Can you become a PACU nurse w/o experience

Specialties PACU

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azhiker96, BSN, RN

1,129 Posts

Specializes in PACU, ED.

I like using multimodal for pain control. That includes using a variety of narcotics. Mu receptors vary among patients and perhaps within patients. Genetic variation affects efficacy of morphine. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paolo_Poli/publication/5945437_Association_of_ABCB1MDR1_and_OPRM1_gene_polymorphisms_with_morphine_pain_relief._Clin_Pharmacol_Ther/links/0c960534ce4f80b130000000.pdf

offlabel

1,561 Posts

I like using multimodal for pain control. That includes using a variety of narcotics. Mu receptors vary among patients and perhaps within patients. Genetic variation affects efficacy of morphine. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paolo_Poli/publication/5945437_Association_of_ABCB1MDR1_and_OPRM1_gene_polymorphisms_with_morphine_pain_relief._Clin_Pharmacol_Ther/links/0c960534ce4f80b130000000.pdf

Absolutely right. It's why desirable and not so desirable side effects vary so much among patients and opioids.

twozer0, NP

1 Article; 293 Posts

Specializes in Urology.
Well, how about a nursing led initiative for chronic pain strategies in the PACU? Would take some doing, like anything worth while does, but with leadership, it could be of immense benefit to a lot of patients. Not to mention the gratitude of surgeons.

Like a guy once said, objects that flow the direction of the river are dead... it takes being alive to swim up stream...

Anesthesia likes control. I don't work at a large university facility that is open to such idealogy, I'm at a medium sized community hospital. I can offer my opinion and back it up with research but anesthesia has the call. They will do things their way either because of pay, rvu's, personal preference, time, etc. The list goes on and on. I'm not disagreeing with you, I think it would be wonderful but its just not gonna happen where I'm at. I've only got 2 years left here anyway and then I'm in the provider ranks.

Nori.Giselle

72 Posts

Specializes in TICU.

It just depends on the facility. Some will some won't

Hello, can you share where do you took your courses? Thanks!

Sierra_

4 Posts

can you tell me more about your PACU experience and what it was like as a new Grad? I have it as an option for my preceptorship but I dont know if its the right choice. I loved peds med, and had a clinical rotation in it.

Specializes in Spine Orthopedic.

I just completed my preceptorship in the PACU. It is a critical care unit, so the hiring managers usually look for 2-3 years of ICU experience. They did hire one new grad, but she almost drowned under the pressure. She's still working in the unit 3 years later, but she still seems shaky in her skills lol. My typical day went as follows:

1) Make sure each bay that will be accepting post-surgical patients is fully stocked with supplies

2) Check the OR schedule to find out about the number of procedures, the types of procedures, and which physicians/physician extenders are on duty.

3) Research the h&p of the first 1-2 patients we would be receiving. (It's a critical care unit, so the max number of patients we had was three at a time).

4) The first patient will be brought in by at least one OR nurse, and either the anesthesiologist, or the CRNA, and the surgeon will shortly follow. Most of the patients I received were extubated, but you'll occasionally receive pts on vents, hence the need for critical care experience. Then it's a race against the clock to check the pts oxygen sats, temperature, and hook them up to the monitor, complete a head-to-toe assessment, receive report from the OR team, and converse with the surgeon. Seasoned nurses do all of this in under 5 minutes, and remember all of the meds the patient received during surgery. I wrote everything down lol.

5) We usually monitor the patients for a maximum of 120 minutes, and either send them home (same day surgery), or return them to their rooms. A PACU nurse needs to be experienced with reading EKG strips, and recognizing downward trends on the monitor. I learned how to remain calm when a patient begins to deteriorate. I was taught about managing post-op shivering, various dressing changes/wound care, wound vacs, NG tubes, trach suctioning, intra-op & post-op pain meds, and pushing/steering a billion different types of hospital beds. We saw about 8-10 patients per day. This rotation made me want to be a critical care nurse =)

Good luck!

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