Surgical Nursing Procedures Flashcards
7 cards from real VTNE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Surgical Nursing Procedures flashcards as text
Which of the following best describes the role of the circulating nurse/technician during surgery?
Answer: Remains outside the sterile field, manages non-sterile supplies, and coordinates the OR environment
The circulating technician works outside the sterile field, managing non-sterile tasks such as opening supplies, adjusting lighting, and supporting the team.
A surgical patient develops a temperature of 40.5°C (104.9°F) 36 hours after surgery. Which post-operative complication should be considered FIRST?
Answer: Surgical site infection
Fever developing 24–72 hours post-operatively is classically associated with surgical site infection or systemic infection.
Which of the following correctly describes the difference between sterilization and disinfection?
Answer: Sterilization destroys all microorganisms including spores; disinfection reduces microbial numbers but may not eliminate spores
Sterilization achieves complete destruction of all microorganisms including spores, while disinfection reduces the microbial load but may not eliminate resistant spores.
When performing a final instrument count at the end of surgery, the scrub tech and circulating tech find one sponge is unaccounted for. What is the correct action?
Answer: Alert the surgeon immediately and search the wound and surrounding field before closing
A discrepancy in sponge count requires immediate notification of the surgeon and a thorough search of the wound before closure to prevent retained foreign body.
Which of the following suture removal timelines is appropriate for a routine skin closure on the trunk of a dog?
Answer: 7–10 days
Skin sutures on the trunk of a dog are typically removed at 7–10 days once adequate tensile strength has been achieved by the healing tissue.
What is the primary reason ethylene oxide (EtO) gas sterilization is used for certain surgical equipment?
Answer: It sterilizes heat- and moisture-sensitive items that cannot withstand steam
EtO sterilization is used for items such as plastics, electronics, and rubber goods that would be damaged by the heat and moisture of steam autoclaving.
A veterinary technician notices that a sterile instrument tray was opened on the back table and then left unattended for 45 minutes while the team attended to a patient emergency. What should be done?
Answer: Consider the field contaminated and re-sterilize or replace all items
An unattended sterile field cannot be guaranteed to remain sterile; all items must be considered contaminated and replaced before surgery proceeds.