Registered Nurse PACU - Per Diem

Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) Registered Nurse Per Diem Position

Department: Clinical

Reports to: Director of Clinical Services

Class: Non-exempt

Job Description

This position is per-diem

Title: PACU Registered Nurse

Main Function: Provides quality patient care using the nursing process, the medical plan of care, and organizational policies. The PACU Nurse reports to the Director of Nursing and the Medical Director. The PACU RN can achieve national certification in nursing through the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (ASPAN), Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse (CPAN), or Certified Ambulatory PeriAnesthesia Nurse (CAPA).

Post Anesthesia nursing care is a specialty area. PACU Nursing is fast-paced, in that patients typically stay in PACU after surgery for 30 to 90 minutes. The Post Anesthesia Care Unit provides a safe environment for patients following an operative/invasive procedure for which anesthesia has been required.

The post anesthesia care unit has three levels of patient care:

Phase I: Registered Nurses provide care in the immediate post-anesthesia period, including transitioning to Phase II

Phase II: Registered Nurse/Licensed Vocational Nurse prepare patients and their family for postoperative care in an extended observation or further intervention

Extended Observation: Registered Nurse/Licensed Vocational Nurse provides ongoing care for patients requiring extended observation or further intervention

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Philosophy
• Supports the facility’s ideology, mission, goals, and objectives
• Performs in accordance with the facility’s policies and procedures
• Follows the facility’s standards for ethical business conduct
• Conducts self as a positive role model and team member
• Recognizes patients’ rights and responsibilities and supports them in performance of job duties
• Respects patients’ rights to privacy, dignity, and confidentiality
• Participates in facility committees, meetings, in-services, and activities
• Communication
• Communicates effectively and professionally with patients, visitors, physicians, and coworkers
• Interacts with others in a positive, respectful, and considerate manner
• Financial practices
• Uses facility resources appropriately and avoids wasteful practices
• Reports wasteful practices
• Analyzes work area and makes recommendations for potential cost-effective improvements
• Compliance program
• Contributes to the progress and development of the organization’s adopted compliance program
• Performs according to established compliance policies and procedures
• Performance-improvement program
• Contributes to the progress and development of the organization’s adopted performance-improvement program
• Performs according to established performance-improvement policies and procedures
• Safety/risk-management program
• Adheres to safety policies and procedures in performing job duties and responsibilities
• Maintains responsibility for safe work area by reporting to safety officer or designee observed or suspected safety violations, hazards, and policy/procedure noncompliance
• Responds to emergency situations with competence and composure
• Reports observed or suspected medical emergencies, notifies appropriate personnel, and responds appropriately
• Identifies facility emergency situations (e.g. fire disaster) and notifies appropriate personnel and external agencies
• Professional competence
• Participates in continuing education and other learning experiences
• Shares knowledge gained in continuing education with staff
• Maintains membership on relevant professional organizations
• Seeks new learning experiences by accepting challenging opportunities and responsibilities
• Welcomes suggestions and recommendations
• Duties
• Maintains airway, breathing and circulation for patients in their care. After care is given to the PACU RN, the PACU RN ensure the patient is adequately breathing, hemodynamically stable within preoperative limits, has adequate pain management, and symptoms of nausea are controlled or absent
• Provides communication between team members in the persons outside the operating/procedure room. Communication will include, but is not limited to: patient vital signs, respiratory adequacy, postoperative cardiac status, peripheral circulation, postoperative neurological status, level of consciousness, alertness, lucidity, orientation, IV patency, allergies and sensitivities, pain management, motor abilities, return of sensory and motor control in areas affected by local or regional anesthetics, skin integrity, temperature regulation, positioning, operative wound site, nausea and vomiting, fluid and electrolyte balance
• Informs Director of Clinical Services of case progress and reports any unusual circumstances
• Obtains needed supplies and equipment for each specific patient
• Assures that adequate amounts of recovery room supplies are available as supply demand warrants
• Verifies suctions, lights and other needed equipment for proper functioning
• Arranges room for specific postoperative patient
• Opens anticipated postoperative supplies (e.g. suction, oxygen mask)
• Assists other Licensed Vocational Nurses/Registered Nurses
• Assists in transporting patient from postoperative area to step down unit after satisfactory recovery period
• Notes patient’s arrival time to the PACU
• Assists anesthesiologist/certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) in transferring patient into post anesthesia care unit, applying appropriate safety restraints, as necessary
• Assists anesthesiologist/CRNA in applying EKG leads and blood pressure cuff, as needed
• Assures patient comfort
• Provides patient privacy
• Maintains knowledge of drugs used and is able to administer drugs safely and accurately whenever required to do so
• Completes post anesthesia care unit documentation
• Provides written postoperative and follow-up instructions to each patient
• Conducts a follow-up telephone call with documentation
• Collects data to include the patients’ perceptions of care, treatment, and provision of services, including specific individual needs and expectations, how well the surgery center met these needs, postoperative infections, how the surgery center can improve patient safety, and the effectiveness of pain management, when applicable
• Keep patient family informed of patients recovery
• Invites parent/legal guardian into the PACU as soon as child awakens from anesthesia
• Is familiar with supplies, equipment, and medications kept on crash cart and is able to assist effectively in the event of a cardiac or respiratory arrest following Pediatric Advanced Life Support guidelines
• Assists anesthesia care provider as necessary
• Assists with ordering, receiving and storing supplies/medications

Qualifications:

• Cooperative work attitude, toward co-employees, management, patients, visitors, and physicians
• Ability to promote favorable facility image with physicians, patients, insurance companies, and general public
• Ability to make decisions and solve problems

Requirements:

Required:

• High School diploma or GED certificate
• Graduate from an approved nursing program
• Current licensure in the State of California as a Registered Nurse
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS)
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) within 6 months of employment
• Good communication skills
• Good computer skills
• Strong ethical and moral character references

Preferred:

• Bi-lingual
• ASC, OR and/or critical care experience

Job Quality Requirements:

• Accuracy
• Attention to detail
• Timeliness
• Organization
• Little supervision needed to accomplish tasks

Dependability:

• Attendance
• Punctuality
• Ability to follow instructions
• Ability to meet deadlines

Physical/mental Requirements:

• Ability to sit, stand and walk for long periods
• Ability to bend body downward at the waist; be able to knee
• Ability to lift over 50lbs
• Visual and auditory acuity for frequent use of computers

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: $35.00 - $41.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Free parking
• Travel reimbursement

Medical Specialty:

• Pediatrics
• Surgery

Schedule:

• 10 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekends

Supplemental Pay:

• Overtime pay

COVID-19 considerations:
All staff and visitors are required to wear masks in the facility

Education:

• Associate (Preferred)

Experience:

• Nursing: 3 years (Preferred)
• Perioperative: 1 year (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• BLS Certification (Required)
• RN (Required)
• PALS Certification (Preferred)

Work Location:

• One location

Hours per week:

• Less than 10
• 10-19

Patient Type:

• Pediatric

Typical start time:

• 7AM

Typical end time:

• 5PM

This Company Describes Its Culture as:

• Detail-oriented -- quality and precision-focused
• People-oriented -- supportive and fairness-focused
• Team-oriented -- cooperative and collaborative

Benefit Conditions:

• Only full-time employees eligible

Work Remotely:

• No

COVID-19 Precaution(s):

• Personal protective equipment provided or required
• Plastic shield at work stations
• Temperature screenings
• Social distancing guidelines in place
• Sanitizing, disinfecting, or cleaning procedures in place