Registered Nurse Pre-Op/PACU

Position Summary

The Pre/Post-Operative Registered Nurse (RN) is responsible for the patient’s admission to the facility, comprehensive pre-operative care, immediate post-operative care, and stabilization for admission to the inpatient department or return to the home environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

 To utilize specialized nursing knowledge and discriminative judgment while giving direct and indirect patient care:

• Acts under established protocols, policies, and provider orders
• Maintains patient privacy and confidentiality
• Oversee patient's pre-operative and/or postoperative care, considering both physical and psychosocial needs
• Continually performs thorough and accurate patient assessment, anticipates needs, and reports relevant assessments to the appropriate provider
• Oversees completion and availability of requested preoperative testing and reports abnormal results to appropriate provider
• Documents, assessments and care in medical record accurately and in a timely manner
• Provides patient and family education on perioperative procedures and expectations
• Ensure patients have met all necessary requirements (i.e. testing, consent forms, assessments, etc.) prior to transferring them to operating room
• Ensures patients are optimized for discharge or transfer to inpatient unit; provides holistic and thorough discharge education and/or report
• Demonstrates continued competence in assessing, treating, and caring for patients on the perioperative setting based on individualized needs
• Demonstrates good nursing knowledge base and rationale for actions; demonstrates appropriate knowledge and competence of skills identified for position including, but not limited to:
  • Initiation and maintenance of vascular access
  • Procedural sedation
  • Cardiac and vital sign monitoring
  • Assistance with peripheral nerve blocks
  • Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis
  • Medication reconciliation
  • Airway management
  • Medication administration
  • Repositioning/comfort measures
  • Specimen Handling
• Always maintain cleanliness and order of department
• Demonstrates the safe operation of equipment and follows procedures for reporting and correcting damaged equipment and/or unsafe situations
• Utilizes supplies safely, effectively, and efficiently, assisting with stocking, replenishing, and preparation of supplies
• Keeps safety of patient, self, and others a primary concern always; recognizes emergency situations and responds quickly and efficiently following hospital policies and procedures to prevent adverse outcomes
• Supervises and directs, as delegated, the activities of non-professional personnel
• Performs other related duties as assigned by supervisors

To function effectively as a member of the team:

• Reports for work in a timely manner and maintains good attendance record
• Shows flexibility in accommodating schedule changes, i.e. working late or early, changing schedules, etc.
• Participates as a team member in planning and implementation of patient care; takes responsibility for an adequate patient load, reviews schedule for next day
• Responds to call backs in a timely and professional manner
• Utilizes work time effectively
• Participates as a team member in planning and implementation of patient care; takes responsibility for an adequate patient load, reviews schedule for next day
• Demonstrates the ability to work cohesively with other team members
• Monitors surgery schedule continually, communicating arrivals, cancellations, delays; communications with reception desk, contacts patients or surgeons who are late
• Reports pertinent information to supervisor
• Contributes to increased morale and positive attitude in the department and facility
• Demonstrates the ability to accept and work through change
• Requires minimal supervision in daily tasks
• Reports pertinent information to supervisor

To support quality activities:

• Participates in on-going committees and other educational programs to enhance patient care
• Makes post-operative phone calls, assessing patient status and reporting any pertinent information to supervisor and/or anesthesiologist
• Utilizes critical thinking and problem-solving skills, making suggestions for improvement
• Performs and documents daily assignments, including general housekeeping and maintenance of work environment
• Develops communication skills and promotes inter-departmental relationships to ensure continuity of care
• Actively partic