Nokea
You are preparing to use a sterile pack. Which of these findings would concern you the most?
- A. The expiration date is 2 weeks in the future.
- B. It is difficult to read the initials of the person who sterilized the pack.
- C. The hash marks on the indicator tape are the same color as the tape.
- D. There are no holes or tears and no evidence of strike-through.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Hash marks not changing color indicate the pack may not be sterile, posing a contamination risk.
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Your patient has been discharged from the hospital. Remaining in the room are an IV pump and a hemostat, a metal-hinged instrument used to clamp off tubes or blood vessels. Which actions will you take?
- A. Clean the pump with disinfectant and rinse the hemostat in cool or warm water before sending it to be sterilized.
- B. Take both items to the central supply area to be cleaned and then sterilized.
- C. Return the IV pump to the storage area on the nursing unit and throw away the hemostat.
- D. Call the housekeeping staff and ask them to dispose of the equipment when they clean the room.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Both items require proper cleaning and sterilization in central supply to ensure safety for reuse.
The nurse will use sterile technique when performing which of the following procedures?
- A. Insertion of a urinary catheter
- B. Emptying a catheter drainage bag
- C. Starting an IV line
- D. Assessing the IV drip rate
- E. Performing a bed bath
- F. Suctioning the trachea
- G. Administering an insulin injection
Correct Answer: A,F
Rationale: Sterile technique (also called surgical asepsis) is used for invasive procedures or those that enter sterile body areas.
A nurse is attempting to insert a sterile catheter into a patient?s bladder. The nurse accidentally brushes the tip of the catheter against the side rail of the bed. The patient is unaware of this incident. Which action will the nurse take?
- A. Clean the tip of the catheter with an alcohol swab and continue with the procedure.
- B. Discard the contaminated catheter and begin the procedure over again.
- C. Say nothing and use the catheter anyway, since no one saw what happened.
- D. Stop the procedure, leave the room to get a fresh catheter, and resume the procedure.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Once the sterile tip of a catheter touches a non-sterile surface (like the bed rail), it is contaminated. Using it could introduce bacteria into the bladder and lead to a urinary tract infection (UTI). Sterile technique must be strictly followed during invasive procedures.
A nurse wearing sterile gloves pushes up his glasses with his gloved hand. The nurse?s next action 1s to:
- A. wash his hands while wearing his sterile gloves.
- B. remove the sterile gloves and wash his hands.
- C. obtain and don a second pair of sterile gloves.
- D. Both 2 and 3
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Touching personal items (like glasses) with sterile gloves contaminates them. The proper sequence is: Remove the contaminated sterile gloves, Perform hand hygiene, Don a new pair of sterile gloves
As you prepare for a rotation in the heart catheterization laboratory, you will expect:
- A. to change into hospital-laundered scrubs.
- B. to wear street clothes covered by a lab coat in the patient care area.
- C. that it is a restricted area to maintain asepsis.
- D. to wear your regular scrubs covered by a gown, as well as wear a mask and goggles.
Correct Answer: A,C
Rationale: The cath lab is a restricted area requiring hospital-laundered scrubs to maintain asepsis.