Orthopaedic Nurse Test Rehabilitation & Patient Recovery Flashcards
6 cards from real Orthopaedic Nurse Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Orthopaedic Nurse Test Rehabilitation & Patient Recovery flashcards as text
A patient being discharged after spinal surgery reports new onset of urinary retention and saddle anesthesia. What is the priority nursing action?
Answer: Notify the surgeon immediately as this suggests cauda equina syndrome
Urinary retention with saddle anesthesia after spinal surgery is a red flag for cauda equina syndrome — a surgical emergency requiring immediate notification and intervention.
Which type of gait pattern requires the patient to advance the crutches and affected limb simultaneously?
Answer: 3-point gait
The 3-point gait pattern is used for non-weight-bearing conditions: crutches and the affected limb advance together, then the unaffected limb steps forward.
When educating a patient about cast care at home, the nurse emphasizes which instruction to prevent skin breakdown?
Answer: Keep the cast dry and avoid inserting objects inside
Patients must keep casts dry and must never insert objects inside to scratch, as this causes skin injury and infection in an area that cannot be directly inspected.
Which nutritional element is most important to support bone healing following an orthopaedic fracture?
Answer: Calcium and Vitamin D
Calcium provides the mineral matrix for bone healing while Vitamin D facilitates calcium absorption; both are essential for fracture repair and bone remodeling.
A patient 6 weeks post-right total knee replacement reports redness, warmth, swelling, and increased pain at the surgical site. What does the nurse suspect?
Answer: Prosthetic joint infection
Persistent or new signs of local inflammation (redness, warmth, swelling, pain) at 6 weeks post-TKR are suspicious for periprosthetic joint infection and require urgent evaluation.
Which standardized screening tool is recommended to assess fall risk in orthopaedic inpatients in the US?
Answer: Morse Fall Scale
The Morse Fall Scale is widely used in US hospitals to assess orthopaedic and surgical inpatients for fall risk based on fall history, gait, IV use, and other factors.
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Sources & references
Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy
- practicetest.meazurelearning.com — Test dates · verified Oct 2026
- oncb.org — Test delivery, test dates · verified Oct 2026