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Post-Anesthesia Care Unit Nurse

Provide compassionate, high-quality post-anesthesia nursing care to patients recovering from surgery and procedures. Monitor, assess, and stabilize patients in Phase I/II PACU settings. Collaborate with the surgical team to ensure safe handoffs, timely recovery, and smooth transitions of care.

Monitor airway, breathing, circulation, pain, nausea, and sedation levels following anesthesia. Perform frequent assessments and respond rapidly to changes in patient condition. Titrate oxygen, manage IV fluids, administer medications, and perform ordered interventions. Manage pain and PONV using multimodal protocols and patient-specific plans. Prepare for and assist with emergent interventions and rapid responses as needed. Coordinate handoffs to and from OR, anesthesia, and inpatient/outpatient units using standardized tools. Educate patients and families on post-op expectations, discharge instructions, and follow-up care. Document care accurately and timely in the electronic medical record. Maintain a safe environment and comply with hospital policies, infection prevention, and regulatory standards. Participate in quality improvement, patient safety initiatives, and unit-based competencies.

Associate's Degree in Nursing required. Bachelor's Degree in Nursing preferred. Minimum of one year in PACU or surgical services such as OR, Pre-Op, or ICU step-down supporting post-anesthesia recovery. Strong clinical assessment, critical thinking, and prioritization abilities. Effective communication and teamwork in a fast-paced environment. Comfort with hemodynamic monitoring and post-anesthesia care pathways.

Full-time hospital-based role with variable shifts based on unit needs. May include nights, weekends, and holidays with rotating call as applicable. Competitive pay with potential sign-on and relocation assistance per facility policy. Comprehensive benefits package offered by the hospital employer.

Acute care PACU serving a range of surgical specialties. Requires prolonged standing, safe patient handling, and adherence to PPE and biosafety practices.

Prior PACU or surgical services experience. We will not consider new graduate RNs or candidates without surgical services experience. Current NM RN license or appropriate RN compact licensure. BLS and ACLS from the American Heart Association. PALS or ENPC within six months of hire.

CPAN or CAPA certification. Experience with electronic medical records and standardized recovery scoring tools such as Aldrete.