PACU RN
Wausau, WI
Care Career
4x10 hrs, Days
Referral Bonus

PACU Registered Nurse – Acute Care

Job Title: PACU RN / Perioperative Registered Nurse
Facility: Aspirus Wausau Hospital
Location: Wausau, Wisconsin
Shift: Variable 4×10s
Start Times: 7:30 AM, 8:00 AM, or 9:00 AM
Contract Length: 13 weeks
Start Date: ASAP
Radius Rule: Waived for this position
 

Position Overview

The PACU Registered Nurse provides specialized post-anesthesia nursing care to patients recovering from surgical procedures. The RN is responsible for assessing, monitoring, stabilizing, and caring for patients during the immediate postoperative recovery period.

This position requires strong PACU experience, recent hospital experience, and the ability to care for both adult and pediatric patients, including post-cardiac surgical patients. The RN may also stabilize ICU patients before transfer to the ICU.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide direct and indirect nursing care to patients in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit.
• Assess patients during post-anesthesia recovery and monitor vital signs, airway, respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological status.
• Identify changes in patient condition and initiate appropriate interventions.
• Care for patients following a wide range of surgical procedures.
• Recover and stabilize post-cardiac and pediatric patients.
• Stabilize ICU-level patients prior to transfer to the ICU.
• Communicate patient status and recovery progress to physicians and the receiving care team.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation in the electronic medical record.
• Follow perioperative, PACU, infection-control, and patient-safety standards.
• Work collaboratively with surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
• Maintain readiness to respond to emergent postoperative complications.

Patient Population & Surgical Services

The PACU primarily supports patients following:

• General surgery
• Spine
• Neurology/Neurosurgery
• GI
• ENT
• Cardiac
• Peripheral vascular
• Orthopedic procedures

Unit Details

• PACU bays: 14
• Patient ratio: 1:2
• Approximately 35 patients per day
• Scrubs: Any color

Required Experience

• Minimum 2 years of recent PACU experience.
• Recent acute-care hospital experience required.
• Post-cardiac experience required.
• Pediatric experience required.
• Strong post-anesthesia recovery and patient-stabilization skills.
• Ability to recognize and respond to changes in patient condition.
• Previous electronic charting experience required.

Required Certifications & Licensure

• Current Wisconsin RN license
• AHA BLS
• ACLS
• PALS

Education

Required:

• Associate Degree in Nursing or applicable nursing certificate.

Preferred:

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

Documentation

• Epic experience strongly preferred.
• Candidates without Epic experience must have prior electronic medical record/charting experience.

On-Call Requirements

• One night of call per week for 4 weeks out of every 6-week schedule
• Every 5th weekend on call
• Call shift begins at 11:00 AM
• 30-minute response time required.
• Call-back minimum: 2 hours
• Travelers may be placed on call during low-census periods.

Hours & Cancellation Policy

• Variable 4×10-hour schedule with start times of 7:30 AM, 8:00 AM, or 9:00 AM.
• Position is eligible for up to 36 hours of low-census unbillable time.
• Travelers may be placed on call during eligible low-census hours.
• If called back, applicable call-back pay applies.
• Guaranteed set hours generally apply, except during holidays when the unit is closed.
• GSA hours are not guaranteed during orientation.

Holiday & Weekend Requirements

• Holiday rotation required.
• Weekends are every 5th weekend on call.
• Holiday coverage is based on the facility's rotation schedule.

Vaccination Policy

During flu season, travelers who decline flu and COVID-19 vaccination are required to wear a mask at all times in accordance with Aspirus policy. Compliance is mandatory.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is an experienced PACU RN with at least 2 years of recent hospital-based PACU experience, including post-cardiac and pediatric recovery. The candidate should be confident managing a 1:2 patient ratio, stabilizing complex postoperative patients, and caring for a broad range of surgical populations. Epic experience and strong post-anesthesia assessment skills are highly desirable.