PACU Registered Nurse

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 3/28/2026

Job Summary:

The PACU Registered Nurse (RN) is responsible for providing critical, high-quality care to patients recovering from anesthesia following surgical or procedural interventions. Working a fast-paced environment, the PACU RN performs continuous monitoring, manages pain and post-anesthesia symptoms, and responds to urgent clinical needs during the immediate post-operative period.

Hours:

• .8 FTE - 32 hours per week
• 2 10-hour shifts, 1 12-hour shift

Essential Job Functions:

• Advocate for patients’ rights, preferences, and needs, ensuring that they receive high-quality, compassionate care that is tailored to their individual circumstances
• Project a professional demeanor and appearance while maintaining the confidentiality of the patient, coworkers, and the organization, as appropriate
• Assess patient health problems and needs to develop, implement, and evaluate care in collaboration with healthcare team
• Educate patients and their families on health conditions, medications, treatment care, and post surgical care
• Ensure infection control protocols and safety standards are followed in all aspects of patient care
• Promptly record all care information concisely, accurately, and completely
• Respond to emergency situations using appropriate interventions
• Promptly report and document any occurrences of unusual events, safety concerns, or incidents in accordance with organization policies and procedures
• Participate in the department’s on-call rotation and respond promptly to call-ins to ensure continuous patient care and surgical support as needed
• Continuously assess vital signs, airway, consciousness, pain level, and surgical site for stability following anesthesia
• Manage airway, administer oxygen, suction as needed, and respond rapidly to changes in condition, including respiratory or cardiac complications
• Administer prescribed medications and interventions to manage pain, nausea, and other post-operative symptoms; monitor effectiveness
• Recognize and act upon early signs of post-operative complications or adverse reactions and report to anesthesia and provider promptly
• Accurately record assessments, interventions, medications administered, and patient responses in the medical record in a timely manner
• Provide post-op instructions and emotional support; ensure patients and caregivers understand recovery expectations prior to transfer or discharge
• Collaborate with anesthesia, surgical teams, and inpatient unit to ensure safe and efficient patient handoffs and transitions of care
• Safety transfer patients to appropriate unit or discharge them per protocol once discharge criteria are met
• Provides for accurate care and handling of specimens
• Observes, checks, and monitors all equipment used during surgery to confirm it is functioning properly, removes any malfunctioning equipment from service, and reports it in the appropriate manner
• Review postoperative instructions, prescriptions, and post-op instructions from the provider with patient and family
• Assists in positioning and responding to the comfort and safety of the patient
• May be cross-trained and assigned to other nursing departments within the hospital, with responsibility for carrying out the essential functions of the assigned role
• Use the organization's secure messaging platform in accordance with departmental protocols, including timely receipt and responses to communications
• Perform other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Medical Terminology
• Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems
• Quality assurance and accreditation standards
• Understanding of HIPAA regulations, patient confidentiality laws and patient rights
• Effective English communication in verbal and written format
• Quality work including attention to detail and accuracy
• Carry out customer service standards
• Basic computer proficiency
• Carry out organization customer service standards
• Prioritize tasks effectively through managing workload based on urgency and importance
• Capacity to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Continuously learn and improve through staying up to date on job specific trends, policies, and new technologies
• Successfully demonstrate organization-wide performance review competencies

Qualifications: 

• Demonstrates eligibility for employment in the U.S.
• Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from