The preoperative phase begins when the decision is made to have surgery and ends when the patient arrives in the operating room.
Correct Answer
True
True. The preoperative phase covers everything from the decision to proceed with surgery through arrival in the operating room, including preadmission testing, teaching and day-of-surgery preparation.
Category: Preadmission Assessment
Question 2
Once a patient's identity is verified at admission on the day of surgery, it does not need to be checked again at later handoffs.
Correct Answer
False
False. The nurse confirms the patient's name, date of birth and identification band again at every handoff, especially after the patient has received anesthetic or sedating medications and may not be able to answer clearly.
Category: Patient Identification
Question 3
A patient who had nausea and vomiting after an earlier surgery is at increased risk of having it again, so the history is reported to the anesthesia provider.
Correct Answer
True
True. A history of postoperative nausea and vomiting predicts recurrence, so the anesthesia provider is told and may plan preventive measures, such as a scopolamine patch that the preoperative nurse applies when it is ordered.
Category: Anesthesia Risks
Question 4
A patient who uses a breathing machine for sleep apnea is told to bring it on the day of surgery.
Correct Answer
True
True. The machine becomes part of the care plan, because anesthesia and pain medications can worsen breathing problems in a patient with sleep apnea.
Category: Patient Teaching
Question 5
Patients with thyroid disorders are generally told to keep taking their thyroid medication before surgery.
Correct Answer
True
True. Untreated thyroid disease adds surgical risk, such as thyrotoxicosis with hyperthyroidism or respiratory problems with hypothyroidism, so thyroid medication is usually continued.
Category: Endocrine Risks
Question 6
An allergy wristband is placed on a limb away from the surgical site.
Correct Answer
True
True. The band must stay visible and in place throughout the procedure, so it goes on a limb away from the operative field, and the allergy is also documented in the chart.
Category: Medication Safety
Question 7
Some herbal supplements can interact with anesthetic agents, so the nurse asks about them specifically and reports them before surgery.
Correct Answer
True
True. Patients often leave supplements off their medication lists, and several, such as valerian root, can interact with anesthesia while others increase bleeding risk.
Category: Medication Safety
Question 8
The handoff from the preoperative nurse to the intraoperative nurse is done with the patient present as an added safety check.
Correct Answer
True
True. Having the patient take part lets the patient confirm identity, allergies, procedure and site, which helps catch errors before surgery.
Category: Preventing Wrong-Site Surgery
Question 9
The nurse documents which assistive devices a patient brought and where they were placed so they can be returned after surgery.
Correct Answer
True
True. Devices such as hearing aids, glasses and mobility aids are essential to a patient with a disability, and documenting their location lets postoperative staff return them promptly.
Category: Special Populations
Question 10
Surgery is usually postponed for a patient with an uncontrolled dysrhythmia until it is treated or a cardiologist clears the patient.
Correct Answer
True
True. An uncontrolled heart rhythm raises the risk of cardiac complications under anesthesia, so the procedure waits until the rhythm is controlled or cleared by a cardiologist.
Category: Physical Assessment
Question 11
A patient may sign the surgical consent after receiving a sedative, as long as the patient is awake.
Correct Answer
False
False. Consent must be signed before anesthesia or any medication that can impair decision-making, because a sedated patient may not be able to weigh the information.
Category: Informed Consent
Question 12
Patients should shave the surgical site at home the night before surgery to lower the risk of infection.
Correct Answer
False
False. Shaving can nick the skin and raise the risk of infection, so patients are told not to shave the site; if hair must be removed, it is clipped by staff before the procedure.
Category: Bowel and Skin Preparation
Question 13
If a patient arrives for elective surgery under the influence of alcohol, the surgery proceeds with a larger dose of anesthetic.
Correct Answer
False
False. Elective surgery is cancelled for a patient who arrives under the influence of alcohol or drugs, because intoxication increases the risk of aspiration, respiratory failure and drug interactions.
Category: Risk Factors
Question 14
Bowel preparation is required before every type of surgery.
Correct Answer
False
False. Bowel preparation is used only for abdominal or pelvic procedures, where an empty bowel improves the surgeon's view and lowers infection risk if the bowel is accidentally entered.
Category: Bowel and Skin Preparation
Question 15
Older adults usually metabolize anesthetic agents faster than younger adults do.
Correct Answer
False
False. Age-related changes in kidney function, body composition and gastrointestinal physiology change how drugs are handled, and older adults clear anesthetics and pain medications more slowly, so they are more sensitive to them.
Category: Older Adults
Question 16
When an older adult says they feel warm enough during surgical preparation, the nurse can stop measuring the patient's temperature.
Correct Answer
False
False. An older adult's sense of warmth may not match the actual body temperature, so the nurse keeps measuring temperature to detect hypothermia.
Category: Older Adults
Question 17
Contact lenses and nail polish may be worn into surgery as long as the patient is comfortable.
Correct Answer
False
False. Patients are told to remove contact lenses, makeup, nail polish and jewelry before surgery, because these items can cause injury or interfere with monitoring and assessment.
Category: Patient Teaching
Question 18
Antiembolism stockings are applied before surgery only for patients who already have a blood clot.
Correct Answer
False
False. Compression stockings are used to prevent clots by improving venous blood flow, especially in patients who will be immobile during and after surgery.
Category: Preventing Complications
Question 19
The family of a patient in surgery should expect no updates until the procedure is over.
Correct Answer
False
False. A staff member gives the family frequent progress updates during the procedure, and most facilities offer a way to track the patient's progress.
Category: Psychosocial and Cultural Care
Question 20
Elective surgery may be postponed for a patient with poor liver function until it improves.
Correct Answer
True
True. Poor liver function raises surgical risk because anesthetic agents may not be broken down well, so the preoperative workup reviews liver function tests and a planned procedure may wait while function improves.
Category: Physical Assessment