Registered Nurse with 16 years of clinical
• To ensure patients safely wake from anesthesia after surgery monitoring for and treat side effects such as difficulty breathing, agitation, nausea and trouble regaining consciousness.
• Provides total care to patients (who received general anesthesia, regional anesthesia, IV sedation, minimal anesthesia care, and local anesthesia) from the effects of anesthesia ensuring that patients are oriented, have stable vital signs and show no evidence of hemorrhage or other postoperative complications.
• Performs skilled assessments of the blood oxygen saturation level, pulse rate and regularity, depth and nature of respirations, skin color, level of consciousness, ECG, blood pressure, temperature and the ability to respond to commands.
• Performs baseline assessment, checks surgical site for drainage or hemorrhage and makes sure all drainage tubes and monitoring lines are connected and functioning.
• Administers oxygen, blood products, medications, fluid, insulin infusions, heparin infusions, patient controlled analgesia machine as per protocol and as needed.
• Assesses for pain using appropriate pain scales according to age and kinds of special population. Administer pain medications of any form ( PCA, epidural infusion, peripheral nerve block infusions and monitoring dermatomes as per policy)
• Responds and attends to codes in PACU or in OR and assists Code Team Leader in providing basic or advanced adult or pediatric life sustaining measures and support.
• Reacts rapidly to signs of negative physical changes, calling for assistance and beginning cardiopulmonary resuscitation if necessary.
• Functions collaboratively with the surgeon and anesthesiologist to identify early signs and symptoms of complications and to institute measures to reverse their progression.
• Continuously observes the patients cardiac status through clinical observations and routine measurements such as serial readings of blood pressure, heart rate, CVP, arterial pressures, and notifies the physician of any changes that indicate decreased cardiac output
• Knowledgeable on ethical and legal perspectives of informed consents and ensures that informed consent is obtained whenever indicated.
• Determines the client readiness for discharge from PACU by using scoring systems and indicators of recovery
• Assist patients with transfer from bed to the stretcher/ wheelchair and vice versa.
• Reports immediately for timely interventions, safety related incidents such as adverse drug events, patient's falls and others.
• Teaches patients and their families on how to manage their illnesses or injuries, explaining post-treatment home care needs, diet nutrition and exercise programs, and self-administration of medication and physical therapy.
