Registered Nurse PreOp PACU II - Memorial Care Surgery Center Saddleback

SCA Health•Laguna Hills, CA

About The Position

SCA Health is hiring a Registered Nurse (RN) PreOp PACU for Memorial Care Surgery Center Saddleback. The nurse assesses patients before and after surgery at intervals set by facility policies, including their cardiovascular and respiratory status, airway needs, neurological status, hemodynamic stability, pain and comfort needs, and mental status. The role involves interpreting information from noninvasive and invasive monitors and applying appropriate patient-transfer and discharge scoring criteria. The nurse develops and implements individualized perianesthesia plans of care for patients recovering from general, monitored anesthesia care, regional, or local anesthesia. Care includes managing pain and comfort, medications, fluids, wounds, tissue perfusion, temperature, infection prevention, and relevant body systems and comorbidities. The nurse educates and involves patients or their designated support people in care decisions, protects patient rights and privacy, evaluates progress toward outcomes, and transfers care with accurate hand-off reports. The position also includes complete nursing documentation, appropriate delegation, collaboration with other disciplines, participation in quality improvement and performance appraisal activities, maintaining competencies, pursuing professional growth, and participating in team meetings, trainings, and safety huddles. The nurse must follow facility policies and procedures and perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Graduate of an accredited school of nursing.
At least one year of preoperative or PACU experience.
Medical/surgical nursing experience.
Current state licensure in good standing.
Complete Basic Life Support (BLS) or Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) within 90 days of employment, or provide documentation of current certification.
Complete Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) within 90 days of employment, or provide documentation of current certification.

Nice To Haves

Current Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification, or completion within 90 days of employment if pediatric care is included in the facility’s scope of services.

Responsibilities

Promote SCA Health’s mission, vision, and values.
Assess patients’ preoperative and postoperative status, including cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, hemodynamic, pain, comfort, and mental status needs.
Interpret information accurately from noninvasive and invasive monitors.
Apply the appropriate patient-transfer and discharge scoring system or criteria according to organizational policy.
Develop individualized perianesthesia plans of care and implement them for recovery from general, monitored anesthesia care, regional, and local anesthesia.
Protect patients from injury related to positioning, thermal sources, and extraneous objects.
Communicate the patient’s status throughout the perianesthesia continuum of care and provide acute pain and comfort management as needed.
Administer medications safely using the eight rights of medication administration.
Maintain wound integrity, tissue perfusion, and the status of relevant body systems and fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base balances at or above baseline levels.
Maintain or restore normothermia by the conclusion of the immediate postoperative period and protect patients from infection.
Manage comorbid conditions and fluids as prescribed.
Assess patient or support-person knowledge and provide education about expected psychosocial responses, nutrition, medications, pain and comfort, wound care, and expected procedure-related responses.
Involve patients or designated support people in decisions about perioperative care and rehabilitation.
Protect patients’ rights, dignity, privacy, and health information; provide age-specific, culturally competent, ethical care within legal standards.
Evaluate patient progress toward outcomes and transfer care as needed.
Provide accurate, concise, pertinent hand-off reports to teammates.
Delegate tasks in accordance with applicable nursing practice laws, regulations, and job descriptions.
Document nursing care completely, accurately, and legibly.
Collaborate with other disciplines as needed.
Participate in quality review, performance improvement projects, and the performance appraisal process.
Use problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills to foster effective working relationships.
Maintain required competencies and pursue professional growth.
Comply with facility policies and procedures and actively participate in team meetings, trainings, and daily safety huddles.
Demonstrate fiscal responsibility and perform other duties as assigned.