Outpatient PACU

brownbook · Jul 4, 2016

I'm responding with the assumption that you are a RN with no advanced training?

It's a very easy job. You may work pre-op, or PACU, or float to both areas.

Pre-op gets patients ready for surgery. The basics, (yes I'm leaving out a few things, you will have a check list to go by), are the correct patient, name band is correct, NPO, ride home, sign the "correct" consent, start an IV. Being good at IV's will help, but even being so so with IVs will work, you will get so much exposure you will quickly improve. Is the H&P current, does the patient need a recent EKG or lab work, SCD's, antibiotics, a shave or pre surgery scrub? In pre-op you can only admit one patient at a time, it can be busy, admit one, there are 5 more waiting, but still you only have one patient at a time.

In PACU 99% of the time the patients are very stable, base line healthy, they may come out of OR awake, talking, asking when can they go home. The guidelines for discharge are vague..." may be discharged when stable". ....the only specific time frame where I work is they have to stay 30 minutes after given an opoid pain pill. PACU can be very busy, because of the patients low acuity....they "only" had a cataract, or routine GI procedure, or a minor lump removed, you may have more than two patients at a time. Because the patient is " healthy" the procedure was "minor" the nurse is expected to get them out the door ASAP. You may get 10 patients discharged, out the door, and still have 10 charts you need to finish up.

aerorunner80, ADN, BSN, MSN, APRN · Jul 6, 2016

I don't know what you mean by "an RN with no advanced training"???

But thank you for the info. I interviewed today and yes, they rotate through the different areas. Max is 2pts at a time.

brownbook · Jul 6, 2016

I mentioned if you were "just a RN' because I have mistakenly assumed some posters had no advanced training or degree only to find out that indeed they did and my response was pretty lame!