Non operative patients in PACU?

[deehaverrn]

I work on the OB floor. We have 2 ORs and one PACU with three stretchers. When our OB evaluation area gets full (5 rooms) the r/o labor, ptl, bleeding, r/o pre-eclamsia...etc....pts are then overflowed in to the PACU area. This is quite a mess when you are then bringing a postop pt into the room and past this person and all her assorted visitors (we have no policy enforcing a limit so there can be many including children of all ages). At times the other patients or visitors are eating and drinking, which smell can nauseate the postop person. How does this fit with PACU guidelines? I know that we are supposedly responsible to meet the same criteria as a main Pacu, although I also know that this isn't done...most of us don't even have ACLS only basic. Anyway do any PACU or maybe OB units have this problem.?

[RN34TX]

That was the most horrid account of a PACU I've ever heard.

Way out of hand, way out of control.

First of all, PACU is not some social gathering spot for visitors to be hanging around eating snacks and laughing it up.

Food and children have no place in the PACU....ever.

We only allow one visitor per patient and this visitor is to serve a purpose, they are not there to hang around looking at the other patients and asking questions. They are there for pediatric and special needs cases only, and even this practice puts us in danger of compromising patient privacy/confidentiality because they really can't help but to be able to see and hear what's around them.

Your facility is asking for some major trouble.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Whose idea was it to put the overflow pts. in PACU?

Dangerous for everyone involved.