The nurse from the general surgical unit is asked to bring the patient's hearing aid to the surgical suite. The nurse will take the hearing aid to the

• A. Clean core
• B. Scrub sink areas
• C. Nursing station or information desk
• D. Corridors of the operating room area

Answer: (C)

In the perioperative setting, nonessential personal items like a hearing aid must be kept out of the sterile field and stored in a secure, designated area. The hearing aid is not a sterile instrument, so it should not be taken into scrub areas or through the sterile suite. The nursing station or information desk is the appropriate place to place patient belongings; staff can securely hold, log, and retrieve the item for the patient as needed, reducing the risk of contamination, loss, or damage. Carrying it through scrub sinks or busy corridors could contaminate the environment or lead to misplacement, which is why those options aren’t suitable.