CNOR case studies
CNOR · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The CNOR is a voluntary certification for registered nurses who work in perioperative settings - the operating room, ambulatory surgery centers, procedural suites, and the pre- and post-anesthesia areas that surround them. It is not a license and does not replace state licensure; it is a credential that signals a nurse has met a national standard of perioperative knowledge and has practiced long enough to apply it. The CNOR case studies are 5 cases and about 3,356 words.
1Second Case, Two Problems: GLP-1, Hypokalemia, and an Uncertain 'Allergy'
R, 68, is booked as the second case at 0930 for outpatient screening colonoscopy under propofol sedation. At 0800 preop review you find: type 2 diabetes with HbA1c 8.9%; BMI 34; weekly semaglutide 1 mg, last dose 6 days ago; a charted 'latex allergy - rash' after a childhood dental visit; and a basic metabolic panel from 5 days ago showing potassium 2.9 mEq/L and creatinine 1.1.
677 words, about 3 min2Twenty More Minutes: Positioning Injuries Under Steep Trendelenburg
A 62-year-old man with BMI 38, open-angle glaucoma on timolol, obstructive sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes is undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy. Positioning plan: 30-35 degrees steep Trendelenburg, arms tucked at the sides, 4-5 hours anticipated.
700 words, about 4 min3The Dropped Scope: Immediate-Use Sterilization Versus a Priority Cycle
During a laparoscopic appendectomy at 2115 the scrub person drops the only 5-mm 30-degree laparoscope on the floor while passing it off the field. The surgeon says the case cannot be completed without it.
688 words, about 3 min4'Just Send Her Up': Handoff Under Pressure
At 1930 you are the PACU nurse preparing to transfer a 74-year-old woman to the orthopedic floor after ORIF of a hip fracture under spinal anesthesia with a femoral nerve block. Her vital signs have been stable for 45 minutes.
635 words, about 3 min5Flash and Flame at the Endotracheal Tube
A 7-year-old is undergoing adenotonsillectomy. Anesthesia is delivering 60% oxygen with 50% nitrous oxide through an uncuffed endotracheal tube; there is an audible leak around the tube.
656 words, about 3 min