Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to the ASPAN Perianesthesia Practice Exchange Page
Designed for nurses in the PACU and perioperative settings, this resource offers detailed guidance, expert commentary, and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing to support safe, high-quality patient care. Here, you can browse frequently asked questions, explore best practices, and submit your own clinical inquiries to ASPAN content experts. This is your space to connect, learn, and ensure the highest standard of care for your patients.
If you do not find the answer to your question, please feel free to submit it to ASPAN's Clinical Practice Network.
Question of the Month:
Q: If I have an ICU patient, can I take another patient?
A: The answer to that is not the fact that the patient, but is your patient stable? Some ICU patients are more stable than a patient having an outpatient procedure.
Q. How often does the Aldrete scoring need to be done?
Q. What is the minimal amount of time between patients?
Q. Who can the second nurse be in the Phase 1 when recovering a patient? Can I utilize the CRNA if my call partner is not there?
Q. What does ASPAN say about staffing after hours and on call?
Q. What are the staffing recommendations for Phase I level of care? Is it necessary to have two nurses present?
Q. What are the ASPAN staffing recommendations for pediatric patients in preop, Phase I, Phase II, and extended care?
Q. What is the standard for handoff report from the PACU to the receiving unit?
Q. What is best practice for a preoperative skin assessment for preprocedure/ preoperative patients?
Q. Can we put preop patients in the same area that we have patients recovering from anesthesia?
Q. What are the critical elements when accepting a patient from the anesthesia?