Staff Nurse - PACU

Overview

Provides direct and indirect age-specific care for assigned patients in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) per scheduled shifts. Responsible for professional performance and safe patient care. The role encompasses nursing assessment, diagnosis, planning, intervention, evaluation, and care coordination for patients across the healthcare continuum involving families. Abides by the Joint Commission International (JCI) requirements, including but not limited to International Patient Safety Goals, and national and international standards.

• General:
  • Provides age-specific patient-centered care utilizing the nursing process: performs patient assessment using appropriate, problem-focused, and age-specific assessment techniques.
  • Performs continual critical care assessment of patient and family s physical and psychological needs.
  • Involves the patient, significant others, and health care providers in the plan of care when appropriate.
  • Collaborates with a multi-disciplinary team to provide patient care.
  • Coordinates and plans critical care/clinical pathway, and prioritizes care, based on individual needs.
  • Revises the care plan as necessary.
  • Initiates appropriate transfer plan.
  • Recognizes subtle cues to anticipate potential problems.
  • Documents all relevant data in the medical record according to hospital/departmental standards.
  • Ensures availability and maintenance of supplies and equipment needed for the unit and patient care.
  • Performs clerical duties when needed.
  • Assumes responsibility for meeting Joint Commission International Accreditation (JCIA) required mandatory education (e.g. fire, safety, infection control and others).
  • Participates in staff meetings and unit committees/projects.
• Participates in developing and achieving unit goals.
• Maintains a safe environment for patients and staff.
• Performs safe handling and administration of Narcotic/Controlled and Semi-Controlled Drugs and documentation as directed by policies and procedures.
• Ensures completion of unit competencies (e.g. pain management, and utilization of Emergency department devices).
• Maintains clinical and professional competency based on the latest research and established standards of practice.
• Completes yearly, the critical care nursing competencies (basic).
• Participates in unit-based Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) activities (data collection, CQI teams, incident reporting, customer complaint reporting, medication error reporting etc.).
• Participates in ongoing educational activities.
• Maintains mandatory educational requirements.
• Performs additional duties when required.

• Unit Specific:
  • Monitors and cares for chest tube drainage systems.
  • Sets up chest tube drainage systems.
  • Removes endotracheal tubes.
  • Programs, cares for, and discontinues epidurals.
  • Extubates pediatric patients.
  • Provides general patient care in PACU.
  • Operates Hemocue.
  • Cares for hypothermic patients in PACU.
  • Implements infection control in PACU.
  • Cares for malignant hyperthermia patients in the Operating Room.
  • Cares for malignant hyperthermia patients in PACU.
  • Prevents and manages nausea and vomiting in PACU.
  • Conducts neurological assessments.
  • Inserts and cares for oropharyngeal airways.
  • Inserts and cares for oropharyngeal airways in pediatric patients.
  • Performs patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump skills.
  • Administers peripheral nerve blocks.
  • Gains peripheral intravenous access and performs fluid resuscitation.
  • Provides post-anesthesia care.
  • Provides post-anesthesia care for pediatric patients.
  • Administers regional blocks.
  • Communicates effectively within teams.
  • Performs tracheostomy tube care (adult/pediatric):
    • Care for tracheostomy cannula and stoma
    • Suction tracheostomy
    • Clean tracheostomy tube outer cannula and stoma
  • Uses defibrillators:
    • Perform cardioversion
    • Perform defibrillation
    • Perform transcutaneous pacing
  • Utilizes warm blankets in long-term care.
  • Utilizes warm blankets for pediatric patients.

• Implements aspiration precautions for pediatric patients, including:
  • Children or adolescents
  • Children receiving enteral tube feedings
  • Infants
• Calculates fluid requirements for pediatric patients.
• Provides care for pediatric patients with Intravenous Access Devices (IVADs), including:
  • Accessing…