Orthopaedic Nurse Test Technology & Digital Applications 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient post-total hip arthroplasty is prescribed a pneumatic compression device. The nurse notices the device is displaying an 'occlusion' error. What is the MOST likely cause?
- The device batteries are low
- A kinked or blocked air tube is preventing proper inflation (Correct answer)
- The patient's blood pressure is too high for the device
- The device software needs a firmware update
Correct answer: A kinked or blocked air tube is preventing proper inflation
An occlusion error on pneumatic compression devices typically indicates a blockage or kink in the air tubing preventing chambers from inflating properly.
Question 2: Which digital documentation feature in EHRs helps orthopaedic nurses ensure continuity of care during shift handoffs?
- Automated discharge instructions generator
- Structured handoff tools such as SBAR electronic templates (Correct answer)
- Radiology scheduling integration module
- Patient visitor log system
Correct answer: Structured handoff tools such as SBAR electronic templates
Electronic SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) handoff tools provide structured, standardized communication to reduce errors during care transitions.
Question 3: 3D printing technology in orthopaedics is MOST commonly used in patient care for which purpose?
- Printing medication tablets with customized doses
- Creating patient-specific surgical guides and custom implant models (Correct answer)
- Generating electronic health records from voice dictation
- Fabricating disposable sterile gloves for the surgical team
Correct answer: Creating patient-specific surgical guides and custom implant models
3D printing enables creation of anatomically accurate patient-specific surgical cutting guides and pre-operative implant models that improve surgical precision.
Question 4: An orthopaedic nurse is reviewing X-ray images on a digital workstation and notices the image appears distorted. What is the MOST appropriate initial step?
- Proceed with clinical assessment using the distorted image
- Notify radiology to repeat or reprocess the image before clinical use (Correct answer)
- Adjust the monitor brightness to correct the appearance
- Document the distortion and continue without action
Correct answer: Notify radiology to repeat or reprocess the image before clinical use
A distorted digital image may result from technical acquisition errors and should be repeated or reprocessed by radiology before being used for clinical decision-making.
Question 5: Robotic-assisted surgery systems used in total knee arthroplasty primarily benefit patients by:
- Eliminating the need for post-operative physical therapy
- Improving implant positioning accuracy through real-time haptic feedback and pre-operative planning (Correct answer)
- Reducing surgical time by automating the entire procedure
- Replacing the surgeon's decision-making with artificial intelligence
Correct answer: Improving implant positioning accuracy through real-time haptic feedback and pre-operative planning
Robotic-assisted systems like MAKO use CT-based pre-operative plans and real-time haptic boundaries to improve the accuracy of bone resection and implant alignment.
Question 6: Which cybersecurity practice is MOST critical when an orthopaedic nurse accesses the EHR on a shared workstation?
- Saving the patient's record to the desktop for quick access
- Logging out of the EHR immediately after completing documentation (Correct answer)
- Disabling the screen lock to speed up workflow
- Sharing login credentials with other nurses during busy shifts
Correct answer: Logging out of the EHR immediately after completing documentation
Logging out after each use prevents unauthorized access to protected health information (PHI) by subsequent users of shared workstations.
Question 7: An orthopaedic nurse is using a digital pain assessment tool on a tablet that incorporates a visual analog scale (VAS). What advantage does the digital VAS offer over a paper version?
- It eliminates the need to assess pain altogether
- It allows direct data entry into the EHR, reducing transcription errors (Correct answer)
- It automatically administers analgesics based on the score
- It replaces the nurse's clinical judgment about pain management
Correct answer: It allows direct data entry into the EHR, reducing transcription errors
Digital VAS tools that integrate with the EHR allow pain scores to be entered directly into the patient record, avoiding transcription errors and supporting longitudinal tracking.
Orthopaedic Nurse Test Technology & Digital Applications 4
A patient post-total hip arthroplasty is prescribed a pneumatic compression device.
The nurse notices the device is displaying an 'occlusion' error.
What is the MOST likely cause?