RRT -Want to be a PACU NURSE!

[JulesGA]

:monkeydance: Hi everyone! My sitiuation is a little different. I am a Registered Respiratory Therapist and have been for the last 10 years. I am currently in nursing school and graduate in May! I am VERY interested in becoming a PACU nurse when i graduate. I feel like my experiance in respiratory assessment and intervention would be a great assest for me in this area of nursing. I have been looking around and reading job opportunities in various PACU's and all i read is experiance, experiance, experiance....I was wondering if any of you knew if PACU's ever take new grads. I do have 10 years of experiance in Respiratory in ICU's..etc.... I really wanted to start working here when i graduate, so I was just wondering anyones opinion on that. Thanks;)

[DUECSON]

Try applying at a military hospital if you're close to one. I didn't have experience, but got hired on. I got hired on for SDS and had to cross train in the PACU for six weeks. If I wanted to I can work PACU permanently, when they need help I work there.

[meandragonbrett]

A lot of job postings for PACU, ED, ICU, etc. require experience but they are willing to waive it generally depending on that particular hospital's staffing situation.

[Cviburnum]

I may have an idea

[Lisarnrrt]

I was (and still am) an RRT for 10 years before becoming a PACU nurse, so it is not impossible to make the transition. You may find it helpful to introduce yourself to and get to know the manager of the PACU at your hospital. If this doesn't work for you, then perhaps you may need to take a job in an ICU and then transfer later to the PACU.

I agree with you, my respiratory skills are extremely helpful to both myself and the rest of the nursing staff in the PACU. Hopefully your PACU's nurse manager will recognize these skills as mine did.

Good luck!