CNOR - Certification Professional Accountability and Ethics Questions and Answers

Question 1

A patient scheduled for a right total knee arthroplasty tells the perioperative nurse in the holding area, "I'm really not sure about this.
My daughter thinks I should wait, and I'm having second thoughts." The consent form is signed and the surgical site is marked.
What is the nurse's primary ethical responsibility?

Accepted Answer

Notify the surgeon immediately that the patient is expressing doubt and may be revoking consent.

Answer

Reassure the patient that they made the right decision and that the surgeon is excellent.

Answer

Proceed with preoperative preparations as the consent form has already been signed.

Answer

Ask the patient's daughter to convince the patient to proceed with the surgery.

Question 2

Which of the following actions falls outside the accepted professional scope of practice for a perioperative RN acting as the circulator?

Accepted Answer

Performing the final closure of the skin incision with staples after the surgeon has left the room.

Answer

Applying a pneumatic tourniquet to a patient's limb after assessing for contraindications.

Answer

Administering intravenous moderate sedation under the direction of an anesthesiologist.

Answer

Injecting local anesthetic at the surgical site at the surgeon's verbal request.

Question 3

During a complex case, the circulating nurse notices that a surgeon's hands are trembling and smells what seems to be alcohol on their breath. The surgeon becomes irritable when questioned about an instrument count. What is the nurse's priority ethical and legal action?

Accepted Answer

Follow the facility's chain of command to report the concern immediately and discreetly.

Answer

Wait until the procedure is over to report the surgeon to the chief of surgery.

Answer

Confront the surgeon in the operating room and demand they stop the procedure.

Answer

Document the observations and say nothing to avoid disrupting the team.

Question 4

A perioperative nurse posts a picture on their private social media account showing an operating room setup for a rare and complex surgery. The post does not contain any patient names, faces, or medical record numbers, but the city's local news had recently reported on a prominent person undergoing that specific procedure. This action is a potential violation of which patient right?

Accepted Answer

Confidentiality and privacy

Answer

Beneficence

Answer

Veracity

Answer

Fidelity

Question 5

After a surgical procedure, the instrument and sponge counts are correct. However, the circulating nurse is aware that a piece of monitoring equipment malfunctioned mid-procedure, requiring it to be replaced. Which action demonstrates the highest level of professional accountability?

Accepted Answer

Documenting the equipment malfunction and its resolution in the perioperative record.

Answer

Verbally informing the charge nurse is sufficient since the patient was not harmed.

Answer

Omitting the event from the record because the surgical counts were correct.

Answer

Ensuring the equipment is sent for repair but not charting the intraoperative event.

Question 6

Which of the following best exemplifies the perioperative nurse's role as a patient advocate?

Accepted Answer

Questioning an order for a medication when the patient's chart indicates a known allergy.

Answer

Ensuring the surgeon's preference card is updated and accurate.

Answer

Maintaining a quiet environment in the operating room for team concentration.

Answer

Preparing the operating room efficiently for the next surgical case.