Perioperative Nursing Flashcards
7 cards from real MSNCB practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Perioperative Nursing flashcards as text
A patient scheduled for surgery reports taking warfarin daily. Which preoperative action is most appropriate?
Answer: Notify the surgeon and anesthesiologist immediately
Warfarin increases bleeding risk and the surgical team must be informed so they can decide whether to delay, reverse anticoagulation, or adjust the plan.
Which assessment finding would most concern the perioperative nurse during a patient's preoperative evaluation?
Answer: Serum potassium of 2.9 mEq/L
Hypokalemia (K+ < 3.5 mEq/L) increases the risk of intraoperative dysrhythmias and should be corrected before elective surgery.
The scrub nurse passes an instrument to the surgeon during an open abdominal procedure. What technique should be used?
Answer: Hand it directly handle-first so the surgeon can grasp it safely
Instruments are passed handle-first so the surgeon can grasp them safely without risk of injury from sharp tips.
A patient in the PACU has a respiratory rate of 8 breaths per minute and is difficult to arouse. What is the priority nursing action?
Answer: Stimulate the patient and prepare to administer naloxone
Signs of opioid-induced respiratory depression require immediate stimulation and readiness to administer naloxone to reverse the effect.
Which action best prevents surgical site infection (SSI) in the perioperative setting?
Answer: Administering prophylactic antibiotics within 60 minutes before incision
Evidence-based guidelines recommend prophylactic antibiotic administration within 60 minutes prior to skin incision to reduce SSI risk.
During a surgical count, the circulating nurse and scrub nurse discover a discrepancy. What is the correct action?
Answer: Notify the surgeon immediately and conduct a thorough search
Any count discrepancy must be immediately reported to the surgeon and a systematic search performed before the incision is closed.
A patient refuses a blood transfusion for religious reasons but consents to the scheduled surgery. How should the perioperative nurse respond?
Answer: Document the refusal, notify the team, and respect the patient's decision
Competent adult patients have the right to refuse treatment, including blood transfusions; this decision must be respected and clearly documented.