New PACU Nurse

loricatus · Mar 5, 2009

I'll try to sum it up:

Crocs specialist (vented or non-vented)

Airway, breathing, circulation, nausea/vomiting control, pain control, personal protection (police officers and young males awaken throwing punches or throwing up).

"Open your eyes, the operation is over, you are in the recovery room, you have a catheter in, it just feels like you have to go, the operation is over, you are in the recovery room, are you in pain?, do you feel like you have to throw up?, you are in the recovery room, open your eyes, the operation is over, just let it go and we will clean it up, open your eyes, you are in the recovery room, it's all done, operation over, just let it go because you have a catheter in, are you in pain..."

mrrn12 · Mar 5, 2009

3 days ago I would not have understood what you wrote. I get it now. Thank you very much.

debthern · Mar 11, 2009

:chuckle

I'll try to sum it up:
"Open your eyes, the operation is over, you are in the recovery room, you have a catheter in, it just feels like you have to go, the operation is over, you are in the recovery room, are you in pain?, do you feel like you have to throw up?, you are in the recovery room, open your eyes, the operation is over, just let it go and we will clean it up, open your eyes, you are in the recovery room, it's all done, operation over, just let it go because you have a catheter in, are you in pain..."

omg this is exactly what I say a dozen times a day and then they fall back to sleep and wake up and say when am I going to have my operation

loricatus · Mar 12, 2009

:chuckle
omg this is exactly what I say a dozen times a day and then they fall back to sleep and wake up and say when am I going to have my operation

I work with a nurse that just shines a penlight in the patient's eyes and says "... just follow the light and you make it to heaven." Not advocating that; but, it does break the monotomy.

NurseJR08 · Mar 13, 2009

haha, loricatus. SO TRUE!!! Sometimes I feel like a broken record. I love PACU though!!!

truliblessed · Mar 14, 2009

I am a new nurse currently working in an ortho hospital,however, I would really like to work in pacu. How can I increase my chances of getting hired in pacu?

Thanks

loricatus · Mar 14, 2009

To increase your chances, I would say to first get ACLS certification and then approach the PACU NM and ask if you could pick up some extra shifts in the PACU (or even pre-op), especially if they are busy and have to use agency.

The thing you have to remember is that PACU is considered critical care, so ICU and/or ER experience is probably the best way to transition into PACU. Although much of the work is repetative, you are going to need those critical care skills when things go bad. Patients can be vented, have art lines/cvp monitoring, central lines, experience laryngospasms, go hyper/hypotensive, etc...

tracel1 · Mar 22, 2009

Patients can be vented, have art lines/cvp monitoring, central lines, experience laryngospasms, go hyper/hypotensive, etc...

all those skill i have not a ran across in a general med surg once in a while oncology/sickle cell floor in a small inner city community floor. due u think i need to go to icu first? are maybe if anyone heard of Johns hopkins or university of maryland.

can some on really describe a typical day for a pacu nurse