PACU Practice Questions 👑
Recovery room questions written the way the unit asks them: what do you do first, and why. Every answer comes with the rationale, so you learn the reasoning instead of memorizing a letter.
What these PACU questions cover
The question bank mirrors what phase I recovery actually throws at you. Each item is a bedside decision, not a definition.
- Airway emergencies — laryngospasm, obstruction, negative pressure pulmonary edema, reintubation criteria
- Aldrete scoring and phase I vs phase II discharge readiness
- PONV: risk scoring, first-line versus rescue antiemetics, and what not to repeat
- Pain control: multimodal dosing, opioid stacking risk, and when to hold
- Hemodynamics: post-op hypotension, hypertension, and bleeding until proven otherwise
- Temperature: hypothermia, shivering, and malignant hyperthermia recognition
- Emergence delirium, delayed emergence, and residual neuromuscular blockade
- Handoff and documentation — the parts that protect your license
Sample question: airway first
A 62-year-old arrives in PACU after a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Ten minutes in, SpO2 drops to 86%, you hear a high-pitched crowing sound, and the chest wall is moving without air entry. What is your first action?
- A. Increase oxygen to 10 L by non-rebreather and recheck in 2 minutes
- B. Apply jaw thrust with positive pressure and call for help
- C. Give the ordered dose of IV opioid to reduce agitation
- D. Chart the desaturation and notify the surgeon
- Answer: B. Crowing with paradoxical chest movement is laryngospasm. Open the airway, deliver positive pressure with 100% oxygen, and get help — succinylcholine and reintubation may be next. Oxygen alone does not break a closed cord.
How to practice so it sticks
- Answer out loud with your reasoning before you pick — you are training report, not multiple choice
- Read every rationale, including on the ones you got right
- Repeat the missed questions the next day, not the same hour
- Group by topic once you are consistently above 80% overall
- Time yourself only after accuracy is solid; speed comes second
Free vs premium practice
| Free | Baddie RN Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| PACU quiz questions | Rotating free set | Full PACU bank + specialty modules |
| Rationales | Yes | Yes, plus AI follow-up questions |
| Progress tracking | Saved locally | Saved to your account across devices |
| Mock exam mode | — | Timed CPAN-style mock exams |
| Case studies | Sample set | Full case study library |
Frequently asked
Are these PACU practice questions free?
Yes. The PACU quiz is free with rationales after every question. Premium adds the full question bank, timed mock exams, and cross-device progress tracking.
Are PACU practice questions the same as CPAN questions?
They overlap heavily but are not identical. PACU practice questions focus on bedside recovery decisions. CPAN questions follow the certification blueprint, which also includes professional practice, patient advocacy, and perianesthesia standards.
How many PACU practice questions should I do a day?
Twenty to thirty questions a day with the rationales read in full beats a hundred rushed questions. Consistency over volume, especially in your first six months in recovery.
I am a new grad in PACU. Where do I start?
Start with airway and Aldrete questions, then PONV and pain. Those four topics cover the majority of what happens in your first hundred recoveries.
Ready to be that nurse? 👑
Baddie RN gives you the full test banks, timed drills, specialty hubs, and a community of nurses who refuse to gatekeep.