Advertisement
Advertisement
|
Home :: Career Center
:: Healthcare Career Profiles :: Nursing Career Profiles
Recovery Room Nurse - Career Profile |
Career OverviewIn the recovery room or post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), the recovery room nurse or perianesthesia nurse plays an extremely important role after a patient has had surgery.
Patients must be monitored closely following surgery and it is the responsibility of the recovery room nurse to take over when they transfer a patient to the post-anesthesia care unit from the operating room. Often working with the anesthesiologist, the recovery room nurse provides the nursing care needed when a patient is awaking from an operation or medical procedure as they specialize in post anesthetic care.
Immediately after surgery, the recovery room nurse monitors vital sighs and then documents them to ensure a safe recovery after surgery. These nurses are trained to detect any indications of complications resulting from the anesthesia or surgery. If a patient is experiencing pain, the nurse can administer drugs as per the anesthetist’s orders.
Patients remain under the recovery room nurses care until they are conscious, their pain is controlled and their vital signs are balanced and stable. The regular nursing staff takes over the postoperative care, once they release a patient from the recovery room and return them to their hospital room.
A recovery room nurse needs to possess a excellent understanding of the recovery process as well as the ability to collect data and make critical decisions as to the immediate care of the patient. Record keeping and interpersonal and teamwork skills are a high priority in this very intense and emotionally stressful environment.
A recovery room nurse must also be effective in calming distraught patients as well as family members and answering health related questions that both the healthcare team as well as the family may have.
|
Career RequirementsA recovery room nurse must have a registered nurse (RN) license with at least two or more year’s nursing experience with an Associate’s Degree (AD). Associate degree registered nurses or ADRNs make up a large percent of the nursing professionals.
Some states may allow a BSN or Bachelor of Science Nursing Degree as well as a significant amount of nursing experience. Because recovery room nurses perform such a wide range of tasks, they need a broad degree of creativeness. Most often, the nurses working in the recovery room report to the unit or department head. A complete list of requirements for recovery room nurses can be found at:
|
Advertisement
|
Job OutlookWith an increase in the elderly population and their long-term health care needs, nurses and health care professionals are in great demand. With many of the nursing population in America switching to primary care settings, hospitals and health institutions need more specialized care nurses such as recovery room nurses.
There is a shortage of specialty nurses with experience and skills needed in areas such as:
- Recovery rooms
- Emergency rooms
- Patient educators
- Critical care unit
- Pediatrics
- Intensive care unit
- Newborn intensive care
- Operating room
With the shortage of recovery room nurses, there are more opportunities available on the job market today.
|
Career TrackAn experienced recovery room nurse can specialize in many areas depending on their interests, such as:
- Nurse educator
- Research nurse
- Clinical staff nurse, specialist or anesthetist
- Nurse manager, supervisor
- Administration director
Unlike years ago, there are many career options in specialized nursing available today. Nurse practitioner, contract nursing, private duty nursing, psychiatric nursing, emergency room nurse and vocational nursing are just a few of many.
|
CompensationA recovery room nurse with an AD or Associates Degree in Nursing and a BSN or Bachelor of Science in nursing has an average salary ranging from $59,485 to $74,636 including bonuses and benefits. Salaries do vary depending on the employer’s size, location and industry.
A recovery room nurse’s salary will also vary depending on years of experience, skills and degrees and education. Some hospitals and care facilities offer profit sharing plans as well as shift bonuses. With the growth in specialized nursing, there is tremendous opportunity in not only nursing choices but also compensation.
|
|