Advise, please

tama18, BSN · Nov 27, 2019

Following! I'm thinking about going PACU as well. All the places that have openings where I am are all day shift and weekdays. Mostly 4 10 hour shifts. I think because if its an emergency surgery in the middle of the night or something they go to the ICU afterwards rather than the PACU.

Editorial Team / Admin · Nov 27, 2019

On 9/10/2019 at 9:10 AM, OBNurse20177 said:
Hello,
I am considering pursuing a job in the PACU. My questions are what is the pacu like on nights and weekends, which would primarily be what I would be working. And how is it staffed? And What do you love most about your job? Thanks so much in advance!

This is going to be very dependent on the setting. A level 1 trauma center is going to staff very differently than a facility that isn't trauma. Some staff one nurse overnight who is responsible for recovering any emergent patients (with another nurse on call) or they may staff no one on nights (with call for emergencies) or they may staff several nurses.

4 hours ago, tama18 said:
Following! I'm thinking about going PACU as well. All the places that have openings where I am are all day shift and weekdays. Mostly 4 10 hour shifts. I think because if its an emergency surgery in the middle of the night or something they go to the ICU afterwards rather than the PACU.

Nope, patients don't always go to ICU in the middle of the night, emergency or not- they only go there if they require that level of care. PACU is one of the areas that is typically going to require call. What that means is if there is an urgent or emergent case at night, someone has to either be working or come in from home to take care of the patient.

djmatte, ADN, MSN, RN, NP · Jan 6, 2020

Our level 2 staffed two at night on weekdays only and 2 on call on shifts to cover weekend. Most of the time, those two at night picked up the remnants of the day and started things in the morning. They were also expected to be ICU overflow if things were backed up; though this was rare. Otherwise they were tasked with setting up shop for the morning. Setting up stretchers, hanging bags, etc.

RNninja · Feb 6, 2020

I work in a smaller hospital with 6 OR rooms. I take call once a week and every fifth weekend. We schedule our holidays out years ahead of time. All the staff is very flexible with switching shifts when needed too.

We don't have a night shift so there is no nurse staffed for nights. If I am on call and get called in I rely on my circulator to be my second RN if trouble arises. Unfortunately that gets rough sometimes when there are multiple call cases. Most times I'm alone on call but my team is close by and there is always someone to come assist if needed.

All in all I love working in recovery. I have done card tele, OR, ED, step down... this is by far my favorite job path I have taken as an RN.

I get time with patients, mostly without family, I don't keep them long like on the floor, I have less frequents, I sometimes get to have fun conversations with my patients, and best of all I still get my critical care patients. The difference with my critical care patients is that I can actually devote my attention to them and I have a full team of other RNs and Drs as close back up if needed.

Depending on the size of the hospital and the amount of locum surgeons you use, you really develop close relationships with your anesthesiologists and physicians.