The Job Role of a PACU Travel Nurse
By Leigh Morgan, Contributor
When hospitals, surgical centers and other medical facilities don't have enough nurses to provide high-quality patient care, they turn to travel nurses to fill the gap. As a travel nurse, you may have the opportunity to work in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) of a hospital or outpatient surgery center. If you decide to become a PACU travel nurse, here is what you can expect.
PACU Nurse Job Responsibilities
A PACU nurse takes care of patients who are coming out of anesthesia after surgery and diagnostic procedures. Marcia Lynn Weiser, a registered nurse, states that PACU nurses must exercise independent judgment when caring for patients. In the PACU, doctors typically issue a set of standing orders for each patient, leaving it up to the nursing staff to determine if a patient needs medication to control pain or nausea.
PACU nurses are also required to perform the following duties:
- Monitor each patient's vital signs
- Help patients recover from general, local and regional anesthesia
- Control each patient's pain by administering analgesic medications
- Operate IV pumps and infusion equipment
- Administer medications to control nausea and vomiting
- Communicate with family members regarding each patient's status
Required skills for PACU nursing
As a PACU nurse, you must have a specific set of skills to ensure that the patients in your care are as comfortable as possible. These are just some of the skills you need to build a career in PACU nursing.
- Operating computerized dispensing systems
- Using electronic medical record systems (EMR) to document patient care
- Administering medications via intravenous line, subcutaneous injection and intramuscular injection
- Managing central lines
- Administering blood products
- Assessing patients upon their arrival in the PACU and throughout their PACU stays
- Monitoring patients as they recover from anesthesia
- Caring for patients who have had craniotomies, spinal fusions and other complex procedures
- Managing respiratory problems such as pneumothorax, hemothorax, laryngospasm and bronchospasm
- Identifying post-anesthesia complications
If you're interested in a supervisory position, the requirements depend on the state in which you are practicing. Illinois, for example, requires PACU nurses to be supervised by someone who has education and experience in providing Phase 1 postanesthesia care.
Professional certifications
Success as a PACU travel nurse requires in-depth knowledge of how anesthesia affects the human body, what complications are likely to occur following the administration of anesthesia and how to control postoperative pain. Professional certifications are available to PACU nurses with the right combination of knowledge and skills.
The American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing offers the Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse (CPAN) certification for nurses who have experience caring for patients in the postanesthesia phase. To qualify to sit for the CPAN exam, you must have at least 1,200 hours of clinical experience within the two years preceding your registration, according to the American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing Certification. The CPAN exam has a total of 185 questions and takes three hours to complete.
A PACU nurse should also have the Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification, which demonstrates competency in managing cardiac and respiratory arrest, performing chest compressions, communicating with members of the resuscitation team and preserving the airway, as per the American Heart Association.
If you have the right combination of skills and certifications, a travel nursing position in the PACU may be a good fit. Visit Travel Nursing to browse open PACU positions throughout the United States.
Working as a PACU travel nurse
As a travel nurse, you may be assigned to a postanesthesia care unit if you have experience caring for patients who have been anesthetized. Travel assignments offer several benefits for experienced nurses who are willing to work in multiple facilities throughout the year. One of the biggest benefits of working as a PACU travel nurse is that you will have a flexible schedule. The typical assignment lasts only a few months, giving you the opportunity to take a long break before your next assignment begins.
PACU nursing offers many opportunities to learn new skills and help patients in some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. If you're open to new experiences and don't mind traveling, working as a travel PACU nurse can help you build a successful career while earning a premium for your knowledge and skills.
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