You might be a PACU nurse if...

Specialties PACU

Published

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.:rolleyes:

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.

Specializes in critical care, pain management, pacu.

this has happened to you at least once a day : Your CRNA says "I gave him enough, he won't need anything for a while" and you've got the narcotics in your hand just waiting for your patient to get the oral airway out and start screaming in pain as the Fentanyl drains from his system,then you start pushing drugs as your patient goes on and on about what a high tolerance for pain he has...... CRNA returns and when he finds out how much you gave him, just keeps saying, I don't understand he was fine when I left him with an oral airway in.............. If it weren't for PACU nurses, the world would be in pain!!!

Specializes in critical care, pain management, pacu.

You can tell by the amount of words per minute your pt speaks, how much pain medication will be required.

Specializes in general surgery/ER/PACU.

The surgeon comes into the room and tells your patient that still has their oral airway in that the surgery went great and he will see them in the morning!

thats why im calling report... they need to have a bm. discharge criteria for pacu

Your patient asks you " what time is it?" every 3-5 minutes and you answer them each time. This is usually followed by " that was fast"

Specializes in cardiac/PACU/SICU/Trauma ICU.

You have needed Vitamin C for you patient. Also known as Compazine for when your patient is flipping crazy and needs to take a snooze!!

Specializes in Post-Anesthesia Care.

This is in reply to the nasal airway in the mouth: I do use this and have seen it done. They are softer and it works with less irritation of the gag reflex. I have had one CRNA that does it and it works :). "Is my surgery all done? Did it go OK?

What time is it? Can I have a drink? Can I eat? "

This is asked in a Q 5 min LOOP I wish I could play back my same answers on a loop.

Specializes in PACU, presurgical testing.

I was playing an online game with a countdown timer for the last 10 seconds. The web is jerky today, so one of the timer beeps was too early. I immediately wondered if it was a PAC or a PVC.

Specializes in NICU, PACU, Pedi Home Health.

And then they are surprised that their SA02 84% pt is combative!!!

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