Hospital - PACU RN III (Full Time, Days)
About The Position
The RN III, PACU functions at a proficient level and provides expert post-anesthesia nursing care at UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty & Research Hospital. The nurse supports recovery of complex patients, mentors staff, leads recovery room initiatives, serves as a clinical resource, and contributes to department-wide performance and safety goals. The role promotes evidence-based practices that enhance outcomes in the post-anesthesia environment. The position may lead unit and shared governance activities, serve as charge nurse as needed, assess practice and improvement opportunities, provide clinical support to unit and hospital staff, and coordinate education in partnership with management. The nurse also supports patient and family needs during recovery transitions and contributes to quality, safety, education, and operational improvements.
Requirements
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing required.
- Current Texas Board of Nursing or Compact State RN license, or a Temporary Texas RN License with a permanent Texas license obtained within 90 days of hire.
- American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) certification within 7 days of hire.
Responsibilities
- Provide expert-level post-anesthesia care to patients recovering from sedation or general anesthesia.
- Serve as a shift resource for complex clinical interventions, including ventilator care, airway management, and EKG monitoring.
- Mentor PACU nurses in patient recovery scoring, pain management, and response to sedation-related complications.
- Lead orientation, skills training, and clinical development programs for new staff, travel nurses, or float pool nurses.
- Monitor recovery trends and collaborate with anesthesia and the inpatient care team to optimize discharge or transfer planning.
- Serve as an expert consultant during rapid response events, CERT activations, or emergency codes within PACU.
- Support team situational awareness through real-time coaching, education, and debriefs after critical events.
- Lead quality improvement initiatives related to PACU-specific indicators, such as unplanned admissions or delayed recoveries.
- Develop and deliver in-service training or clinical huddles on recovery best practices and safety interventions.
- Participate in documentation audits and support EMR optimization across recovery workflows.
- Act as a liaison for interdisciplinary rounding and patient throughput coordination.
- Assist with policy reviews and standard updates aligned with anesthesia recovery best practices.
- Collaborate with the Nurse Manager on peer evaluations, performance coaching, and identifying skill gaps.
- Support patients and families during recovery transitions by reinforcing discharge education and expectations.
- Support PACU readiness through supply checks, equipment troubleshooting, and process refinement.
- Represent PACU interests on hospital-wide nursing councils, research pilots, or shared governance initiatives.
- Function as relief charge nurse and support workload adjustments based on acuity and census.
- Perform other job-related duties to promote safety, efficiency, and excellence in post-anesthesia care.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
