PACU RN's

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I am interesting in working in PACU (post anesthesia) and would like to hear thoughts about it from those who work it or have in the past. Thanks!

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

If you are a new RN, it's not a good place to learn basic skills (higher acuity PACUs in particular). You have to know your meds, particularly the anesthetics, narcotics, and BLS/ACLS. People don't always come out completely awake.

It is very fast-paced, requires INCREDIBLE assessment skills.

I love it.

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I have two years experience, not ICU though -- coronary intermediate.

Thanks for the response!

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

With a good orientation (ours last 3 months for experienced RNs)...Do you plan on going through an ICU course? Depending on your PACU--in ours--we get a lot of intubated patients and very sick ICU patients....mixed with outpatients (biopsies, etc.,)....

It's a mish-mash.

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We have plenty of sick patients on our floor... not a shift seems to go by that we don't send at least one to the unit. But I don't know anything about vented patients. I wonder if spending a year in ICU would be best? Our PACU so rarely has positions open, and one just opened up... but I don't want to jump headfirst in over my head. That area really interests me, though.

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Specializes in Critical Care,Recovery, ED.

Critical care assessment skills and ability to think and react swiftly are absolutely necessary for beginning to work in PACU.

That said I think this area is one of the best in the hospital setting for an RN to work.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
We have plenty of sick patients on our floor... not a shift seems to go by that we don't send at least one to the unit. But I don't know anything about vented patients. I wonder if spending a year in ICU would be best? Our PACU so rarely has positions open, and one just opened up... but I don't want to jump headfirst in over my head. That area really interests me, though.

I have found that nurses without the ICU background do not "think" the ICU way in the PACU. We have a couple who were in the ambulatory part of the unit and were "forced" to go through ICU training.

They have handled the ICU training and can "take" the patients, but the ICU behavior is not automatic and they do not feel comfortable.

There are certain aspects to ICU that cannot be "taught". You honestly have to work in an ICU.

But I cannot say that might apply to your area...I do not know the acuity of your patients..if you are really interested, you should look into it.

good luck:o

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We have plenty of sick patients on our floor... not a shift seems to go by that we don't send at least one to the unit. But I don't know anything about vented patients. I wonder if spending a year in ICU would be best? Our PACU so rarely has positions open, and one just opened up... but I don't want to jump headfirst in over my head. That area really interests me, though.

Actually managing a critical patient is different than caring for them on the floor before being transferred. You need astute assessment skills, know how the drugs work and not just what they do, and know what's important to call the team (or anesthesia in the case of PACU) over and what's not an issue in this unit. I vote for spending some time in ICU and learning how to take care of critically ill patients on a regular basis as many PACUs become ICU overflow during periods of high census.

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Sorry for not responding for so long.

I decided not to put the transfer in, even though it's breaking my heart. I will keep doing what I'm doing and wait for a spot in ICU to open up.

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