What information should a PACU nurse review before the patient's surgery?

The information that a PACU nurse should review before the patient's surgery primarily includes preoperative assessment data, allergies, and medication history. This is crucial because understanding the patient's medical background and any existing allergies helps in identifying potential complications that could arise during anesthesia and surgery. Knowing the medication history is also vital, as it can inform the care team of any interactions with anesthetic agents or other medications the patient may receive postoperatively.

In contrast, while postoperative care instructions and discharge plans, social history, financial information, dietary preferences, and family history may be important in various contexts of patient care, they are not as immediately critical for the PACU nurse prior to the surgery. The focus in this phase is primarily on factors that could directly affect the anesthesia and surgical process, making the preoperative assessment data, allergies, and medication history essential information for ensuring patient safety and proper care during and after the procedure.