Certification MCQ Flashcards
7 cards from real CNOR practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Certification MCQ flashcards as text
Which type of suture material is MOST appropriate for closing a contaminated wound where absorption over several weeks is needed?
Answer: Polydioxanone (PDS) – synthetic absorbable monofilament
PDS is a synthetic monofilament absorbable suture that resists infection better than braided materials and maintains tensile strength for 4–6 weeks.
A surgeon requests a frozen section during a thyroidectomy. The perioperative nurse's role includes:
Answer: Properly labeling and transporting the specimen to pathology per institutional protocol
The perioperative nurse is responsible for correct specimen identification, labeling, and timely transport; frozen sections must NOT be placed in formalin.
When sterilizing a complex multi-lumen instrument, the perioperative team must ensure that:
Answer: All lumens are flushed, the instrument is fully disassembled, and the sterilant contacts all surfaces
Sterilization efficacy requires direct sterilant contact with every surface; complex instruments must be disassembled and lumens flushed so no bioburden is shielded.
The 'clean to dirty' principle in the sterile field means:
Answer: Procedures always progress from the least contaminated area to the most contaminated area
Moving from clean to dirty areas prevents cross-contamination — for example, a bowel anastomosis proceeds from mucosa to serosa to avoid spreading luminal contents.
A patient receives a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) the morning of surgery for IV access. Before induction, the perioperative nurse should verify:
Answer: Catheter tip position confirmed by chest X-ray and patency of all lumens
Central line tip position must be radiographically confirmed before use to prevent complications such as cardiac arrhythmia or perforation from malposition.
Which of the following is a correct principle regarding the passage of items across the sterile field boundary?
Answer: Non-sterile items are presented to the sterile field by opening packaging so the scrub person retrieves the contents without contamination
The circulator opens outer packaging and presents the inner sterile item for the scrub person to self-retrieve, maintaining sterility without contact across the boundary.
Which of the following BEST describes the responsibility of the registered nurse first assistant (RNFA) in the OR?
Answer: Assisting the surgeon intraoperatively by handling tissue, providing hemostasis, and suturing under surgeon direction
The RNFA works under surgeon direction to assist with tissue handling, hemostasis, exposure, and closure as an adjunct to — not a replacement of — the surgical team.