Preceptorship!!! What area? Recovery (PACU)

[gcupid]

I am in my last semester of nursing school and it is required that I choose an area that I'm interested in working to complete a preceptorship. I chose PACU, is that wise?

Originally, I chose med-surg but I was informed that it's possible to work in recovery. I got excited and forgot all about the cliche' of getting med-surg experience first.....

oh yeah, There is a new grad that I know who works in Recovery and also works med-surg prn. The hospital's orientation consisted of at least 3months of icu, then straight to recovery. She seems to have surpassed other nurses who have had a year of experience on the floor....

Give me your honest opinions...

[chuckz, BSN, RN]

I am in my 2nd term and I also work as a tech in the PACU as well as the ICU. Honestly, I love it the PACU. You see patients for maybe an hour, don't have to clean up messes due to them not eating before the surgery, it's a good environment due to monitoring pain and respiratory depression and you get to be around the surgeons and the CRNA's which I learn a crapload from.

The thing about PACU is the assessments. You learn a tremendous amount just being there, especially if the nurses are helpful and willing to teach. It is not a stressfull job in the place where I work and people there are wonderful at teaching.

Good luck to you. You will learn a lot.

Good luck in whatever you do, but PACU is where I would like to w