nausea after anesthesia. What should the nurse do
first?
Answer: Turn the patient to the side and provide an emesis basin.
Rationale: This prevents aspiration, a common postoperative risk.
9. What lab result should be reviewed before surgery to assess bleeding
risk?
Answer: Prothrombin time (PT), INR, and platelet count.
Rationale: These indicate coagulation status and potential for excessive bleeding.
10. What is the nurse’s priority in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU)?
Answer: Airway management and respiratory assessment.
Rationale: Airway obstruction or hypoventilation is the most immediate postoperative risk.
, 11. Which factor most increases the risk of perioperative complications?
Answer: Advanced age and chronic illnesses (e.g., diabetes, COPD).
Rationale: These reduce physiologic reserve and delay healing.
12. The nurse’s role during preoperative consent signing is to:
Answer: Witness the client’s signature.
Rationale: Nurses verify voluntary consent but do not provide detailed procedural
explanations.
13. A preoperative patient states they ate breakfast. The surgery is in one
hour. What should the nurse do?
Answer: Notify the surgeon and anesthesiologist immediately.
Rationale: Eating before anesthesia increases aspiration risk.
14. Which medication should be withheld on the morning of surgery unless
otherwise ordered?
Answer: Anticoagulants (e.g., warfarin, heparin).
Rationale: They increase intraoperative bleeding risk.
15. What is the purpose of the preoperative checklist?
Answer: To ensure all required tasks (labs, consent, site marking) are completed before
surgery.
Rationale: It promotes safety and continuity of care.
16. When should a nurse remove nail polish before surgery?
Version) 2025/2026
Latest Verified & Updated | Expert-Verified Q&A | Clinical & Exam-Ready
1. What is the primary goal of perioperative nursing?
Answer: To ensure patient safety and optimal outcomes before, during, and after surgery.
Rationale: The perioperative nurse’s primary responsibility is holistic care that prevents
complications and promotes recovery throughout the surgical continuum.
2. Which phase of perioperative nursing begins when the patient is
scheduled for surgery?
Answer: The preoperative phase.
Rationale: It starts with the decision for surgery and ends when the patient is transferred to the
operating room.
3. A nurse verifies the patient’s identity and surgical consent before
surgery. Which safety protocol is this part of?
Answer: The “Time-Out” or Universal Protocol.
Rationale: This process ensures the correct patient, procedure, and site, minimizing surgical
errors.
4. Which nursing intervention helps prevent postoperative atelectasis?
Answer: Encouraging deep breathing and incentive spirometry.
Rationale: These techniques expand the lungs and prevent respiratory complications after
anesthesia.
,5. During intraoperative care, what is the nurse’s primary responsibility?
Answer: Maintaining aseptic technique and patient safety.
Rationale: Preventing infection and ensuring all procedures follow sterile protocol are critical
intraoperative duties.
6. What is the purpose of preoperative teaching?
Answer: To reduce anxiety, enhance cooperation, and promote recovery.
Rationale: Educating the patient before surgery improves understanding and compliance with
postoperative instructions.
7. Which position increases risk for nerve injury during surgery?
Answer: The lithotomy position.
Rationale: Incorrect leg positioning can compress the peroneal or femoral nerves, leading to
postoperative complications.
8. A patient reports nausea after anesthesia. What should the nurse do
first?
Answer: Turn the patient to the side and provide an emesis basin.
Rationale: This prevents aspiration, a common postoperative risk.
9. What lab result should be reviewed before surgery to assess bleeding
risk?
Answer: Prothrombin time (PT), INR, and platelet count.
Rationale: These indicate coagulation status and potential for excessive bleeding.
10. What is the nurse’s priority in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU)?
Answer: Airway management and respiratory assessment.
Rationale: Airway obstruction or hypoventilation is the most immediate postoperative risk.
, 11. Which factor most increases the risk of perioperative complications?
Answer: Advanced age and chronic illnesses (e.g., diabetes, COPD).
Rationale: These reduce physiologic reserve and delay healing.
12. The nurse’s role during preoperative consent signing is to:
Answer: Witness the client’s signature.
Rationale: Nurses verify voluntary consent but do not provide detailed procedural
explanations.
13. A preoperative patient states they ate breakfast. The surgery is in one
hour. What should the nurse do?
Answer: Notify the surgeon and anesthesiologist immediately.
Rationale: Eating before anesthesia increases aspiration risk.
14. Which medication should be withheld on the morning of surgery unless
otherwise ordered?
Answer: Anticoagulants (e.g., warfarin, heparin).
Rationale: They increase intraoperative bleeding risk.
15. What is the purpose of the preoperative checklist?
Answer: To ensure all required tasks (labs, consent, site marking) are completed before
surgery.
Rationale: It promotes safety and continuity of care.
16. When should a nurse remove nail polish before surgery?
