After a patient is transferred from the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) to the clinical surgical unit, what should the nurse's first action on the unit be?

• A. Assess the patient's pain.
• B. Take the patient's vital signs.
• C. Read the postoperative orders.
• D. Check the rate of the IV infusion.

Answer: (B)

The priority is to establish the patient’s physiologic stability by taking vital signs. This quick assessment provides a baseline and reveals immediate concerns about airway, breathing, and circulation after anesthesia. Abnormal vitals can indicate problems such as airway compromise, hypoxemia, bleeding, or hemodynamic instability, which need prompt attention before proceeding with other tasks. Once the vital signs are known and any instability is addressed, you can safely perform tasks like pain assessment, review of postoperative orders, and adjusting IV therapy.