PACU RN

Post-Anesthesia Care Unit Registered Nurse (PACU RN)

The Post-Anesthesia Care Unit Registered Nurse (PACU RN) provides specialized nursing care to patients recovering from anesthesia following surgical and procedural interventions. The PACU RN is responsible for closely monitoring patients during the immediate post-operative period, managing airways and pain, recognizing complications, and ensuring patients meet established criteria for discharge or transfer to the appropriate level of care.

Key Responsibilities:

• Perform comprehensive post-anesthesia assessments and continuously monitor patients during recovery from general, regional, and monitored anesthesia care (MAC).
• Monitor airway, respiratory status, oxygenation, cardiac rhythm, neurological status, vital signs, pain, and surgical sites.
• Maintain and support patient airways and recognize signs of respiratory compromise or obstruction.
• Administer oxygen, IV fluids, pain medications, antiemetics, and other medications as ordered.
• Assess and manage post-operative pain, nausea, vomiting, and other common post-anesthesia complications.
• Recognize and respond rapidly to changes in patient condition, including respiratory distress, hemodynamic instability, bleeding, altered level of consciousness, and anesthesia-related complications.
• Provide immediate nursing interventions and escalate concerns to anesthesia providers, surgeons, or other members of the care team as appropriate.
• Monitor surgical incisions, drains, dressings, tubes, and other devices during the recovery period.
• Collaborate closely with anesthesia providers, surgeons, operating room staff, Pre-Op nurses, inpatient nursing units, and other members of the interdisciplinary team.
• Determine patient readiness for discharge or transfer based on established PACU recovery criteria and facility protocols.
• Provide post-operative education and discharge instructions to patients and families when applicable.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation in the electronic medical record.
• Follow all patient-safety, medication-safety, infection-prevention, and post-anesthesia recovery standards.
• Assist with maintaining efficient patient flow and PACU bed availability in a fast-paced surgical environment.

Required Qualifications:

• Current, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license.
• Current BLS certification.
• Current ACLS certification.
• PALS certification as required based on patient population.
• Strong airway assessment and management skills.
• Experience with cardiac monitoring and recognition of dysrhythmias.
• Strong knowledge of post-anesthesia medications, pain management, and potential surgical complications.
• Ability to recognize and respond rapidly to deterioration in patient condition.
• Strong assessment, critical-thinking, communication, and prioritization skills.
• Ability to independently manage patients in a fast-paced, high-acuity recovery environment.

Preferred Experience:

• Recent Phase I and Phase II PACU experience.
• Experience recovering patients following general, regional, and MAC anesthesia.
• Experience with a variety of surgical specialties and patient acuity levels.
• Critical care or ICU nursing background.
• Experience with airway emergencies and post-anesthesia complications.
• Experience with electronic medical record systems.

The ideal PACU RN is an experienced, clinically confident nurse with strong critical-care assessment skills who can independently manage patients immediately following anesthesia. The RN should be comfortable with airway management, cardiac monitoring, pain control, and rapidly identifying and responding to post-operative or anesthesia-related complications.