A patient is scheduled for surgery requiring general anesthesia at an ambulatory surgical center. The nurse asks him when he ate last. He replies that he had a light breakfast a couple of hours before...

A patient is scheduled for surgery requiring general anesthesia at an ambulatory surgical center. The nurse asks him when he ate last. He replies that he had a light breakfast a couple of hours before coming to the surgery center. What should the nurse do first?

a. Tell the patient to come back tomorrow, since he ate a meal.

b. Proceed with the preoperative checklist, including site identification.

c. Notify the anesthesia care provider of when and what the patient last ate.

d. Have the patient void before administering any preoperative medications.