Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse (CPAN) Practice Exam 2025 - Free CPAN Practice Questions and Study Guide

The assessment of a patient's readiness for discharge from the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) is critical to ensuring their safety and well-being after anesthesia. The correct choice highlights essential physiological and clinical criteria that must be met before releasing a patient. Stable vital signs indicate that the patient is physiologically stable and not at risk for cardiovascular or respiratory complications. Adequate pain control is vital, as uncontrolled pain can hinder recovery and affect the patient's quality of life. The ability to void is particularly important, especially following surgeries that may affect bladder function, as it helps to rule out urinary retention. Additionally, confirming that there are no complications such as excessive bleeding, infection, or adverse reactions to anesthesia is integral to ensuring the patient's safety during recovery.

While the other options touch on important aspects of postoperative care, they do not encompass the primary clinical criteria needed for discharge readiness as thoroughly as the selected choice does. Emotional readiness and pain management history, although relevant, are not the primary indicators used in the immediate PACU context. Similarly, dietary considerations and social support are significant in the overall recovery process, but they come into play after the more critical physiological assessments have been satisfied.