Registered Nurse - PACU

Veterans Health Administration • West Roxbury, MA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

This full-time Registered Nurse - PACU position is within the Nursing service at the West Roxbury location, with occasional travel to the Jamaica Plain campus potentially required. The nurse works in a five-bed post-anesthesia care unit under the direction of the Nurse Manager. The role involves assessing, diagnosing, treating, and evaluating actual or potential physical and psychosocial problems that may result from anesthetic agents and techniques. The PACU cares for patients undergoing a wide range of surgeries and procedures, including general, orthopedic, ENT, vascular, urology, gynecology, podiatry, plastic, cardiac, thoracic, and neurosurgery. Nurses use hemodynamic monitors and intravenous lines, and assist the Acute Pain Service with epidurals, nerve blocks, and other pain-treatment procedures. The role also involves working with invasive lines and ventilators, titrating vasoactive medications, maintaining hemodynamic stability, preventing respiratory complications, ensuring patients meet VA-PAS phase 1 before discharge, and managing surgical or procedural complications. The schedule is Monday through Friday, with no weekends or holidays. Compressed or flexible scheduling is authorized, including either four 10-hour shifts (12 p.m.–10:30 p.m.) or six 12-hour shifts and one 8-hour shift (10 a.m.–10:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.–10:30 p.m.). Telework and virtual work are not authorized; permanent change of station is not authorized.

The VA offers competitive salary with regular increases and potential performance awards; 50 days of paid time off annually, comprising 26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 federal holidays; a traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and a federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions; and federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance, with many programs available to carry into retirement.

Requirements

• Demonstrated proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• Graduation from an appropriately accredited school of professional nursing, or an applicable qualifying nursing education pathway described in the announcement.
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted professional nurse registration in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; a Graduate Nurse Technician exception may apply to otherwise-qualified candidates pursuing licensure.
• Must be physically able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position.
• U.S. citizenship is required, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Applicants tentatively selected for testing-designated positions must undergo urinalysis screening for illegal drug use; refusal results in denial of employment.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Must be subject to a background/security investigation, complete online onboarding and pre-employment identification requirements, pass a pre-employment physical evaluation, and participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• May be required to serve a probationary period.
• Education used to qualify must be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education; applicable nursing degrees must be accredited by ACEN or CCNE.
• Meet the education and experience criteria for the assigned nurse grade and level, as applicable.

Nice To Haves

• At least three years of successful medical-surgical nursing practice.
• At least one year of ICU and/or inpatient PACU experience.
• Demonstrated strong assessment skills.
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Assess, diagnose, treat, and evaluate actual or potential physical and psychosocial problems related to anesthetic agents and techniques.
• Provide post-anesthesia care to patients undergoing a broad range of surgical and special procedures.
• Work with hemodynamic monitors, intravenous lines, invasive lines, and ventilators.
• Assist the Acute Pain Service with epidurals, nerve blocks, and other pain-treatment procedures.
• Titrate vasoactive medications and ensure patients are hemodynamically stable and free from respiratory complications.
• Ensure patients meet VA-PAS phase 1 requirements before discharge.
• Ensure surgical and procedural complications are managed and addressed.

Benefits

• Competitive salary, regular salary increases, and potential performance awards.
• 50 days of paid time off per year: 26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting.
• Federal 401(k) with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many programs can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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