PACU RN

Alright, let's talk about this PACU RN opening at MedStar Health in Washington, DC.

The Work

You're the nurse patients meet right after surgery. Their needs can be straightforward one minute and highly complex the next. Your main job is to deliver proficient nursing care, think critically about changes in patient status, and plan the right interventions.

You'll develop and document individualized care plans for patients with complex problems, making sure the whole care team is on the same page. You'll coordinate and deliver that care with a focus on safety, quality, and a positive patient experience. A big part of this is serving as a patient advocate, communicating clinical concerns to the rest of the health team independently and in a timely manner.

The unit uses specific models of care. You'll participate in the Contemporary Primary Nursing Model by acting as a primary or associate nurse. You'll also collaborate using the Interdisciplinary Model of Care (IMOC).

More Than Clinical

This isn't just a bedside role. There's an educational piece; you might provide input for new staff orientation, conduct individual orientations, or even run formal unit based in service programs. Of course, you'll complete all your own mandatory competencies on time.

On the administrative side, you could act as a formally designated resource for colleagues or a consultant for other nursing staff. You'll provide input on clinical evaluations of staff and help with unit assessments, audits, and process improvement projects. Delegating tasks appropriately to peers and support staff is part of it, too.

What You Need to Bring

• An Associate's degree in Nursing is required. A Bachelor's degree is preferred.
• If you come in with an Associate's degree, you need to enroll in a BSN program within 12 months of your hire date and finish it within 4 years.
• A current RN license for the District of Columbia (or compact state licensure) is required.
• You need CPR certification for healthcare providers from either the American Heart Association or American Red Cross within 90 days of starting.
• Prior clinical nursing experience is preferred but not an absolute deal breaker.

A quick note: if this were for a Perinatal unit (labor & delivery, antepartum), they'd require an Electronic Fetal Monitoring certification within 12 15 months. That's not relevant for this PACU role, but I'm mentioning it because it was in the specifics they gave me.

The Details & Benefits

The hiring pay range for this position is $40.17 to $88.17 per hour.