PACU nurses, I need your opinion.

[amonasterio5]

Hello. I work on a Telemetry and ICU stepdown floor at a hospital in my town. I have been here for over a year but I am looking to find something with a more steady schedule. I work night shifts and I often work weekends and do on call as well. I want to get into surgery. OR would be preferable but many positions require surgical experience. I have found openings for PACU but I am afraid that this would be a little too boring in comparison to my current position. However, it may be a good way to get into the surgery world. The PACU job would be normal hours, no weekends, no holidays, and no on call which makes it very appealing. PACU nurses, can you give me some insight as to what your responsibilities are so I can see if it something I may enjoy? THANKS!

[OlivetheRN, ADN, BSN, RN]

I've regularly wrestled kids who are waking up from anesthesia. Not boring. Especially when the toddler is half my weight....

It will really be facility dependent on how "boring" it is. Are you looking at a surgical center or a hospital? If it's a hospital, is it a smaller community hospital or a large trauma center?

PACU nurses are responsible for recovering patients from anesthesia. We give a lot of pain medication but are also responsible for being alert for changes in breathing, cardiac status, mental status, etc. A lot of patients are routine and recover and go on to to post-op or the floor no problem, but they can change on you at the drop of a hat.

[amonasterio5]

The place I am looking at is an outpatient surgical center. Smaller in size, about 10 beds. They do everything from plastic reconstruction to abdominal surgeries and even some orthopedic surgeries.

[MEINstudent]

I am an OR nurse, and transferred from a med-surg unit several years ago, going through a perioperative training program. PACU is not really going to get you closer to the OR, especially at an OSC, which likely does not hire unexperienced OR nurses. You probably need to find a hospital with a training program, as it is a 6-10 month process.

[brownbook]

I am an OR nurse, and transferred from a med-surg unit several years ago, going through a perioperative training program. PACU is not really going to get you closer to the OR, especially at an OSC, which likely does not hire unexperienced OR nurses. You probably need to find a hospital with a training program, as it is a 6-10 month process.

I agree.....I did work in a smallish hospital PACU that did both out patient, and in patient, surgery. There was no weekends or holidays, but we did take call. Several PACU co-workers, who expressed an interest, were transitioned into being OR circulators.

I also worked a free standing ambulatory surgical center. Out patient surgery only. Never heard of a PACU nurse transitioning into being a circulator at this facility. I supposes it is possible?

But you can't beat the hours in out patient surgery centers.