Describe the care of Mr Hooper prior to transfer to the postanaesthesia care unit (PACU). Provide rationales for your answer

Question

You are working as anaesthetic nurse and note that the first patient on the list is Mr Hooper, 70 years old, who is undergoing a laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers/rationales:
Ensure Mr Hooper is haemodynamically stable and a good colour.
Mr Hooper must be in a stable condition prior to transfer to the PACU and monitored en route to note any relapse in his condition.
Ensure a return of regular, spontaneous breathing following extubation.
Mr Hooper should be able to maintain his airway or it is maintained with minimal assistance e.g. Guedal airway.
Ensure Mr Hooper is placed in a clean hospital gown and on a dry sheet.
Inadvertent perioperative hypothermia can adversely affect his recovery and placing him in a clean gown and bed will make him feel comfortable. Patients should not be transferred until this aspect of nursing care has been attended to.
Ensure Mr Hooper's pain has been managed by the anaesthetist.
The anaesthetist should ensure that adequate pain medication and antiemetics are documented and the PACU can continue with the pain protocol ordered. This will ensure a pain-free and relatively comfortable postoperative recovery for Mr Hooper.
Provide oxygen via a non-rebreathing Hudson mask at 6 litres per minute.
This will maintain Mr Hooper's oxygen saturation levels at normal limits and not retain CO2.
Ensure transfer to recovery bed is safe and sides remain up. Ensure nurse accompanies patient to the PACU for clinical handover.
This will ensure Mr Hooper's safety during transfer to the PACU and in the immediate postoperative period and the prevention of falls. The accompanying nurse will be able to provide a clinical handover to nursing staff in the PACU following ISBAR or local handover protocols.