[SaraO'Hara]

When I did my OR observation, scheduled surgeries seemed to end at around 1500. Day shift at this hospital was 0700 - 1900. Is there a night shift in PACU for emergency surgeries or not-quite-recovered patients, or is it an on-call thing after a certain time?

[sharann]

Both of what you stated can occur with variations in between.
Depends on the facility.
Where I am now is trauma and there is always someone there at night, but where I was we were on call after 7pm.
The night person is the "1st call" in this case and the second call is called only if it is a problem(which I do not like at all but thats another story)

[Charity]

We staff 2 RNs past 1900 every night and on weekends. If we need a 3rd (and it happens, one stays late or is pulled from another unit). Our other PACUs keep 1 nurse at night, with the OR nurse as the second nurse. Only our Day Surgery OR closes at 1900. As I type this, I am at work. It is 0300. We just sent our last case up. Of course, the ER is very busy, so who knows what will happen in the next hour...

C