Just got a position in PACU

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I graduated in May 2010 and have been working part time as an RN since the day I passed my board at a Rehabilitation Center part time. After six months, I finally landed a position in a New Grad Versant program to work full time in an inpatient PACU of a great hospital. According to my PACU manager, my orientation will include classroom and preceptorship and will be a year long though other new grads on other floors will have only 5 months. I will also orient briefly in ICU and ER but mainly in PACU. She said I won't take calls (meaning no nights and weekends) for my first year or until whenever I feel confident and competent enough. Everyone seems nice and welcoming. I love that. I will work 730-4 pm M-F with a preceptor for the first year. I am the first new grad they take so they are very excited. According to this WONDERFUL manager, usually one needs ICU or other floor experiences before one can transfer to PACU. I am SUPER excited and already purchased 2 books on PACU and hemodynamic monitoring to read because this residency won't start until March. My question is: if I don't like PACU and would like to transfer back to other floors (maybe med surge or tele), will I be able to? I mean I love to stay in the PACU but just in case it's not my niche, do I have options? I'm afraid that PACU is too specialized...

Thank you!

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No, PACU it not "too specialized". If you don't like it, you can always go to ICU.

Also, read up on anesthesia and sedation.

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No, PACU it not "too specialized". If you don't like it, you can always go to ICU.

Also, read up on anesthesia and sedation.

Thank u! The only thing I don't like so far is 8hr shift (I prefer 12's so I can continue my master) but it's great for now :-)

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congrats,sound like a wonderful opportunity

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congrats,sound like a wonderful opportunity

Thank u :-) I was surprised I won't have to do Med-Surg!

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Specializes in LTC, Pediatrics, Renal Med/Surg.

I'm sitting over her drooling over your job, :ancong!: I wish it were me! I hope you love and thrive in your new job!!! What a wonderful opportunity!!! I didn't even know opportunities like this existed.

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Specializes in ER, PACU.

PACU is a great place to work, you will gain a lot of experience there. I can see why PACU can be difficult for a new grad with no experience to work, because so many times my ER skills saved me in PACU and if I had no clue my patients could/would have died. The most important thing to remember is that you cannot get complacent there. 99% of the time the patient is going to sleep it off and do fine, but there will be times where everything seems perfect and then boom the patient is septic, coding or not breathing. Its easy to get comfortable, but never let your guard down.

The other thing you have to find out from your manager is, does your PACU also function as an ICU holding area if the ICU's are full? Do they have only certain nurses take peds patients or are they distributed equally? Are they giving you enough peds time during orientation? The care of kids and adults post anesthesia is very different.

Best of luck with your new job!!

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Wow, around here the hospitals will not hire new grads for the PACU. They want you to have ICU experience first. Good luck in your new job! And I second the idea that you should never let your guard down. I've spent enough time in a PACU to know that patients immediately post-op can "go south" extremely quickly. You will learn a lot in that job!

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Specializes in PACU.

Congratulations!:yeah: I graduated in December 2010 and was just hired to a large hospital PACU as a new grad...I'm excited but also scared to death! All I keep hearing is that you need ICU experience before working in a PACU so I think that has upped my anxiety. My training (classroom and on the unit) and preceptorship is 6 1/2 months so I'm jealous that you get a full year- which will be incredibly helpful. I was wondering what books you bought to help prepare yourself? I've been looking at PACU and hemodynamic monitoring books on amazon but can't seem to choose. Oh and good luck!:D

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