PACU Nurse: Nursing Specialties Breakdown

• Nurse Fodor explains the process of becoming a PACU nurse in this nursing specialities breakdown.
• Understand the two types of qualifications for PACU nurses, including CPAN and CAPA certification.
• Learn the benefits of being a PACU nurse, such as competitive pay, flexible work environments, and more.

The Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) is the unit where patients come after surgery. The nurses here take care of these patients as they wake up from anesthesia.  

This nurse will keep the patient until they are ready to be transferred to another unit or discharged home. 

How to Become a PACU Nurse 

There is no additional training to become a PACU nurse other than a nursing degree. It is sometimes required that the nurse have a background in critical care before working in the PACU.  

There are two certifications available to PACU nurses; the Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse (CPAN) for hospital PACU nurses and the Certified Ambulatory Peri-anesthesia Nurse (CAPA) certification for ambulatory care nurses. These are not required to work in the PACU, but they are possible goals for the PACU nurse to achieve.  

The required skills for a PACU nurse are very similar to those of any bedside nurse. The exception would be that during the patient’s wake-up period, the nurse has to be very attentive to many things, including vital signs, breathing, the patient’s emotional and physical reactions, operative site condition and pain levels.  

Once these things are addressed, normal patient care continues. My background included 2 years of floor nursing and one year working in the OR. I feel that working in the OR was helpful because I was aware of things like positioning that can cause pain for the patient after surgery.  

I think that the most important personality trait that would be helpful in working in the PACU would be the ability to work as a team player. In many nursing fields, nurses work by themselves in caring for their patients.  

In PACU nursing, nurses work together whenever possible, helping to get patients settled during admission and also during their stay. A fellow nurse may make phone calls, give medications, help family members, or get supplies for you or your patient.  

This is the norm in PACU nursing and helps the unit run smoothly. 

On the Job as a PACU Nurse

A PACU nurse can work in a hospital or an outpatient setting, anywhere they perform surgery.  

In addition to the things already mentioned, the PACU nurse will try to make the patient as comfortable as possible using medications, repositioning attempts, and many other interventions. You may have to restart an IV, set up a PCA, or connect an epidural.  

PACU nurses maintain communication with physicians and other healthcare professionals with updates and coordination of care. There may be a separate area where nurses will prepare the patient for discharge, but many times, due to staffing limitations, this is done by the PACU nurse. 

Often designated as Phase 1 and Phase 2, these areas can be considered one unit or separate units.  

Another aspect of working in surgery is the call that is involved. PACU nurses have to share the responsibility of covering times when there are no scheduled surgeries. In some hospitals, these units are staffed overnight and on weekends, so this isn’t an issue.  

Otherwise, the nurses have to take calls on the evenings and weekends. The amount depends on the size of the staff.  

Benefits 

It is very satisfying to make a patient emotionally and physically comfortable after surgery. Many times, they have been in pain before surgery and then also anxious about the surgery.  

It is a good feeling to assure them that the thing they have been dreading is over. There is also a feeling of accomplishment when they come out of OR in pain, and you are able to make them more comfortable. These outcomes are a great benefit to working in the PACU.  

You will work some holidays, but it is a rotation among the nurses. It will not be as often as working the floor or some other areas.  

The pay in the PACU is very competitive. It is higher in a large hospital setting than in an ambulatory care center. Call pays time and a half in most places. Call back (having to go in two or more times) can be even higher. I’ve picked up calls around the holidays or other times when I needed extra money.  

Because of this, people will take your call if you don’t want it. It can be a good way to earn extra money. 

The Bottom Line

I have loved working in the PACU. I met my best friends here. Because you work so closely and depend on each other so much, you feel comradery with the people you work with.  

I’ve taken care of all kinds of patients and learned a great deal about many different surgeries. I have met very interesting people from all walks of life. I am glad that I spent most of my career here. 

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