Registered Nurse - Post Anesthesia Care Unit

PACU RN Duties

The following duties and responsibilities are not inclusive of all the duties and responsibilities required of the PACU RN:

• Provides specialized care in the assessment, planning, implementing and evaluation of care throughout the peri anesthesia continuum to include the pre-anesthesia phase, post anesthesia phase I, post anesthesia phase II, and extended care from sedation/analgesia and/or anesthesia for surgical, diagnostic, or therapeutic procedures.
• Maintains knowledge of current American Society of Peri anesthesia Nurses (ASPAN) standards, Veterans Health Administration (VHA) directives and service level standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Provides competent, evidence-based care to patients.
• Integrates knowledge, skills, abilities, and judgement and is self-directed in goal setting for managing complex situations.
• Validates understanding of the rationale for care processes and decisions.
• Questions clinical practices for the purpose of providing evidence-based care.
• Demonstrates competence in practice and decision-making, deliberate planning, and critical thinking skills.
• Possess knowledge related to the physiology associated with various anesthesia techniques and surgical interventions.
• Assesses and prepare patients for procedures.
• Performs clinical assessment of the patient and readily recognizes contradiction for anesthesia and/or surgical intervention.
• Administers medications and procedures per established policies and guidelines.
• Applies the appropriate post-sedation scoring and assesses the patient's post-operative status to include cardiovascular and respiratory systems and airway management needs, neurological system hemodynamic stability, pain, and comfort needs and mental status, implementing appropriate interventions to maintain or return all physiological systems to baseline or above.
• Documents all phases of care and is timely, complete, and accurate in the electronic health record (EHR).
• Required to perform on-call duties.
• Performs all relevant duties as assigned.

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, 6:00 am - 8:00 pm. This position requires on call for after hours. Weekends and holidays on a rotational basis. 8hr/10hr/12hr shifts are available

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized