Help pacu nurses

[amk7223]

Hi,

I have 12 years of nursing experience. Most of it IMC and ER experience. Recently I started working in pacu. I work weekends which usually means there are only 2 nurses. I recently passed my cpan and capa tests. I understand when a patient is in pacu phase 1 I need 2 nurses. We have a pre op and pacu which is open but the pre op area is around the corner from pacu. My manager who has no pacu experience wants us pre opting in pre op and pacuing in pacu. That means most of the time the two nurses are split up and around the corner. The pre op rooms are literally like rooms. They have sliding glass doors that make them into rooms. Myself and many other nurses don’t feel comfortable with this. What do you guys think? I have only worked in this pacu. Thanks for any input!!!

[DVB, BSN, RN]

ASPAN standards is- 1 Phase I competent RN and one RN. Your manager is not wrong that pre-op needs to be in the pre-op area. PACU in the PACU area. You actually cannot have them together per ASPAN standards. However; your second RN has to be available at all times. So having them separated by a corner or door does not work. You are not following ASPAN standards. Until the patient leaves the PACU you are supposed to have two RNs as far as I am to understand according to ASPAN. You have to show the standard to your manager and inform the manager that it is not safe. You cannot expect to be able to yell or call if you need something. We did this and refused to work without following the standard. So we have on Phase I competent RN and another RN at NOC shift during the week. During the day, it's all PACU RN. In PACU on weekend we have a PACU shift person and a PACU on call so we meet the two RNs that are needed. M-F we have a resource nurse that is designated as their first responsibility is to the PACU. They have had some PACU experience, but not a PACU RN. So they cannot take primary on a case if the PACU RN has no arrived when on call. Once the patient is in Phase II the resource nurse can take that patient and the PACU RN can take another Phase I patient. Basically you have to inform them and show them the standard. It took years for us.