A 38-year-old woman is admitted to the PACU following open abdominal surgery for excision of a benign tumor and lysis of
adhesions. The patient has been a smoker for many years and begins coughing as soon as she is transferred from the OR stretcher to
the bed in PACU. Identify the initial assessments that need to be done on this patient. Develop a nursing plan of care that addresses
her care from admission to the unit until discharge home. How will you modify the plan of care if the patient needs wound care after
discharge? What would be the signs and symptoms you would assess this patient for and why? What would you do differently if the
surgery had been done using minimally invasive methods?
Sample Solution
