suz818385

Hi, I am a PACU nurse, it is still a very demanding job. People seem to think that it is easier, but it has to do with what you describe as easy. We run a very fast moving PACU. Hurry get them in, hurry get them up to recliners or up to their rooms. When you return from either of those, guess what you have pt's already in your slots waiting for you. Lots of tasks before you can send them upstairs. Yes there are bedpans, incontinent people, fighting sometimes when they first awaken. Of course the airway is your primary responsiblity everything after that is gravy. Pain meds, setting up PCA's arranging for correct orders to be placed on charts, getting cpm/crutches and teaching family/pt., you need to arrange home health if ordered, you will sometimes need the case manager and last but certainly not least you will need awesome public relations to help families when they are already stressed. We strive to do this all within 2 hours max.. You will be pulling pt's up in bed constantly so they can breathe better. You are rearranging/fluffing and placing pillows to help relieve surgical pain. I really think you might want to visit you PACU before transferring, just so you know there really is no less involved RN position any where. I love my job, but the grass is not always greener on the other side, just a different set of problems. We have staff shortages often just like every where else, while one of our ICU's was under renovation some came to work with us, some very seasoned nurses. Their thoughts were" I thought this was going to be easier here. I will never tell the PACU that we are not ready to accept their pt's and I will spread the word to my co-workers". Maybe after you visit a PACU, you will realize all nursing units work very hard for all our pt's needs. I truly believe the hardest I've seen nursing working is on MICU or long term vent floor. Now that's some very hard work and heavy work. My hat goes off to them and I think I could probably learn a thing or two from all of them. Good luck with your decision.