Free Certified Surgical Technologist Practice Test Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During the healing process following surgery, which of the following nursing diagnoses is the patient most likely to have?
- Disorientation and confusion
- Ineffective thermoregulation (Correct answer)
- Dysfunctional grieving
- Altered nutrition, less than bodily requirements
Correct answer: Ineffective thermoregulation
Ineffective thermoregulation, often manifesting as hypothermia, is a very common nursing diagnosis in the immediate post-operative period. Patients are susceptible to heat loss due to anesthesia, exposure in the operating room, and altered physiological responses. Maintaining normothermia is crucial for optimal recovery and preventing complications.
Question 2: What features of the PACU might promote the psychological health of a surgical patient?
- There are numerous monitors, letting patients know that the PACU has cutting-edge equipment to support them.
- Low lighting is used during recovery to protect the patient from bright glare. (Correct answer)
- The presence of so many nurses and technicians inspires the patient's faith in the nursing staff's skills.
- A spacious, open area in which the patient is aware that others are recovering from surgery as well.
Correct answer: Low lighting is used during recovery to protect the patient from bright glare.
Low lighting in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) helps create a calm and soothing environment for patients emerging from anesthesia. It reduces sensory overload, minimizes discomfort from bright glare, and can help prevent agitation or disorientation. This contributes significantly to the patient's psychological comfort and promotes a smoother recovery process.
Question 3: The patient's blood pressure is 148/100 mmHg as they enter the recovery area. The anesthesiologist reports that the patient has no previous cardiac history and is currently asymptomatic. What will the nurse do next?
- Raise the bed's head and ask the patient to sit up.
- The patient's heart and lung sounds should be heard.
- Look for signs of increased pain and anxiety in the patient.
- Both A and B (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Both A and B
An elevated blood pressure post-operatively, even in an asymptomatic patient without a cardiac history, requires assessment. Raising the head of the bed can help reduce blood pressure and improve comfort. Simultaneously, assessing heart and lung sounds helps rule out underlying causes such as pain, anxiety, fluid overload, or respiratory compromise, guiding appropriate interventions.
Question 4: A patient is moved to the post-operative ward, and the nurse is informed of their condition. They learn about the patient's history of thrombocytopenia during the report. Which of the following actions should the nurse do to lower the likelihood that this patient may create a blood clot?
- Request that the patient stay in bed with a pillow between his or her knees.
- Tell the patient to keep their legs straight.
- To prevent blood clots, give aspirin as a preventative measure.
- Both A and B (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Both A and B
The provided correct answer (Both A and B) is medically incorrect for preventing blood clots (DVT) in a post-operative patient, especially one with thrombocytopenia (low platelets, which increases bleeding risk, not clotting risk). Keeping legs straight or placing a pillow under the knees can actually impede circulation and increase DVT risk. Standard DVT prevention includes early ambulation, leg exercises, and sometimes pharmacological prophylaxis, none of which are reflected in options A or B.
Question 5: After the patient has been moved to the surgical unit, which of the following procedures can the nurse carry out to lower the risk of infection?
- To minimize swelling, administer anti-inflammatory drugs such steroids.
- To ensure appropriate lung expansion, suggest the patient sleep on their stomach.
- As soon as you can, take out the catheter that is inside you. (Correct answer)
- Inform the patient that they should consume more water and foods high in carbohydrates.
Correct answer: As soon as you can, take out the catheter that is inside you.
Indwelling urinary catheters are a significant risk factor for healthcare-associated urinary tract infections (UTIs). Prompt removal of the catheter as soon as it is no longer medically necessary drastically reduces the duration of exposure to potential pathogens. This action is a key intervention for lowering the risk of infection in post-operative patients.
Question 6: After being moved from the operating room to the PACU, the patient tells the nurse, "I feel like I'm about to puke up," after being assessed. Which of the following is the nurse's best course of action?
- "I'm going to turn you on your side right now." (Correct answer)
- "Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths."
- If you need one, this emesis basin is here.
- "That is a common emotion. It will soon go.
Correct answer: "I'm going to turn you on your side right now."
For a patient in the PACU feeling nauseous or 'about to puke,' the immediate priority is to prevent aspiration, especially given the lingering effects of anesthesia. Turning the patient onto their side (recovery position) helps keep the airway clear by allowing any emesis to drain out of the mouth, significantly reducing the risk of it entering the lungs.
Question 7: Which of the following must the nurse make sure the patient understands before the fiberoptic colonoscopy?
- For a week previous to the procedure, the patient should consume less fluid.
- It is possible to consume the lavage solution orally or via nasogastric tube. (Correct answer)
- After the lavage solution has been infused, the patient may continue taking regular medications, with the exception of anticoagulants.
- Before the surgery, the patient must go at least 12 hours without eating.
Correct answer: It is possible to consume the lavage solution orally or via nasogastric tube.
Explanation: <br> The lavage fluid may be consumed orally or through a nasogastric tube, which the nurse must explain to the patient before the fiberoptic colonoscopy. In order for the doctor to see the interior structures while doing the treatment, this fluid cleans and prepares the bowel. Following the cleansing solution, the patient usually needs to stop taking all medications, and they might need to drink less water for one to two days prior to the surgery.
Question 8: The nurse holds the needle with the bevel up before inserting it into the skin to begin an intravenous line. What is the rationale behind this method?
- It lessens the possibility of the needle puncturing a vein.
- It causes less pain for the patient.
- It lessens the chance of infection.
- Less skin trauma results from it. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Less skin trauma results from it.
Explanation: <br> The idea of holding the needle with the bevel up is to lessen skin harm. In this position, the needle may enter the skin more readily and is less likely to harm the skin or vein. This procedure may also make it simpler for the nurse to start an intravenous line without leaving a mark on the skin or resulting in bleeding at the spot.
Question 9: For a patient who has been diagnosed with anxiety connected to the surgery, which of the following is not a nursing intervention?
- Teach the patient relaxation skills so they can feel more at ease.
- Encourage the sufferer to express their fears in words.
- Make arrangements for a social worker to visit and remain with the patient. (Correct answer)
- Remove any external stimuli that may be overstimulating.
Correct answer: Make arrangements for a social worker to visit and remain with the patient.
Explanation: <br> The nurse should not just contact a social worker to come and stay with the patient if the patient has been diagnosed with anxiety due to the surgical operation. In order to help the patient express their fears and to get them ready for surgery, the nurse should strive to stay with them as much as possible. Anxiety can also be reduced by teaching the patient relaxation skills and limiting outside distractions.
Question 10: What sort of physical characteristics should a polycythemia patient with surgery present have?
- A bronze appearance on the chest and perineum
- A ruddy-blue appearance in the face, hands and feet (Correct answer)
- Pale appearance and flushed skin
- Yellow appearance of the skin and sclera
Correct answer: A ruddy-blue appearance in the face, hands and feet
Explanation: <br> When a patient has polycythemia, their hands, feet, and face will all appear reddish blue. Increased red blood cell counts and blood pooling in some capillaries are symptoms of polycythemia. Increased platelet and white blood cell counts may also be a result of the illness. A patient with polycythemia could also experience phlebitis symptoms or complain of itchy skin.
Question 11: Which of the following tests evaluates fibrinogen and the clotting factors V, VII, and X to determine coagulation?
- Prothrombin time (Correct answer)
- Reticulocyte count
- Partial thromboplastin time
- Platelet aggregation
Correct answer: Prothrombin time
Explanation: <br> The prothrombin time test evaluates fibrinogen and clotting factors V, VII, and X to determine coagulation. The results of this kind of test can be used to assess clotting potential, the effectiveness of specific medications, and surgical risk factors in at-risk patients. Depending on the treatment, the patient with reduced coagulation may need to have surgery delayed.
Question 12: The nurse is performing a preoperative assessment on a patient and notes that they have a heart murmur. When assessing intensity of a cardiac murmur, what question should the nurse ask themself?
- When does the murmur happen—diastole or systole?
- Where exactly on the chest is the murmur audible?
- How loud is the murmur? (Correct answer)
- Are there any more sounds made by the murmur?
Correct answer: How loud is the murmur?
Explanation: <br> The nurse should ask themselves, "How loud is the murmur?" when determining the strength of a heart murmur. The murmur's volume is measured by intensity, which is normally graded from a very quiet grade I murmur to a loud grade VI murmur. By auscultating with a stethoscope, the nurse can determine the severity of the murmur and can then inform the doctor of their findings.
Question 13: Which of the following is an advantage of using depilatory cream to the skin prior to surgery?
- In some circumstances, the patient may use the cream on their own skin.
- Applying the cream is a cleaner method of hair removal than shaving.
- The skin at the surgery site remains intact.
- Both A and C (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Both A and C
Explanation: <br> The use of depilatory cream as part of skin preparation prior to surgery has the advantages of keeping the skin at the surgical site intact and, in some cases, allowing the patient to apply the cream themselves. Depilatory lotion maintains the skin intact and makes it less likely to contract an infection by avoiding cutting or shaving for hair removal. It is simple to use, and in some private circumstances, the patient could feel more at ease using the cream themselves.
Question 14: The term used to describe anesthesia that combines an inhalation drug, a narcotic, a hypnotic-sedative, and a muscle relaxant is:
- Local anesthesia
- Regional anesthesia
- General anesthesia
- Balanced anesthesia (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Balanced anesthesia
Explanation: <br> Balanced anesthesia is the name given to the type of anesthesia that combines hypnotic-sedatives, narcotics, muscle relaxants, and inhalation drugs. Similar to general anesthesia, this form of anesthesia has repercussions. The most frequent usage for it is during surgery when the patient requires general anesthesia for sleep.
Question 15: What should be done with equipment that are difficult to clean after being used on a person who has Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease?
- Use a steam autoclave to start the decontamination process. (Correct answer)
- The instruments should be submerged in formaldehyde for around 30 minutes before beginning the disinfecting procedure.
- For 90 minutes, submerge the instruments in a closed container of sodium oxalate.
- As directed, wash and sanitize the tools, but store them apart from other instruments.
Correct answer: Use a steam autoclave to start the decontamination process.
Explanation: <br> The nurse should start decontamination by using a steam autoclave when handling devices that are difficult to clean after being used on a patient with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. This lethal condition can spread between patients via surgical tools. The prion that is linked to this illness is exceedingly difficult to remove using traditional sterilization techniques, and if the right protocol is not followed, it could even become more fixed to infected devices.
Question 16: Which of the following actions compromises the sterile field's integrity?
- Always facing the sterile field when standing.
- Setting up supplies as close to the time of the surgical procedure as possible.
- When scrubbed in as sterile, remaining within the sterile field for the length of the process.
- Setting up items ahead of time and covering them with sterile towels for safety. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Setting up items ahead of time and covering them with sterile towels for safety.
Explanation: <br> The sterile field may be compromised if supplies are set up beforehand and covered with sterile towels for security. The nurse might not be aware if something happens in the surroundings that compromises the sterile field if the sterile instruments are set up in advance. Covering with towels and then removing them later may unintentionally increase the chance of the objects getting wet or introduce more bacteria through air currents.
Free Certified Surgical Technologist Practice Test Questions and Answers
During the healing process following surgery, which of the following nursing diagnoses is the patient most likely to have?