Registered Nurse (PACU)

Job Description

Job Description

Registered Nurse (PACU) - New Orleans, LA (#SM0129)

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Location: New Orleans, LA
Employment Type: Per-Diem
Hourly Rate: $39.54 per hour

Position Overview:
We are currently seeking a Registered Nurse (PACU) to fill an opening at a hospital located in New Orleans, LA. This role focuses on providing immediate post-anesthesia care to patients recovering from surgical procedures, ensuring safe emergence from anesthesia and stable transition to the appropriate care setting.

Why Join Us?

• Competitive Compensation: $39.54 per hour

• Work Schedule:

  • This is a per-diem position
  • 7:30 am - 4:00 pm CDT (30 min break)
  • 7:30 am - 4:00 pm CST (30 min break)
• Professional Growth: Gain valuable experience in a collaborative, innovative, and supportive environment.
• Impactful Work: Contribute to a mission-driven organization dedicated to improving patient outcomes.

Qualifications:

• Education: Completion of an accredited Registered Nurse (RN) program (Associate's or Bachelor's degree).
• Licensure: Active Louisiana state RN license and current BLS Certification.
• Experience: At least one year of relevant experience is required.
• Technical Skills: Proficient in airway management, pain management (including PCA pumps and epidurals), hemodynamic monitoring, management of post-op nausea/vomiting (PONV), and care of surgical drains, catheters, and wound vacs.
• Soft Skills: Strong critical thinking and rapid assessment abilities; calm and decisive in emergency situations; excellent communication with anesthesiologists, surgeons, and OR staff; compassionate patient and family interaction.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assess and monitor post-surgical patients upon arrival to PACU, including airway patency, breathing, circulation (ABCs), vital signs, oxygen saturation, level of consciousness, and surgical site(s).
• Manage emergence from general anesthesia, regional blocks (spinal, epidural), and monitored anesthesia care (MAC).
• Administer medications for pain control, nausea, shivering, and blood pressure management as ordered.
• Monitor for and respond to immediate post-op complications including respiratory depression, laryngospasm, hypotension, hypertension, bleeding, or anaphylaxis.
• Assess and manage incision sites, dressings, drains (Jackson-Pratt, Hemovac), chest tubes, and urinary catheters.
• Communicate effectively with anesthesia providers and surgeons regarding patient status, vital sign trends, and any concerns.
• Use sedation scales (e.g., Aldrete score, RASS) to determine readiness for discharge from PACU to the next level of care (Med/Surg, Stepdown, ICU, or Phase II discharge home).
• Educate patients and families on post-procedure expectations, pain management, activity restrictions, and follow-up care.
• Document all assessments, interventions, medications, and discharge criteria in the EMR accurately and promptly.