CDC Medical-Surgical Nursing (Part A)

SURGICAL TEAM
Situation: Concerted work efforts among members of the surgical team is essential to the success of the
surgical procedure.

The sterile nurse or sterile personnel touch only sterile supplies and instruments. When there is a need
for sterile supply which is not in the sterile field, who hands out these items by opening its outer cover?
A. Circulating Nurse

The OR team performs distinct roles for one surgical procedure to be accomplished within a prescribed
time frame and deliver a standard patient outcome. While the surgeon performs the surgical
procedure, who monitors the status of the client like urine output, blood loss?
C. Anaesthesiologist

Surgery schedules are communicated to the OR usually a day prior to the procedure by the nurse of the
floor or ward where the patient is confined. For orthopedic cases, what department is usually informed
to be present in the OR?
A. Rehabilitation depaartment

Minimally invasive surgery is very much into technology. Aside from the usual surgical team, who else
has to be present when a client undergoes laparoscopic surgery?
D. Laboratory technician

In massive blood loss, prompt replacement of compatible blood is crucial. What department needs to
be alerted to coordinate closely with the patients family for immediate blood component therapy?
B. Chaiplaincy

PAIN MANAGEMENT
Situation: You are assigned in the Orthopedic Ward where clients are complaining of pain in varying
degrees upon movement of body parts.

Troy is a one day post open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of the left hip and is in pain.
Which of the following observation would prompt you to call the doctor?
B. Left foot is cold to touch and pedal pulse is absent

There is an order of Demerol 50 mg I.M. now and every 6 hours p r n. You injected Demerol at 5 pm.
The next dose of Demerol 50 mg I.M. is given:
B. When the patient is in severe pain

You continuously evaluate the clients adaptation to pain. Which of the following behaviors indicate
appropriate adaptation?
C. The client can distract himself during pain episodes

Pain in ortho cases may not be mainly due to the surgery. There might be other factors such as
cultural or psychological that influence pain. How can you alter these factors as the nurse?
D. Promote clients sense of control and participation in control by listening to his
concerns

In some hip surgeries, an epidural catheter for Fentanyl epidural analgesia is given. What is your
nursing priority care in such a case?
D. Assess respiratory rate carefully

MEDICAL RECORDS & DOCUMENTATION

Situation: Records are vital tools in any institution and should be properly maintained for specific use and
time.

The patients medical record can work as a double edged sword. When can the medical record
become the doctors/nurses worst enemy?
D. When the medical record is inaccurate, incomplete, and inadequate

Disposal of medical records in government hospitals/institutions must be done in close coordination

with what agency?
D. Department of Health (DOH)

In the hospital, when you need the medical record of a discharged patient for research you will
request permission through:
D. Medical records section

You readmitted a client who was in another department a month ago. Since you will need the
previous chart, from whom do you request the old chart?
D. Medical records section

Records Management and Archives Office of the DOH is responsible for implementing its policies on
record disposal. You know that your institution is covered by this policy if:
C. It obtained permit to operate from DOH

Situation: As a nurse, you should be aware and prepared of the different roles you play.

What role do you play when you hold all clients information entrusted to you in the strictest
confidence?
A. Patients advocate
As a nurse, you can help improve the effectiveness of communication among healthcare givers by:
B. Using standardized list of abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols

As a nurse, your primary focus in the workplace is the clients safety. However, personal safety is
also a concern. You can communicate hazards to your co-workers through the use of the following
EXCEPT:
C. Posting IR in the bulletin board

As a nurse, what is one of the best way to reconcile medications across the continuum of care?
B. Communicate a complete list of the patients medication to the next provider of
service

PERIOPERATIVE NURSING
Situation: In the OR, there are safety protocols that should be followed. The OR nurse should be well
versed with all these to safeguard the safety and quality of patient delivery outcome.

Which of the following should be given highest priority when receiving patient in the OR?
B. Verify patient identification and informed consent

Surgeries like I and D (incision and drainage) and debridement are relatively short procedures but
considered dirty cases. When are these procedures best scheduled?
A. Last case

OR nurses should be aware that maintaining the clients safety is the overall goal of nursing care
during the intraoperative phase. As the circulating nurse, you make certain that throughout the
procedure
C. strap made of strong non-abrasive materials are fastened securely around the
joints of the knees and ankles and around the 2 hands around an arm board.

Another nursing check that should not be missed before the induction of general anesthesia is:
D. Check basline vital signs

Some lifetime habits and hobbies affect postoperative respiratory function. If your client smokes 3
packs of cigarettes a day for the past 10 years, you will anticipate increased risk for:
D. Postoperative respiratory function

Situation: Nurses hold a variety of roles when providing care to a perioperative patient.

Which of the following role would be the responsibility of the scrub nurse?
C. Account for the number of sponges, needles, supplies, used during the surgical
procedure.

As a perioperative nurse, how can you best meet the safety need of the client after administering
preoperative narcotic?
A. Put side rails up and ask the client not to get out of bed

It is the responsibility of the pre-op nurse to do skin prep for patients undergoing surgery. If hair at
the operative site is not shaved, what should be done to make suturing easy and lessen chance of
incision infection?
C. Clipped

It is also the nurses function to determine when infection is developing in the surgical incision. The
perioperative nurse should observe for what signs of impending infection?

A. Localized heat and redness

Which of the following nursing interventions is done when examining the incision wound and
changing the dressing?
C. Wash hands

Situation: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital Organization (JCAHO) patient safety goals and
requirements include the care and efficient use of technology in the OR and elsewhere in the healthcare
facility.

As the head nurse in the OR, how can you improve the effectiveness of clinical alarm systems?
D. Implement a regular maintenance and testing of alarm systems

Overdosage of medication or anesthetic can happen even with the aid of technology like infusion
pumps, sphygmomanometer and similar devices/machines. As a staff, how can you improve the safety
of using infusion pumps?
A. Check the functionality of the pump before use

JCAHOs universal protocol for surgical and invasive procedures to prevent wrong site, wrong person,
and wrong procedure/surgery includes the following, EXCEPT:
C. Take a video of the entire intra-operative procedure

You identified a potential risk of pre-and postoperative clients. To reduce the risk of patient harm
resulting from fall, you can implement the following, EXCEPT:
A. Assess potential risk of fall associated with the patients medication regimen

As a nurse, you know you can improve on accuracy of patients identification by 2 patient
identifiers, EXCEPT:
C. call the client by his/her case and bed number

Situation: Team efforts is best demonstrated in the OR.

If you are the nurse in charge for scheduling surgical cases, what important information do you
need to ask the surgeon?
B. Who is your assistant and anesthesiologist, and what is your preferred time and
type of surgery?
In the OR, the nursing tandem for every surgery is:
D. Scrub and circulating nurses
While team effort is needed in the OR for efficient and quality patient care delivery, we should limit
the number of people in the room for infection control. Who comprise this team?
B. Surgeon, assistants, scrub nurse, circulating nurse, anesthesiologist

When surgery is on-going, who coordinates the activities outside, including the family?
A. Orderly/ Clerk

The breakdown in teamwork is often times a failure in:

D. Communication

Situation: After an abdominal surgery, the circulating and scrub nurses have critical responsibility about
sponge and instrument count.

When is the first sponge/instrument count reported?

B. Before peritoneum is closed

What major supportive layer of the abdominal wall must be sutured with long tensile strength such
as cotton or nylon or silk suture?
C. Peritoneum

Like sutures, needles also vary in shape and uses. If you are the scrub nurse for a patient who is
prone to keloid formation and has low threshold of pain, what needle would you prepare?
C. Reverse cutting needle

Another alternative suture for skin closure is the use of ____________

A. Staple
Like any nursing interventions, counts should be documented. To whom does the scrub nurse report
any discrepancy of counts so that immediate and appropriate action is instituted?
B. Surgeon

ASTHMA
Situation: Carlo, 16 years old, comes to the ER with acute asthmatic attack. RR is 46/min and he appears
to be in acute respiratory distress.

Which of the following nursing actions should be initiated first?

D. Administer bronchodilator by nebulizer

Aminophylline was ordered for acute asthmatic attack. The mother asked the nurse,
what is its indication, the nurse will say:
A. Relax smooth muscles of the bronchial airway

You will give health instructions to Carlo, a case of bronchial asthma. The health instruction will
include the following, EXCEPT:
D. Practice respiratory isolation

The asthmatic client asked you what breathing techniques he can best practice when asthmatic
attack starts. What will be the best position?
A. Sit in high-Fowlers position with extended legs

As a nurse, you are always alerted to monitor status asthmaticus who will likely and initially
manifest symptoms of:
B. respiratory acidosis

OSTOMY CARE
Situation: Colostomy is a surgically created anus. It can be temporary or permanent, depending on the
disease condition.

Skin care around the stoma is critical. Which of the following is not indicated as a skin care barriers?
A. Apply liberal amount of mineral oil to the area

What health instruction will enhance regulation of a colostomy (defecation) of clients?

B. Eat fruits and vegetables in all three meals

After ileostomy, which of the following condition is NOT expected?

D. Establishment of regular bowel movement

The following are appropriate nursing interventions during colostomy irrigation, EXCEPT:
A. Increase the irrigating solution flow rate when abdominal cramps is felt

What sensation is used as a gauge so that patients with ileostomy can determine how often their
pouch should be drained?
B. Sensation of pressure

NURSING RESEARCH
Situation: As a beginner in research, you are aware that sampling is an essential elements of the research
process.

What does a sample group represent?

C. General population

What is the most important characteristic of a sample?

D. Representativeness

Random sampling ensures that each subject has:

B. An equal chance of selection

Which of the following methods allows the use of any group of research subject?
B. Convenience

You decided to include 5 barangays in your municipality and chose a sampling method that would
get representative samples from each barangay. What should be the appropriate method for you to use
in this care?
A. Cluster sampling

PAIN MANAGEMENT

Situation: You are assigned at the surgical ward and clients have been complaining of post pain at varying
degrees. Pain as you know, is very subjective.

A one-day postoperative abdominal surgery client has been complaining of severe throbbing
abdominal pain described as 9 in a 1-10 pain rating. Your assessment revelas bowel sounds on all
quadrants and the dressing is dry and intact. What nursing intervention would you take
C. Encourage deep breathing and turning

Pentoxidone 5 mg IV every 8 hours was prescribed for post abdominal pain. Which will be your
priority nursing action?
C. Avoid overdosing to prevent dependence/ tolerance

The client complained of abdominal distention and pain. Your nursing intervention that can alleviate
pain is:
D. Turn to sides frequently and avoid too much talking

Surgical pain might be minimized by which nursing action in the O.R.

A. Skill of surgical team and lesser manipulation

One very common cause of postoperative pain is:

D. Inadequate anesthetic

HYPOTHYROIDISM
Situation: You were on duty at the medical ward when Zeny came in for admission for tiredness, cold
intolerance, constipation, and weight gain. Upon examination, the doctors diagnosis was hypothyroidism.

Your independent nursing care for hypothyroidism includes:

C. Providing a cool, quiet, and comfortable environment

As the nurse, you should anticipate to administer which of the following medications to Zeny who is
diagnosed to be suffering from hypothyroidism?
A. Levothyroxine

Your appropriate nursing diagnosis for Zeny who is suffering from hypothyroidism would probably
include which of the following?
A.Activity intolerance related to tiredness associated with disorder

Myxedema coma is a life threatening complication of long standing and untreated hypothyroidism
with one of the following characteristics.
D. Hypoglycemia

As a nurse, you know that the most common type of goiter is related to a deficiency of:
D. iodine

THORACENTESIS
Situation: Mrs. Pichay is admitted to your ward. The MD ordered Prepare for thoracentesis this pm to
remove excess air from the pleural cavity.

Which of the following nursing responsibilities is essential in Mrs. Pichay who will undergo
thoracentesis?
B. Ensure that informed consent has been signed

Mrs. Pichay who is for thoracentesis is assigned by the nurse to which of the following positions?
C. Dorsal Recumbent position

During thoracentesis, which of the following nursing intervention will be most crucial?
B. Maintain strict aseptic technique

To prevent leakage of fluid in the thoracic cavity, how will you position the client after
thoracentesis?
C. Turn on the affected side

Chest x-ray was ordered after thoracentesis. When your client asks what is the reason for another
chest x-ray, you will explain:
A. to rule out pneumothorax

SAFETY DEVICES

Situation: In the hospital, you are aware that we are helped by the use of a variety of equipment / devices
to enhance quality patient care delivery.

You are to initiate an IV line to your patient, Kyle, 5, who is febrile. What IV administration set will
you prepare?
D. Microset

Kyle is diagnosed to have measles. What will your protective personal attire include?
C. Face mask

What will you do to ensure that Kyle, who is febrile, will have a liberal oral fluid intake?
C. Provide a calibrated pitcher of drinking water and juice at the bedside and monitor
intake and output

Before bedtime, you went to ensure Kyles safety in bed. You will do which of the following:
B. Put the side rails up

Kyles room is fully mechanized. What do you teach the watcher and Kyle to alert the nurses for
help?
C. Call system

TONSILLECTOMY
Situation: Tony, 11 years old, has kissing tonsils and is scheduled for tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy or
T and A.

You are the nurse of Tony who will undergo T and A in the morning. His mother asked you if Tony will
be put to sleep. Your teaching will focus on:
A. Spinal anesthesia

Mothers of children undergoing tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy usually ask what food to prepare
and give their children after surgery. You as the nurse will say:
D. Soft diet when fully awake

The RR nurse should monitor for the most common postoperative complication of:
A. hemorrhage

The PACU nurse will maintain postoperative T and A client in what position?
B. Prone with the head on pillow and turned to the side

Tony is to be discharged in the afternoon of the same day after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.
You as the RN will make sure that the family knows to:
B. offer soft foods for a week to minimize discomfort while swallowing

CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE

Situation: Rudy was diagnosed to have chronic renal failure. Hemodialysis is ordered so that an A-V shunt
was surgically created.

Which of the following action would be of highest priority with regards to the external shunt?
A. Avoid taking BP or blood sample from the arm with the shunt

Diet therapy for Rudy, who has acute renal failure is low-protein, low potassium and low sodium.
The nutrition instructions should include:
B. Encourage client to include raw cucumbers, carrot, cabbage, and tomatoes

Rudy undergoes hemodialysis for the first time and was scared of disequilibrium syndrome. He
asked you how this can be prevented. Your response is:
C. initial hemodialysis shall be done 30 minutes only so as not to rapidly remove the
waste from the blood than from the brain

You are assisted by a nursing aide with the care of the client with renal failure. Which delegated
function to the aide would you particularly check?
C. Obtaining vital signs

A renal failure patient was ordered for creatinine clearance. As the nurse you will collect
C. 24 hour urine specimen

INTRAVENOUS PYELOGRAPHY
Situation: Fe is experiencing left sharp pain and occasional hematuria. She was advised to undergo IVP by
her physician.

Fe was so anxious about the procedure and particularly expressed her low pain threshold. Nursing
health instruction will include:
A. assure the client that the pain is associated with the warm sensation during the
administration of the Hypaque by IV
What will the nurse monitor and instruct the client and significant others post IVP?
C. Increase fluid intake

Post IVP, Fe should excrete the contrast medium. You instructed the family to include more
vegetables in the diet and:
A. increase fluid intake

The IVP reveals that Fe has small renal calculus that can be passed out spontaneously. To increase
the chance of passing the stones, you instructed her to force fluids and do which of the following?
A. Balanced diet

The presence of calculi in the urinary tract is called

D. Urolithiasis

INTRAVENOUS THERAPY
Situation: At the medical-surgical ward, the nurse must also be concerned about drug
interactions.

You have a client with TPN. You know that in TPN like blood transfusion, these should be no drug
incorporation. However the MDs order read; incorporate insulin to present TPN. Will you follow the
order?
B. Yes, because insulin is chemically stable with TPN and can enhance blood glucose
level

The RN should also know that some drugs have increased adsorption when infused in the PVC
container. How will you administer drugs such as insulin, nitroglycerine hydralazine to promote better
therapeutic drug effects?
D. Use volumetric chamber

One patient had a runaway IV of 50% dextrose. To prevent temporary excess of insulin or transient
hyperinsulin reaction what solution you prepare in anticipation of the doctors order?
A. Any IV solution available to KVO

How can nurses prevent drug interaction including adsorption?

D. Referring to manufacturers guidelines
In insulin administration, it should be understood that our body normally releases insulin according
to our blood glucose level. When is insulin and glucose level highest?
D. After ingestion of food