CPAN Practice Exam – Comprehensive Guide for Exam Prep

The primary focus of the pre-admission assessment by a perianesthesia nurse is to evaluate the patient's fitness for anesthesia and surgery. This assessment involves reviewing the patient's medical history, current medications, allergies, and any previous anesthesia experiences. The goal is to identify any factors that might increase the risk of complications during and after the surgical procedure.

While reducing the mortality and morbidity rate is an essential aspect of overall patient safety, it is more of a secondary outcome of thorough pre-admission evaluations rather than a primary focus. Instead, the direct objective is to gather vital information that helps the surgical team determine if the patient is fit for anesthesia, thereby minimizing risks and ensuring safe care.

Establishing the necessity of the procedure is important but typically falls within the realm of the surgeon's responsibilities and is not the primary focus of the perianesthesia nurse. Similarly, while ordering laboratory and diagnostic tests is a necessary component of the preoperative process, it is a means to evaluate fitness for surgery rather than an overarching focus. Thus, the evaluation of fitness for anesthesia and surgery stands out as the most critical aspect of the pre-admission assessment conducted by a perianesthesia nurse.