You might be a PACU nurse if...

[mustanggirl]

I thought this would be a cute thread to start, bear with me this is one of my first entries and I've been on call for 24 hours.

1. You look at your patients as they enter the room and can predict if they have sleep apnea

2. You thank the lord for the wonderful drug that is versed

3. You frequently hear the phrase "I gotta pee" sometimes followed by said patient trying to get semicomatose self out of bed.

4. The redirection techniques they teach you in nursing school, do not work with a confused, combative post-operative patient.

[shellabelle]

i swear, a class in crna school has to be Tangling Lines 101, and when they get bored with their magazines/sudoku/crossword puzzles, they try to invent new and more interesting knots.

[gentle_ben_RN, ASN]

How about when the CRNA brings them out with a nasal cannula stuffed down the ET tube......NO, I am not kidding!

[HollymedicRN]

We have a newer CRNA (new to the hospital, I guess, not to CRNA) that puts nasal airways in the mouth. WTH?!

[Rosiernk]

you can pretty much plan your staffing according to the names of the anesthesia providers.

you can plan your call day by who is running the evening shift.

you determine a patient is a "triple threat" when you see what meds they are routinely on.

you can tell how your day will be by who your co workers are that day.

some physicians need a 'nurse" keeper 24/7.

[azhiker96, BSN, RN]

You might be a PACU nurse if you look at your moaning, anxious, uncomfortable patient and think, "You look kinda nauseated. I bet you would benefit from some phenergan right about now."

[djmatte, ADN, MSN, RN, NP]

You might be a PACU nurse if...you develop a lingering fear the longer something takes to happen.

-"I was told I have a patient coming and they're not here yet".

--"How long ago was that?"

-"Over a half hour ago."

--"Uh oh...may want to have a T-Bar handy!"

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

You listen for the sound of the OR doors opening.

Any beeping sound you hear, wherever you are, makes you look around for the monitor.

You know better than the circulating nurses what drugs their anaesthesia providers will use.

You learn the technique of swinging your hips so the out-of-control rolling bed bounces off your well-padded butt...(I kid you not )

A raised eyebrow is enough to make the younger anaesthesia providers start blushing and stammering excuses.

The same look is enough to make the older guys, the ones you've known for donkey's years, start laughing and begging you not to be cross with them....

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

Oh, and one I forgot-you can spot an airway obstruction from across the room.

[azhiker96, BSN, RN]

Based on medical history you ask for a prn order of versed, and they give the order.

You can count respirations by watching the tube fog while you put on the pulse/ox, BP, and EKG leads.

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

The take a deep breath one is making me chuckle. I just had surgery about a month ago and the nurse told me I said to her " I heard you the first 5 times...I don't want to do that, I want to go to the beach!" lol I can't imagine what you must hear somedays lol

[NVCW]

You wonder how a patient's pain rating can be 10/10 when they are sedated and difficult to arouse.

[PACURN1818]

You have been getting all the patients all day because no one else is moving theirs

You know by looking at your anesth. doc all your patients will be in PACU two hours because they are slightly overwt

your patient who is vomiting is angry that you wont give them water

Your NPO x24 hour thoracotomy has a family member bring them 4 mcdoubles, a 20 pc chicken nugget a large fry and a milk shake into recovery (for real)

Your 10 hour abd surgical patient comes out on a cart, but your thyroid comes on a bed