PACU RN

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Provides safe, therapeutic, and quality direct patient care to the post anesthesia patient by utilizing the nursing process and nursing diagnosis in a timely manner, setting appropriate priorities.

2. Completes patient charting accurately and concisely.

3. Communicates appropriate information to surgeons and anesthesiologists concerning patient care.

4. Safely carries out physician orders correctly and promptly, documenting all activities.

5. Communicates and interacts with patients and family in a positive and supportive manner.

6. Completes discharge procedure safely, providing proper post-operative instruction and assists patient to vehicle.

7. Attends and participates in in-service programs, communication groups, and staff meetings.

8. Adheres to facility policies and procedures.

9. Initiates and participates in patient and family education.

10. Complies with cost containment practices.

11. Makes pre-op phone calls for verbal assessment of the patient and gives pre-op instructions.

12. Participates in quality assurance monitoring.

13. Flexes to both pre-op and PACU areas and performs duties as directed.

14. Observes all safety precautions and complies with all health and safety rules and procedures of the facility.

15. Maintains required professional license and/or certificates.

16. Adult Pre-op: involves admitting patients:

a. including verifying the consent and having it signed, obtaining information regarding the postoperative phone call, taking a brief history.

b. doing a dip-stick urine test and a finger stick for hemoglobin and blood glucose as indicated.

c. taking vital signs and assisting the patient to dress for surgery and getting into bed. If any discrepancies are found in the admitting interview from what was previously scheduled, the admitting nurse alerts the operating room. Certain surgeons have standing preoperative orders. The nurse refers to the box of pre-op orders to see that the patient is admitted in sufficient time.

17. Adult Recovery

a. The nurse must be familiar with equipment such as suction, oxygen, and emergency cart.

b. Care of the patient from arrival time until he/she is escorted from the building with his/her ride.

c. Maintaining adequate airway, taking vital signs, checking dressings, circulation, and bleeding.

d. Progression involves head elevation, taking fluids, dangling at the bed side, and dressing.

e. No one is sent home until he/she has met discharge criteria, instructed in post-operative care, and discharged by anesthesia.

18. Pediatrics

a. The nurse should be oriented to room, equipment, supplies emergency box, oxygen, and suction.

b. The admissions questions are asked of the parents and after verifying the consent, they are asked to sign.

c. Toe sticks are usually easier to obtain on infants and children. Recovery care involves maintaining the airway and recording pulse, color, respiration, blood pressure, depending upon age, and condition of operative site.

d. The parents are allowed at the bedside when the nurse is satisfied with the patient's condition.

e. Fluids are offered by the bottle, cup or breast.

19. Documentation

a. Entries on the patient record, pulling charges from charts after procedure, narcotic count by two nurses at the beginning and end of the day, entries in the logbook. All PACU nurses share these duties.

20. All other duties as assigned.

BLS, ACLS, & PALS required upon hire.

This RN position is for PACU but will be cross trained to Pre- Assessment RN.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $47.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Medical specialties:

• Surgery

Physical setting:

• Outpatient

Standard shift:

• Day shift

Experience:

• Post-operative care: 1 year (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $47