Charity RN, APRN

Before the patient leaves the room...hmm... Then why is the PACU staff so often left to explain to the patient why these x-rays are being taken...

In our facility, no transfers or admissions are allowed for one hour around change of shift to any unit. Report cannot even be called. The only exception is PACU, which can send up anytime, so that the OR doesn't get backed up. This annoys the floor ...

You handled that situation well. (No pun intended!)

don't work there myself, but am in the general area One word...Katrina

While pain control is always on the top of everyones list, outpatients will need information on activity, wound care (when can they shower? Will there be drainage or bleeding?), diets and follow-up appointments. They will need instruction on any drai...

When I first started in Peds (has it been 15 years already??!) I had a surgeon ask if I could dc the patient's central line. This was on the floor. Of course, I said. He was so surprised. Apparently, many of the nurses in that facility had the docs c...

We generally have to remind anesthesia to order an x-ray in PACU. Often they don't tell us they started the line. We ask "is this new?" and they say, "Oh yeah, better get an x-ray." Of, course, the line has been in use for hours at this point.

When I first started in PACU over 10 years ago, our head of anesthesia would not allow a surgery to start unless that patient had an ICU bed waiting for them. The surgeons would literally have to scrub out, go to ICU, and find a patient to transfer. ...

There are practicing deaf physicians and blind nurses at present. What is a little low vision? Some fields of nursing may prove to be not feasable, but that is one of the great things about nursing...its variety. http://www.nfb.org/coming/Blind_Woman...

Bless your heart. You are new at this aren't you? Don't worry. You'll get enough experience. Just make sure you have enough backup and resources with you.

...Every time you hear an alarm or anything similar you call out "Take a deep breath".... ...Your patient arrives in respiratory distress with low sats and Anesthesia says "They were fine in the back..." You can hear/see impending emesis from 30 yar...

First, were you supposed to be changing the IV or giving the meds? If not, the staff nurse is not your teacher and isn't obligated to show you anything. If so, different situation. Second, the total care of the patient IS your job, including vitals a...

most CRNA programs don't include PACU as ICU experience because we don't give the meds that one in an MICU would. In an ICU, a nurse gives drugs and fluids that manipulate fluid status, BP, electrolytes, oxygenation, etc. All this on a regular basis....

Depends on the shortage of nursing at the time, your grades and location. I know people who are in school now who have complete tuition, books and MORE than enough for living expenses, if budgeted correctly. This is through state and federal loans an...

"Leave me alone"??? I wouldn't bat an eye at that....IF you let me get my monitors and mask on before you "turn over and go back to sleep." Even with that, one generally has to to a whole lot to tick off a PACU nurse, because we know its the drugs....

ICU is an excellent starting point for PACU. I am happy to see that your PACU does not accept new grads. Ours has in the past, and they have had more difficult transitions. Of course, I am one of those nurses who thinks that the med-surg floor is the...

We do the femoral nerve blocks in our unit all the time. My suggestion is to make sure that it is done: A: preoperatively, so that the infusion can be started immediately post-op in the pacu, B: that you ask for Versed or another sedative during the...

You must really love this place to put your license, your career, and most importantly your patients' safety on the line in order to continue working there! Some nurses need to take things more slowly than others. ALL nurses need a proper orientation...

Our board of nursing has stated that it is not within a nurses scope of practice to mark the surgical site. Much to the surgeons' dismay. Actually, our docs have adjusted fairly well, but my sister (who works in a private hospital) says her docs st...

Actually, our docs help out with that sort of thing when asked. 'Course they are still young impressionable residents... C

A CCRN most certainly covers PACU, even though there is a difference to PACU nursing. Oh well.. The nurses in our unit have found these books to be most helpful: Perianesthesia Nursing: A Critical Care Approach, Ed. by Cecil B. Drain ISBN: 072169257...

Our main PACU is staffed with 2 RNs (ACLS) after hours. They float to cover the peds PACU after hours. There is an on-call nurse if the main house is too busy to cover peds. As there must be a QUALIFIED PACU nurse and a second nurse present, accordin...

When I asked my nurse manager why our hospital was running credit checks, (actually it was a private agency that took a month to do a complete background check, and I was a former employee!), she said it was to look for people in REALLY desparate tro...

Do the externship! It will help you get used to dealing with patients in the "real world," and will help your confidence immeasurably. I work a short distance from your location-- - and the nurses in our hospital wonder how non-externs manage to get ...

We must not have the sticky drapes in our OR, because I see those tell-tale holes and occasionally leftover staples in patient in the post-op patient all the time in my hospital. I have never seen any additional swelling, redness or bleeding resultin...