PURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate the current state of preoperative anxiety and the informational needs of patients undergoing surgery in a preoperative holding area. DESIGN: Descriptive and Pre post study. METHODS: A total of 655 elective surgery patients awaiting surgery were selected from November 2021 to March 2022. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the factors associated with preoperative anxiety and informational needs in patients exhibiting shadow responses. FINDINGS: The patients' mean anxiety scores were 10.33 ± 3.25. Among them, 51 patients had mean anxiety scores greater than or equal to 12, indicating a state of anxiety. The mean informational needs scores were 7.81 ± 2.66. A total of 71 patients had mean informational needs scores greater than or equal to 5, reflecting a moderate or higher level of informational needs. Multiple linear regression analysis identified gender, age, surgical table, type of surgery, quality of sleep before surgery, surgical experience, and anesthesia experience as the primary factors influencing preoperative anxiety in patients awaiting surgery. Age, surgical experience, and anesthesia experience were identified as the main factors affecting informational needs in the preoperative holding area. CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing surgery in the preoperative holding area exhibit heightened levels of anxiety and informational needs. Nurses must provide enhanced psychological support interventions for these patients, particularly focusing on those who are older, female, undergoing repeated operations, gynecological surgeries, experiencing poor sleep quality before surgery, or have had distressing surgical or anesthesia experiences.