The postanesthesia care unit (PACU) nurse transports the inpatient surgical patient to the medical-surgical floor. Before leaving the floor, the medical-surgical nurse obtains a complete set of vital signs. What is the rationale for this nursing action?
a. This is done to complete the first action in a head-to-toe assessment.
b. This is done to compare and monitor for vital sign variation during transport.
c. This is done to ensure that the medical-surgical nurse checks on the postoperative patient.
d. This is done to follow hospital policy and procedure for care of the surgical patient.
ANS: B
Before the PACU nurse leaves the acute care area, the staff nurse assuming care for the patient takes a complete set of vital signs to compare with PACU findings. Minor vital sign variations normally occur after transporting the patient. The PACU nurse reviews the patient's information with the medical-surgical nurse, including the surgical and PACU course, physician orders, and the patient's condition. While vital signs may or may not be the first action in a head-to-toe assessment, this is not the rationale for this situation. While following policy or ascertaining that the floor nurse checks on the patient are good reasons for safe care, they are not the best rationale for obtaining vital signs.
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