ATI LPN
Questions on Perioperative Care Questions
Question 1 of 5
A patient who can barely ambulate with a walker at home is having a left total knee replacement. What is the most appropriate category for this surgery?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A total knee replacement for a patient with limited mobility is classified as restorative surgery because it aims to restore function and improve quality of life by replacing a damaged joint. Urgent surgery addresses immediate threats, like a ruptured aneurysm, not applicable here. Simple surgery is not a standard classification and suggests minimal complexity, which doesn't fit a major procedure like this. Palliative surgery relieves symptoms without curing, unlike this surgery's goal of functional restoration. The rationale hinges on the restorative intent: the procedure corrects a degenerative condition (e.g., osteoarthritis), enabling ambulation and reducing disability. This aligns with nursing's focus on enhancing patient independence, distinguishing it from curative (disease eradication) or palliative (symptom relief) categories.
Question 2 of 5
Which duties are within the scope of practice of the circulating nurse in the operative setting?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The circulating nurse coordinates, oversees, and participates in care , managing the OR environment and documentation. Setting up sterile fields is the scrub nurse's role; surgical responsibility is the surgeon's. Choice A is partial. The rationale defines scope: the circulator ensures safety, sterility, and team coordination, distinct from hands-on sterile tasks or surgical decisions. Nursing's non-sterile oversight optimizes intraoperative flow, supporting patient outcomes.
Question 3 of 5
To avoid electrical safety problems during surgery, what does the nurse do?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The nurse ensures grounding pad placement to prevent electrical burns from cautery. Sterility , anesthesia assistance , and cameras are unrelated. The rationale focuses on electrosurgery: improper grounding disperses current, risking injury. Nursing verifies pad contact and placement, aligning with safety protocols, critical for preventing intraoperative hazards, distinct from other duties.
Question 4 of 5
If a patient experiences a wound dehiscence, which description illustrates what is happening with the wound?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Wound dehiscence is a partial or complete separation of outer layers . Infection and total separation are distinct; pain is a symptom. The rationale defines dehiscence: superficial layers split (e.g., skin), often from strain, unlike evisceration (inner layers). Nursing recognizes this, applying sterile dressings and notifying surgeons, critical for preventing progression, distinct from infection or deeper issues.
Question 5 of 5
The nurse is caring for a patient who has had abdominal surgery. After a hard sneeze, the patient reports pain in the surgical area, and the nurse immediately sees that the patient has a wound evisceration. What priority action must the nurse do first?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The priority is calling for help and staying , ensuring immediate support for evisceration, an emergency. Leaving abandons; dressing and vitals follow. The rationale prioritizes response: evisceration (organs protruding) risks shock; help mobilizes the team while staying stabilizes. Nursing acts fast, then covers with saline, aligning with emergency care, distinct from delayed or solo actions.