RN / REGISTERED NURSE - PACU

Beebe Healthcare•Lewes, DE

About The Position

The Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) Registered Nurse is a clinically competent registered professional nurse with expertise in perioperative and post-anesthesia nursing. The RN is responsible for safely delivering comprehensive nursing care to surgical patients recovering from anesthesia and sedation. Using the nursing process of assessment, planning, intervention, implementation, and evaluation, the PACU RN provides physiological monitoring, pain management, airway support, and patient education. The role requires strong clinical judgment, rapid response to changes in patient condition, and collaboration with anesthesiologists, surgeons, and interdisciplinary care teams to support optimal patient outcomes. The PACU RN advocates for patient safety, comfort, and dignity while complying with professional nursing standards, regulatory requirements, and organizational policies. This is a full-time role requiring flexibility, attention to detail, and a commitment to high-quality perioperative care.

Requirements

Must have current hospital experience within the past 5 years or be a new graduate within the last 2 years.
Must complete Point of Care Testing training as part of Department Orientation.
Must be knowledgeable about the nursing process and its application, including assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Must be a graduate of an accredited nursing program.
Must hold RN (Registered Nurse), BLS (Basic Life Saving), ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support), and NIH (Stroke Certification) credentials.
Must hold PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) certification or be able to obtain it within 6 months.

Nice To Haves

Minimum of 1 year of recent PACU or Critical Care experience preferred.
Emergency Department and/or Critical Care experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Safely identify, label, prepare, dispense, and administer medications and solutions according to established policies and guidelines.
Insert, maintain, and monitor intravenous (IV) lines.
Apply the nursing process in the perioperative and post-anesthesia setting.
Collect, interpret, document, and communicate patient data relevant to surgical and recovery care.
Develop individualized perioperative and post-operative nursing care plans using assessment data.
Provide direct care to meet patients’ physical and psychological needs during recovery from anesthesia.
Evaluate patient responses to interventions and modify care plans to achieve desired outcomes.
Perform airway assessments and interventions, including oxygen therapy, ventilator management, and assistance with intubation and extubation.
Manage patients requiring advanced airway and respiratory support.
Use Philips cardiac monitoring systems to assess and monitor cardiac status.
Set up, monitor, and manage invasive hemodynamic lines and equipment, including arterial lines, central venous pressure (CVP) lines, cardiac output monitoring systems, and Swan-Ganz catheters.
Assess, implement, monitor, and evaluate pain management interventions using established protocols, and communicate patient responses.