The application of the clinical nursing pathway in the anesthesia recovery room is of great significance for improving nursing quality and reducing the incidence of complications. However, the influence of the clinical nursing pathway construction scheme and implementation path on patient outcomes in the anesthesia recovery room is not clear. In this study, 200 patients in the surgical anesthesia recovery room, aged 50 to 70 years old and graded as American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification System (ASA) II-III, were randomly divided into the control group (n=100) and the interventional group (n=100). The control group received routine nursing measures, while the interventional group received a structured clinical nursing pathway. The Aldrete score and the stay time in the anesthesia recovery room before and after nursing intervention were compared between the two groups. VAS score at transfer out of the anesthesia room, postoperative patient compliance rates, nursing satisfaction, and complication rates were recorded. Before the intervention, there was no significant difference in Aldrete scores between the interventional group and the control group (p = 0.939). After the intervention, the Aldrete score and nursing satisfaction of patients in the interventional group were significantly higher than those in the control group despite comparable compliance rates. Moreover, the stay time in the anesthesia recovery room, pain VAS score at the time of transfer out of the anesthesia room, and the complications rates were found to be lower in the interventional group. The construction of a clinical nursing pathway in an anesthesia recovery room can improve the recovery and pain of patients, shorten the stay time, reduce the incidence of complications, and enhance nursing satisfaction, making it worthy of clinical promotion and application.