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Any male nurse's out there??????????
PACU is so much fun. It can be fast paced but there are also lulls where I'm sitting around without anything to do.
Mostly it is patients that just had surgery with a general anesthetic that I receive. Airway Airway...Airway...... and more Airway. And pain management. Which goes along with airway and breathing because the narcotics will depress respirations.
We also get Endoscopy patients because they are now getting heavy sedation too.
It's fast paced, like I said. Most patients are in there usually an hour. Sometimes up to 2 hours or more if they are really sick or if there are problems. We work very closely with Anesthesiologists. There's always plenty of people around to help if you have a problem.
It's a big, open unit (like how old Nursing wards used to be in the movies/old pictures... sorta) So everyone can see everything that is going on. If you've got any more questions about it or you're interested in it, PM me.
Thanks for your explanation of what PACU is - I'm a pre-nursing student myself who is just applying for nursing school. I was sort of wondering what it was. I actually do work at a hospital currently in a non clinical support role but have not been to their PACU
I just took my NET exam Friday - got 97 in the math and 94 in the reading - will submit my nursing school app early next week, then the waiting game :-\
Am taking microbiology and an online English 101 this semester - both are co-reqs - all finished now with my pre-reqs. I'm looking forward to the day when I can be actually doing clinicals in the hospital. Not sure where I will end up as a nurse - sort of gravitating toward something relating to surgery/trauma
If you want to learn more about PACU, google "ASPAN"... it's our professonal organization for Peri-operative RNs. They'll have plenty of stuff for you to read.
We have unstable patients at times and things can go wrong, but generally speaking the really sick ones will go straight to ICU after OR.
Just remember, you can always give someone oxygen and you can always breathe for them.
If you want to learn more about PACU, google "ASPAN"... it's our professonal organization for Peri-operative RNs. They'll have plenty of stuff for you to read.We have unstable patients at times and things can go wrong, but generally speaking the really sick ones will go straight to ICU after OR.
Just remember, you can always give someone oxygen and you can always breathe for them.
Been wanting to learn more about peri-operative nursing, and what it involves. Thanks - I will check out ASPAN.
Saifudin
234 Posts
Happy to join. Still got some 'hormonee's' left.