Registered Nurse - Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)

Job Title

Peri-Anesthesia Nurse

Duties

Major duties include:

• Provide specialized peri-anesthesia nursing care across the continuum of care, including pre-anesthesia, Phase I and II recovery, and extended recovery following sedation, analgesia, or anesthesia.
• Assess, plan, implement, coordinate, and evaluate age-appropriate patient care utilizing the nursing process and evidence-based practice.
• Perform comprehensive patient assessments, identify contraindications to anesthesia or procedures, and implement appropriate nursing interventions.
• Monitor and evaluate postoperative physiological status, including cardiovascular, respiratory, airway, neurological, hemodynamic, pain, comfort, and mental status needs.
• Administer medications, sedation-related therapies, and nursing procedures in accordance with established policies, guidelines, and standards of practice.
• Coordinate patient care activities with the interdisciplinary team to promote positive patient outcomes, safe care delivery, and customer satisfaction.
• Provide patient and family education to support self-management, informed decision-making, and continuity of care.
• Apply critical thinking, clinical judgment, and technical proficiency to manage routine and complex patient care situations.
• Maintain knowledge of ASPAN standards, VHA directives, and local policies, procedures, and standard operating practices.
• Ensure timely, complete, and accurate documentation of all phases of care within the electronic health record.
• Participate in quality improvement, patient safety, and evidence-based practice initiatives to enhance clinical outcomes and operational effectiveness.
• Serve as a resource to colleagues by sharing knowledge, mentoring staff, and fostering a supportive professional practice environment.
• Demonstrate leadership through collaboration, problem-solving, policy development, and contributions to program and service-level improvements.
• Support a culture of excellence by evaluating care processes, contributing to practice improvements, and promoting high-quality patient-centered care.
• May be required to participate in on-call coverage and respond to patient care needs outside of regular duty hours.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., 9:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., 11:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized