PACU Externship?

[langleyv]

Hey everyone!

So today I got a callback for a summer externship in the PACU. I'm incredibly excited about this... except the only things I've figured out about PACU are that I'm going to be dealing with vomit and pain medications!

I was wondering if anyone would be willing to inform me a little bit more about what I should expect this summer? Also, do you feel like this unit would be a good area for nursing experience?

Thanks so much in advance!

[NurseJR08]

This will be a really great experience for you! I was in the PACU during my senior year of nursing school and ended up getting a job there after school. PACU is more than just vomiting (which really doesn't end up happening NEARLY as much as i thought it would). Depending on your hospitals protocols you will be dealing with airways, which is obviously the most important part! This is a good place to be because you have to learn to see all the pieces that are going on with the patient and be able to think and respond quickly to emergencies -- airways, bleeding, patients crumping etc... I hope you enjoy your experience!!!

Oh, and expect to repeat yourself MANY MANY times because patients waking up from anesthesia remember nothing from one minute to the next....just practice this:

Take a deep breath, put your hands down, dont scratch your eyes, give me a nice big cough, its 3:00, take a deep breath, hold still, everything went fine, take a deep breath, its 3:01 :)