Surgical Nursing
Domain focus
Surgical Nursing tests operating-room readiness, asepsis, patient preparation, instrument handling, surgical assistance, and postoperative recovery. The exam expects you to protect the sterile field and recognize breaks in technique.
Core rules and concepts
- Classify wounds and follow the planned procedure: clean, clean-contaminated, contaminated, or dirty. The classification influences glove, gown, and drape choices.
- Patient prep includes clipping hair, removing loose hair, and performing a surgical scrub with contact time according to the product label. Move from the incision site outward, not back and forth.
- Sterile team members touch only sterile items. A non-sterile person may open packs, but must not reach over the field.
- Confirm sterilization indicators, pack integrity, and expiration dates. Chemical indicator strips change color only when exposed to the correct cycle conditions; they do not prove sterility alone.
- Count instruments, sponges, and needles before surgery and before closure. Record the count.
Worked example
A pack has current expiration dating, but the autoclave indicator tape is unchanged after the run. The technician should treat the pack as unsterile: the indicator did not confirm exposure to the sterilization cycle. The correct action is to remove the pack from service and reprocess it, not to use it because the date is valid.
Traps that cost marks
Reaching over a sterile field; using a pack with a broken seal; forgetting to clip before scrubbing; touching the sterile drape with non-sterile gloves; and skipping the final sponge count when the closure is rushed.