VTNE Surgical Nursing Procedures 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best describes the role of the circulating nurse/technician during surgery?
- Works within the sterile field and passes instruments directly to the surgeon
- Remains outside the sterile field, manages non-sterile supplies, and coordinates the OR environment (Correct answer)
- Monitors anesthesia exclusively
- Performs the surgical scrub alongside the surgeon
Correct answer: Remains outside the sterile field, manages non-sterile supplies, and coordinates the OR environment
The circulating technician works outside the sterile field, managing non-sterile tasks such as opening supplies, adjusting lighting, and supporting the team.
Question 2: A surgical patient develops a temperature of 40.5°C (104.9°F) 36 hours after surgery. Which post-operative complication should be considered FIRST?
- Malignant hyperthermia
- Surgical site infection (Correct answer)
- Anesthetic reaction
- Hypothyroidism
Correct answer: Surgical site infection
Fever developing 24–72 hours post-operatively is classically associated with surgical site infection or systemic infection.
Question 3: Which of the following correctly describes the difference between sterilization and disinfection?
- Sterilization kills only vegetative bacteria; disinfection kills all microorganisms including spores
- Sterilization destroys all microorganisms including spores; disinfection reduces microbial numbers but may not eliminate spores (Correct answer)
- Both terms are interchangeable in a surgical context
- Disinfection is used on living tissue; sterilization is used only on metals
Correct answer: Sterilization destroys all microorganisms including spores; disinfection reduces microbial numbers but may not eliminate spores
Sterilization achieves complete destruction of all microorganisms including spores, while disinfection reduces the microbial load but may not eliminate resistant spores.
Question 4: When performing a final instrument count at the end of surgery, the scrub tech and circulating tech find one sponge is unaccounted for. What is the correct action?
- Proceed with closure and document the discrepancy post-operatively
- Alert the surgeon immediately and search the wound and surrounding field before closing (Correct answer)
- Recount only the sponges and close if the recount is unclear
- Document the missing sponge and monitor the patient post-operatively
Correct answer: Alert the surgeon immediately and search the wound and surrounding field before closing
A discrepancy in sponge count requires immediate notification of the surgeon and a thorough search of the wound before closure to prevent retained foreign body.
Question 5: Which of the following suture removal timelines is appropriate for a routine skin closure on the trunk of a dog?
- 3–5 days
- 7–10 days (Correct answer)
- 14–21 days
- 28 days
Correct answer: 7–10 days
Skin sutures on the trunk of a dog are typically removed at 7–10 days once adequate tensile strength has been achieved by the healing tissue.
Question 6: What is the primary reason ethylene oxide (EtO) gas sterilization is used for certain surgical equipment?
- It is faster than autoclave sterilization
- It sterilizes heat- and moisture-sensitive items that cannot withstand steam (Correct answer)
- It is less expensive than all other methods
- It does not require aeration time before use
Correct answer: It sterilizes heat- and moisture-sensitive items that cannot withstand steam
EtO sterilization is used for items such as plastics, electronics, and rubber goods that would be damaged by the heat and moisture of steam autoclaving.
Question 7: A veterinary technician notices that a sterile instrument tray was opened on the back table and then left unattended for 45 minutes while the team attended to a patient emergency. What should be done?
- Use the tray if it was not touched during the waiting period
- Re-sterilize only the instruments that were near the edge of the field
- Consider the field contaminated and re-sterilize or replace all items (Correct answer)
- Cover the tray with a sterile drape and use it immediately
Correct answer: Consider the field contaminated and re-sterilize or replace all items
An unattended sterile field cannot be guaranteed to remain sterile; all items must be considered contaminated and replaced before surgery proceeds.
VTNE Surgical Nursing Procedures 5
Which of the following best describes the role of the circulating nurse/technician during surgery?