Following a gastric resection, a 70-year-old male client is admitted to the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). The client was extubated prior to leaving the OR suite. Upon arrival at the PACU, the nurse should first:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Adequate air exchange and tissue oxygenation depends upon competent respiratory function. Checking the airway is the nurse's priority action. Obtaining the vital signs is an important action, but is secondary to airway management. Re-orienting a client to time, place, and person and knowing that their surgery is over is important, but is secondary to airway management and taking vital signs. Airway management takes precedence over the physician's orders, unless the orders specifically relate to airway management.