ZQLexPort

CNOR: Medications & Solutions

Safe medication handling on the sterile field prevents serious errors. These CNOR questions cover labeling, local anesthetics, irrigation solutions, and safe handling — each with a full rationale.

2,200+

questions in the app

10+ yrs

exam-prep publishing

Free

on iOS & Android

Built to help you pass faster — by exam-prep publishers with 10+ years' experience

  • 💡 Key Takeaways — the one transferable rule per question
  • 🔍 Hint highlights — the decisive cue phrases in each stem
  • 📖 Full rationales — why every option is right or wrong

Every CNOR question is written to the current exam outline for quick learning and a clear pass strategy.

Written and reviewed by the LexPort exam-prep team, led by our Founder & Exam-Prep Lead. LexPort builds certification practice questions — this is exam-preparation material, not medical advice. Last reviewed August 2026.

Get the full CNOR question bank — free

2,200+ practice questions with rationales on iOS

Download on theApp Store

Test yourself: CNOR: Medications & Solutions

Three CNOR practice questions on cnor: medications & solutions — tap an answer for instant feedback. The app has 2,200+, timed and scored.

Question 1

181 of 200. A perioperative EBP team finds conflicting research findings regarding the optimal skin prep drying time for a new alcohol-based chlorhexidine solution. To ensure patient safety and regulatory compliance, which standard must the team follow?

▸ Why A is the answer

When implementing practice changes involving chemical agents, the FDA-cleared manufacturer instructions for use (A) must always dictate practice to prevent surgical fires and chemical burns. Selecting a drying time based solely on one study's infection rate (B) or a committee's consensus (C) is dangerous and legally indefensible if it contradicts the IFU. Applying the rules of a different chemical, such as aqueous iodine (D), ignores the specific flammability risks associated with alcohol-based solutions.

🔑 Key takeaway

Manufacturer instructions for use (IFU) dictate the safe application and drying times for chemical agents.

Question 2

6 of 200. A 42-year-old patient is undergoing a hemorrhoidectomy and fistulotomy in the lithotomy position. The nurse is performing a povidone-iodine perineal skin preparation. Which technique demonstrates the correct application of the antiseptic solution?

▸ Why B is the answer

The anus is a highly contaminated area. The principle of skin preparation is to move from the cleanest area to the dirtiest area. Therefore, the nurse should prep the cleaner surrounding areas first, and prep the highly contaminated anus last. Once a sponge touches the anal area, it must be discarded to prevent cross-contamination of the cleaner surrounding tissues. Option B correctly follows this clean-to-dirty principle. Option A reverses the standard by starting at the dirtiest site. Option C lacks a systematic clean-to-dirty approach. Option D inappropriately uses a back-and-forth motion over a dirty area, spreading enteric flora.

🔑 Key takeaway

Highly contaminated areas like the anus must be prepped last to prevent spreading flora to cleaner tissues.

Question 3

15 of 200. Following an open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, the circulating nurse notes a three-foot pool of irrigation fluid near the foot of the operating room bed.

▸ Why C is the answer

During room turnover, floor cleaning does not require an edge-to-edge approach unless the entire floor is soiled. Option C is correct because AORN guidelines recommend cleaning any visibly soiled areas, such as the pool of irrigation fluid, along with an extended perimeter of about three to four feet around the OR bed. Option A is incorrect because flooding the floor creates unnecessary slipping hazards and wastes chemical agents. Option B is incorrect because mopping the entire room from the outer edges to the center is the protocol for terminal cleaning at the end of the day, not for turnover between cases. Option D is incorrect because leaving a large volume of fluid on the floor poses a severe safety hazard to the staff entering for the next case and violates basic infection control principles.

🔑 Key takeaway

Turnover floor cleaning targets visibly soiled areas and a three-to-four foot perimeter around the surgical bed.

Unlock all 2,217 CNOR practice questions, including 11 full-length mock exams

Timed, scored, with progress tracking and every answer explained. Free to start.

Download on theApp Store

Question 1

62 of 200. A perioperative nurse is preparing to manually clean and immerse flexible endoscopes in an ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA) solution. Which personal protective equipment combination is most appropriate for this task?

  • A) Don heavy-duty nitrile gloves and a full face shield.✓
  • B) Don standard sterile latex gloves and a full face shield.
  • C) Don heavy-duty nitrile gloves and a standard surgical mask.
  • D) Don standard sterile latex gloves and a standard surgical mask.

💡 Key Takeaway

Handling high-level disinfectants requires chemical-resistant gloves and full eye protection to prevent toxic exposure.

Show rationale

OPA and glutaraldehyde require specific PPE because they easily penetrate standard materials. The nurse must wear heavy-duty nitrile gloves or butyl rubber gloves, as standard latex gloves offer inadequate chemical resistance. Additionally, a full face shield or chemical splash goggles are required to protect the mucous membranes from splashes, making a standard surgical mask alone insufficient. Option A correctly identifies both the appropriate chemical-resistant gloves and the necessary eye protection. Options B and D incorrectly suggest latex gloves, which allow chemical breakthrough. Options C and D incorrectly rely on a surgical mask, which does not provide adequate splash protection for the eyes.

Question 2

121 of 200. A preference card for a total knee arthroplasty requests a specific non-formulary antimicrobial irrigation. However, the facility recently implemented a standardized joint infection protocol utilizing a different, approved solution. How should the nurse proceed?

  • A) Clarify the irrigation choice with the surgeon before opening.✓
  • B) Open the non-formulary irrigation as listed on the card.
  • C) Provide the standardized solution without notifying the surgeon.
  • D) Ask the hospital pharmacist to approve the non-formulary use.

💡 Key Takeaway

When preference cards conflict with new facility protocols, direct communication with the surgeon ensures compliance and patient safety.

Show rationale

Preference cards often lag behind the implementation of new hospital policies. When a conflict arises between a surgeon's historical preference and a new standardized protocol, the nurse must facilitate direct communication to clarify the plan before opening supplies. Opening the non-formulary irrigation (Option B) violates the new facility protocol and may result in wasted supplies if the surgeon intended to follow the new standard. Providing the standardized solution without notifying the surgeon (Option C) undermines the surgeon's autonomy and could lead to intraoperative frustration or adverse reactions if the patient has specific contraindications. Asking the pharmacist to approve the non-formulary use (Option D) bypasses the surgeon, who is ultimately responsible for the clinical decision regarding which irrigation is appropriate for their specific patient.

Question 3

122 of 200. While preparing medications for a local anesthetic mixture, the circulator drops a partially full vial of epinephrine and needs to discard it along with the drawn-up unused medication. Which disposal method is required?

  • A) Discard the items into the standard red biohazard bag.
  • B) Empty the remaining fluid into the pharmaceutical sink.
  • C) Dispose of the items in a black hazardous waste bin.✓
  • D) Place the intact items into the standard sharps container.

💡 Key Takeaway

Epinephrine is a P-listed medication requiring disposal in a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act black bin.

Show rationale

Epinephrine is classified as a P-listed acutely hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Because the vial is partially full, it is considered bulk hazardous pharmaceutical waste and must be discarded in a black hazardous waste bin to prevent environmental contamination. Discarding these items into a standard red biohazard bag is incorrect because red bags are strictly for infectious or blood-contaminated waste, not chemical hazards. Emptying the fluid into a sink is illegal, as it introduces acutely hazardous pharmaceuticals directly into the municipal water supply. Placing the items into a standard sharps container is also inappropriate, as standard sharps containers are typically incinerated or autoclaved as infectious waste, which does not meet the stringent environmental processing requirements for P-listed hazardous pharmaceutical chemicals.

Question 4

135 of 200. A perioperative nurse is training a new environmental services technician on disinfecting overhead surgical lights during terminal cleaning. The technician prepares to spray a quaternary ammonium solution directly onto the light fixtures.

  • A) Instruct the technician to apply the chemical to a cloth before wiping.✓
  • B) Verify that the technician wears a face shield before spraying the lights.
  • C) Allow the technician to proceed if the lights are completely powered off.
  • D) Recommend using an aerosolized bleach solution instead of the quaternary ammonium.

💡 Key Takeaway

Disinfectants should be applied to a cloth rather than sprayed directly onto surfaces to prevent aerosolization and damage.

Show rationale

Disinfectants should never be sprayed directly onto overhead structures or electrical equipment. Direct spraying creates a risk of inhalation exposure through aerosolization and allows fluid to seep into electrical components, potentially causing damage or fire. Option A correctly mitigates this by applying the chemical to a cloth first. Options B, C, and D all permit or encourage spraying, which violates environmental cleaning guidelines regardless of PPE or power status.

Question 5

180 of 200. During a total knee arthroplasty, the nurse notes that irrigation fluid pools and causes strike-through on the sterile back table drape. How should the nurse manage this contamination?

  • A) Place a sterile towel over the wet drape area.
  • B) Move the sterile instruments away from the wet area.
  • C) Suction the pooled fluid and continue the surgical case.
  • D) Discard the contaminated items and establish a new table.✓

💡 Key Takeaway

Fluid strike-through destroys the sterile barrier, requiring replacement of the affected drapes and contaminated items.

Show rationale

When irrigation fluid pools and causes strike-through on a sterile drape, the sterile barrier is breached, allowing microorganisms to migrate from the unsterile surface below. The affected area and any items on it are considered contaminated. The best action is to establish a new table or completely replace the affected barrier and contaminated instruments. Option A is incorrect because a sterile towel is not impervious and will not stop the wicking action of the fluid. Option B is insufficient because the entire barrier integrity is compromised, and simply moving items does not address the breach. Option C ignores the contamination event entirely, putting the patient at high risk for a surgical site infection by allowing unsterile moisture to remain on the field.

Practice the full CNOR bank in the app

You've seen a sample. Get the complete experience — a timed exam simulator, every rationale, and progress tracking that shows exactly what to study next.

This page shows a few free samples. The app has all 2,200+ CNOR questions, a timed mock exam, and offline study.

  • ✓ 2,200+ real CNOR questions
  • ✓ Timed exam simulator — real conditions
  • ✓ Every answer explained + key takeaway
  • ✓ Tracks your weak topics
  • ✓ Works offline · Free to start

Get the full CNOR question bank — free

2,200+ practice questions with rationales on iOS

Download on theApp Store
CNOR · Exam Simulator

62 of 200. A perioperative nurse is preparing to manually clean and immerse flexible endoscopes in an ortho-ph…

A) Don heavy-duty nitrile gloves and a full
B) Don standard sterile latex gloves and a
C) Don heavy-duty nitrile gloves and a stan
D) Don standard sterile latex gloves and a
Submit Answer

Authoritative sources