Best books for pacu beginners

[Joy4RN]

Hello fellow PACU nurses! I am a newbie when it comes to the PACU and I really like educating myself when it comes to anything dealing with Nursing! With that being said, what are some great PACU books for beginners?

I have heard that Perianesthesia Nursing Care: A beside guide for safe recovery 1st edition by Daphne Stannard and Dina A. Krenzischak and Drain's Perianesthesia Nursing: A critical care approach 6e are very good books.

Has anyone read these books and what are your thoughts? :) If not, what are some other books you would highly recommend?

THANK YOU in advance!

[Double-Helix, BSN, RN]

I used Drain's Perianesthesia text to study for my CPAN certification. I thought it was great. I really enjoyed reading it, learned a ton and still refer to it when I have questions.

[Greenclip]

Drain's is fantastic. Both of these books are available in current or previous editions on many sites. Check Ebay, Amazon used listings, etc.

[Joy4RN]

I will have to definitely check out that book! Thank you both! Do you have any advice for a new grad on the PACU floor? I've heard that many people say it is like a mini ICU is this true?

Any advice is appreciated! 🙂

[Greenclip]

A new grad going into PACU? Wow. That would be a very steep learning curve.

Read through past threads for the last several years (that actually won't take too long, many threads are short or repeat the same questions). Lots of good advice in there.

Assume nothing and keep an eye on the airway until the patient is no longer yours. Your job is to keep an eye out for things that go wrong. It sounds like you haven't had ACLS yet. Take that very seriously and get everything you can out of it. I continue to pick up occasional shifts in the ICU. The PACU is not really like an ICU. Most of the time, things go right in the PACU. In the ICU, things go wrong far more often, because the patients came in headed that way. So, because things are "right" most of the time, it's easy to become complacent. It all depends on your patient mix and what type of surgeries you recover. Good luck!

[Joy4RN]

Thanks for your input! I have been reading past threads about the post surgical unit and I agree there should be a lot for me to learn. However, I really enjoy learning! :) I job shadowed this unit before I was offered a job and I loved it. Also, I will be in a nurse residency program for a year through the hospital I will be working at. I should be getting my ACLS sometime in the next few months. Thank you for the information!