PACU Nurses........I'd like your input!!

lifeisbeautiful · Dec 20, 2004

PACU is a nightmare where I work. It is so fast-paced and we have tons of critical patients. The PACU staff turn-over is mind boggling! We have tons of Agency and Traveling Nurses (which is fine with me because they are a lot of fun). One staff Nurse came to PACU to get out of the ER and then went back to the ER because he said it was easier than the PACU. Another Nurse came to PACU from the OR, then left because she said the OR was better. Two other PACU Nurses left so they could obtain training in the ER and they have remained in the ER. Our hospital has a 'training' program which requires a contract. If the contract is broken, the employee has to pay back $10,000 (the hospital figures this is what it costs to train PACU nurses) :rolleyes: Even with this 'contract' I have seen nurses walk.

If you like a high-stress, fast-pace environment with a lot of challenging patients, a PACU at a large hospital is the place to be. You will stay busy and learn a lot! If you are looking for a slower pace, a smaller hospital that doesn't do critical surgeries would be the place to be.

wayover20 · Dec 21, 2004

WOW! You must be a busy unit.....for them to go back to the ER! I work at a small (125 bed) hospital, the only one within many miles of another, and the ER is a zoo and getting worse. I've been an er nurse for many years but I really have to say this is the worst I and my co-workers have seen it-----ever. We have 12 beds to work with but also utilize hallway beds and chairs which means the patients visitors are also in the hallways making a chaotic scene more difficult. In this era of "service excellance", we're told to allow visitors no matter where the patient is because after all "how would you feel if it were your loved one in the er....you would want to be with them". By talking and reaching, it seems it's not any better at any other ER. I'm not kidding, it's a nightmare and we're expected to be supernurses doing everything FAST, perfectly, and with a smile and winning attitude" . Our head nurse stinks as she bends to what she's told to do without regard for her staff and safe patient care. No going off to EMS either, that's a BIG no-no. The other night we had 3 units standing in the hallway waiting for some bed, any bed to come open. Sorry I'm venting but it makes us die-hard er nurses who truly love er work, angry that due to weak spined nurse managers we're left to decide where to go when all we wanted was to remain as good workers, loyal to the place we've been at for many years.

lifeisbeautiful · Dec 21, 2004

We have over 825+ beds and 4 PACUs. One is the trauma floor which is open 24 hours and believe me, they are busy doing surgeries around the clock, keeping that PACU hopping.

mattsmom81 · Dec 21, 2004

I did some PACU and my background was ICU, ER when I was young. The PACU I worked in was like the worst combination of ER and ICU...fast pace with with a lot of pressure to get 'em in and out...rush-rush...plus I didn't care for all the fast push/pull of gurneys and beds; it aggravated my back/neck.

But...I know ICU nurses who made the transition and LOVE PACU cuz they get rid of patients in a few hours.