Pre Op pts in PACU

Specialties PACU

Published

Our OR has a preop holding area that is staffed by an RN 7a-3p then the circulator(s) manage that area. Now we are told that in-patients needing surgery after 3pm will be held in the pacu, not in the holding area which is right across the hall. Reason: no one to staff it and pts can't stay in holding alone. While I understand the reasoning, I don't think it's fair to the patient to see the goings on in pacu with pts waking up in pain, or vomiting, or whatever. To me that would just compound my preoperative stress. Not to mention the family members who are always allowed to be with the pt until they go to OR.We'll have to deal with them as well.

Am I wrong to be against this idea?? My co-workers don't think it's a good idea as well but it seems like the higher ups already decided without input from us worker bees.

Specializes in Geriatrics/Med-Surg/ED.
Same situation where I work. Admin. considers RNs to be more versatile b/c of the limited scope of practice of an LPN, esp. in an emergency situation w/a pre or post op patient. So we do watch pre-op patients sometimes- we try to put them in the quietest spot available, but they see what's going on in PACU & it's not ideal, but it's not up to us.....

same way where I work. Admin. has found that if you have to hire an RN to supervise/delegate to an LPN- & mix their IVPB meds, be available for codes or ACLS protocol- IV meds, emergency drugs, etc. that it's more cost effective & safer to have an all RN staff. Not that an LPN can't hold an airway or do CPR- but they still have to grab an RN from her other patients so ACLS protocol/IV meds can be implemented.

Specializes in PACU.

i dont think this is in the best interest of the patient at all! Its not fair to them to put them through more stress in what is already a stressful situation. To be waiting to go into surgery next to patients who wake up confused, combative, writhing in pain, throwing up, getting re-intubated etc. Not a good situation for them to be in!

Don't think your administration has fully thought that through. Maybe it will take one of them lying there, waiting for surgery as they watch a post-op scream, puke and rip their gown off.

When our pre-op staff isn't around, the OR nurses pre-op them and weren't not responsible for keeping an eye on the prepped patients. On the weekends, we don't have full-time PACU so we're not around to babysit. They're usually good on only bringing them in just before they're whisked off to surgery so they're not left sitting there for too long.

Sometimes, on the weekends the OR nurses pre-op patients in the main PACU area, and as soon as a fresh post-op comes out, I make them move to the pre-op area. That's unfair to the pre-op patient to have their stress levels raised, and it's unfair to the post-op patient to be put on display like that - the other patient and their random family members just sit their gawking at them. The patients deserve their dignity to be upheld!

Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

PACU and Pre-Ops do not mix.

Excuse me, but what an idiotic idea.

+ Add a Comment