PACU

PACU Registered Nurse

Location: Paducah, KY

Duration: 13-week contract

Start Date: October 22, 2026

Schedule:

Three 12-hour shifts per week (7:00 AM – 7:00 PM); one weeknight call per week; every third weekend (12-hour shifts); one holiday per year.

About the Role:

The facility's Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) needs an experienced RN to provide immediate post-operative and post-anesthesia care to patients recovering from surgical procedures. You'll assess and monitor patients for airway patency, hemodynamic stability, and anesthesia emergence while managing pain, nausea, and other post-operative symptoms per physician orders.

Key Responsibilities:

• Monitor and manage airway and ventilatory support during emergence from anesthesia
• Recognize and respond to post-anesthesia complications (respiratory depression, hemorrhage, hypotension) with appropriate clinical judgment
• Collaborate with anesthesiologists, surgeons, and the interdisciplinary team on patient care plans
• Assess patient risk factors and provide culturally sensitive, age-appropriate care
• Educate patients and families on post-operative care and discharge instructions
• Determine readiness for transfer to inpatient units or discharge using facility criteria
• Ensure infection control and safety protocols are consistently followed

Requirements:

• Active, unrestricted RN license (or compact license as applicable)
• BLS and ACLS certification required
• 1+ years of PACU or critical care experience
• Experience with airway management and post-anesthesia recovery protocols
• ADN minimum; BSN preferred

Preferred:

• CPAN (Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse) certification