Recovery Nurse

Evolve Staffing Ltd is actively seeking dedicated, highly qualified, and resilient Band 5 Registered Nurses (Recovery Nurses / Post-Anaesthesia Care Unit (PACU) Practitioners) to support acute perioperative departments across prestigious NHS Hospital Trusts in Bristol.

This role presents an extraordinary opportunity for experienced post-anaesthesia nurses seeking flexibility, top-tier pay rates, and diverse clinical exposure within fast-paced surgical recovery environments. As a Recovery Nurse representing Evolve Staffing Ltd, you will play an indispensable role in safeguarding patients during the immediate post-operative phase—managing the transition from general, regional, or local anaesthesia back to physiological stability. Whether caring for adult patients recovering from major elective surgery, emergency laparotomies, complex trauma cases, or high-volume day-surgery procedures, your clinical vigilance, airway expertise, and rapid decision-making skills will directly drive superior patient outcomes across Bristol hospitals.

Key Responsibilities & Clinical Recovery Duties

As a Band 5 PACU / Recovery Nurse, you will deliver high-dependency, one-to-one nursing care to patients immediately following surgical procedures and anaesthetic emergence.

Your core responsibilities across recovery wards and PACU bays will include:

Airway Management & Respiratory Care

* Continuous assessment and maintenance of patient airway patency following general anaesthesia, endotracheal intubation, or laryngeal mask airway (LMA) removal.

* Proficient handling of airway emergencies, including laryngospasm, bronchospasm, airway obstruction, hypoventilation, and delayed emergence from anaesthesia.

* Administration of high-flow oxygen therapy, non-invasive ventilation, tracheostomy management, and suctioning.

* Monitoring arterial blood gases (ABGs), continuous capnography (EtCO2), and pulse oximetry.

Hemodynamic Monitoring & Physiological Stabilization

* Real-time monitoring and management of vital signs, including continuous ECG interpretation, non-invasive and invasive blood pressure (arterial lines), central venous pressure (CVP), and heart rate metrics.

* Monitoring post-operative bleeding, surgical drain outputs, wound dressings, and fluid balance (intravenous fluids, blood transfusions, and urinary catheter output).

* Proactive identification and emergency management of post-operative complications such as hypovolemic shock, cardiac arrhythmias, anaphylaxis, malignant hyperthermia, and post-operative hemorrhage.

* Active patient rewarming utilizing forced-air warming blankets (e.g., Bair Hugger) to manage hypothermia and prevent post-operative shivering.

Analgesia, Sedation & Symptom Management

* Titration and administration of intravenous opioids, regional analgesia infusions, epidurals, and Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) protocols.

* Assessment of surgical pain using validated pain scoring systems and delivering targeted pharmacological interventions.

* Assessment and management of Post-Operative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) using antiemetics in accordance with NHS Trust guidelines.

* Delivery of compassionate, reassuring care to alleviate post-operative delirium, emergence agitation, and patient anxiety.

Clinical Governance, Discharge & Handover

* Utilizing standardized PACU scoring frameworks (e.g., modified Aldrete Score or PADSS) to evaluate patient readiness for safe transfer back to surgical wards or discharge home.

* Conducting detailed, structured clinical handovers using SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) methodology to ward nurses, ICU staff, or discharge lounge teams.

* Complete and accurate recording of post-operative nursing observations, medication administration records, and WHO…