PACU-Critical Care Staff Nurse

Children's Mercy KC • Kansas City, MO

2d • Onsite

About The Position

PACU-critical care staff nurses provide specialized nursing care in the surgical setting in accordance with applicable scope and standards of practice and the organization’s policies, values, and mission. They use the nursing process and scientific principles to provide safe, high-quality, comprehensive, age-appropriate care for patients undergoing Level 0 to 6 surgical procedures, including appropriately managing emergent and complex clinical situations.

The nurse prepares, monitors, and manages the patient and perianesthesia setting during the surgical encounter to maintain safety, optimize outcomes, and use available resources effectively. The role includes educating patients and families, advocating for their needs, and coordinating care with nonprofessional personnel as necessary.

The Same Day Surgery and PACU units care for surgical patients from the preoperative phone call through admission, recovery, discharge, or transfer to an inpatient unit. Care is delivered in keeping with the Department of Nursing’s philosophy and National Standards of Peri-anesthesia Nursing Care. The position is onsite and is not eligible for remote work.

Requirements

• Associate’s degree in nursing (ADN) required; current employees hired before September 1, 2013 are grandfathered and permitted to continue in the direct-care nursing role.
• For the associate’s-degree qualification path, 1–2 years of experience is listed.
• A bachelor’s degree is preferred for nurses hired after September 1, 2013; nurses hired after that date without a BSN must complete the degree within five years of hire.
• For the bachelor’s-degree qualification path, no experience is necessary; on-the-job training is provided.
• Upon hire, one of the listed Missouri RN licenses or multistate/compact license options is required: Licensed RN – MO, Registered Nurse Multistate License Missouri, Registered Nurse Multistate License Kansas, or RN Compact license for states other than Kansas and Missouri.
• Upon hire, one of the listed Kansas RN licenses or multistate/compact license options is required: Licensed RN – Kansas, Registered Nurse Multistate License Kansas, Registered Nurse Multistate License Missouri, or RN Compact license for states other than Kansas and Missouri.
• Required life-support certifications upon hire, as specified in the Nursing and Advanced Practice Provider Licensure and Certification policy.
• Must be willing to meet the stated immunization conditions of employment, subject to medical or religious exemptions.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN), preferred for nurses hired after September 1, 2013.
• Specialty nursing certification is encouraged for eligible nurses.

Responsibilities

• Use the nursing process and scientific principles to provide safe, high-quality, comprehensive, age-appropriate care for patients undergoing Level 0 to 6 surgical procedures, including managing emergent and complex clinical situations appropriately.
• Meet the educational and informational needs of patients and families, and advocate for their needs.
• Maintain a safe, comfortable, efficient, and family-centered environment during the perioperative encounter.
• Use current research and evidence in practice to expand professional knowledge, enhance role performance, and improve nursing care quality.

Benefits

• Children’s Mercy offers benefits plans designed to meet the changing needs of employees and their families; specific plan details are not provided.
• Starting pay begins at $35.90 per hour; the offer is determined based on education and experience.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree