PRC Test #1 Review Exam Questions And
Answers
Who is sterile? - ANS PA (or 1st assist), scrub tech, surgeon
Who is unsterile? - ANS You (rep), circ. nurse, anesthesiologist, x-ray tech
What is the role of the circulator? - ANS To pass instruments from sterile to unsterile using
aseptic technique
How far away should you be from the sterile field? - ANS 18"
What do you wear in an unrestricted area? - ANS Street clothes
What PPE do you wear in a semi-unrestricted area? - ANS Everything but a mask (scrubs,
shoe covers, cap)
What PPE do you wear in a restricted area? - ANS Scrubs, shoe covers, cap, mask (and
sometimes eye protection)
What is the whiteboard used for? - ANS To find out where your cases are
What information is on the whiteboard? - ANS Surgeon, OR room #, type of surgery,
anesthesiologist, patient name, time of case, circ. nurse, scrub tech, device company. *Use this
as a selling tool
What's called during a time out? - ANS Patient's name, DOB, allergies, medicines, type of
surgery
What's the purpose of a time out? - ANS To minimize errors in the OR
Never walk between 2 sterile fields - ANS But sometimes it happens
4 jobs of the rep: - ANS Patient advocate, technical resource, inventory management,
make the scrub tech look like a rockstar
What is asepsis? - ANS Complete absence of disease-causing microorganisms)
, What is the purpose of aseptic technique? - ANS To maintain a sterile environment by
preventing contamination from microorganisms
What does sterile mean? - ANS Free of all life forms
Best practice for decreasing contamination: - ANS Washing your hands
Colors of sterility: - ANS Blue, green, white, or clear
What's the unsterile area of a surgeon/scrubbed person? - ANS Little bit above the chest
and up, and table line-down
Main people/departments to know in a hospital: - ANS Materials manager, SPD, OR/ortho
coordinator, scrub tech
Why is it important to get to know the SPD? - ANS To find out policies, how long it takes,
and how long in advance to drop things off
What's the first place instruments go after they've been used? - ANS Decontamination
Indication that your tray has gone through the autoclave: - ANS Zebra stripes
Non-sterile indicators: - ANS Water droplets, holes, no zebra stripes, no indicator strip
inside package
How long do you arrive before a case starts? - ANS 1.5 hours early
Most hospitals partner with a vendor credentialing company - ANS True
Who is responsible for missing instruments? - ANS You (the rep)
What are the 5 fields in a PO reconciliation form? - ANS Lot/batch #, quantity, catalogue/ref
#, product description, price
Who are the key people to know in the OR, not including the surgeon? - ANS OR/ortho
coordinator, scrub tech, circulator
Materials manager's job: - ANS gate keeper of VAC meetings, product approvals, who to
talk to about pricing and contracting
What is the Sunshine Act? - ANS Transparency that shares the contractual/financial
relationships with the industry
