Managing Emergency Situations 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 Managing Emergency Situations flashcards as text
The circulating nurse notices the surgical smoke evacuator has stopped functioning. The PRIORITY concern is:
Answer: Exposure of personnel and patient to carcinogenic surgical plume
Surgical smoke contains carcinogens, mutagens, and infectious particles; loss of smoke evacuation creates a direct health hazard for the patient and entire OR team.
A patient with an implanted pacemaker is scheduled for electrosurgery. Which ESU setting BEST minimizes the risk of pacemaker interference?
Answer: Use bipolar electrosurgery whenever possible
Bipolar electrosurgery limits current to the immediate tissue between the forceps tips, minimizing electromagnetic interference with implanted cardiac devices.
During a robotic-assisted procedure, the robotic system experiences a critical malfunction and cannot be safely disengaged. The FIRST nursing priority is:
Answer: Follow the facility's robotic emergency protocol and alert the surgeon
Patient safety requires immediate activation of the facility's emergency robotic protocol and alerting the surgeon to take control and prevent patient injury.
Which sign differentiates tension pneumothorax from simple pneumothorax in the intraoperative setting?
Answer: Hypotension with distended neck veins and tracheal deviation away from the affected side
Tension pneumothorax causes mediastinal shift away from the affected side, leading to tracheal deviation away, hypotension, and elevated venous pressure — a surgical emergency.
A patient on the OR table develops ST-elevation on the cardiac monitor during a non-cardiac procedure. The nurse should:
Answer: Notify the anesthesia provider and surgeon immediately and prepare for potential cardiac intervention
ST elevation suggests myocardial infarction; immediate notification of the anesthesia and surgical team is essential to decide whether to continue, abort, or modify the procedure.
When a sharps injury occurs to a scrub person during an active procedure, the FIRST action is:
Answer: Pass the sharp off the field, allow the scrub to wash the wound, and have a replacement scrub relieve them
Immediate wound care is the priority; passing the sharp off the field and replacing the scrub person allows proper wound management while maintaining sterile field integrity.
The perioperative nurse's role during a 'code blue' in the OR includes all of the following EXCEPT:
Answer: Assuming the role of team leader for the resuscitation
The anesthesia provider or most senior clinician typically leads OR resuscitation; the circulating nurse's role is to support the team with supplies, documentation, and compressions as assigned.