PACU Registered Nurse
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling Hospital

Registered Nurse (RN) – PACU

Location: Wheeling, West Virginia
Contract Length: 13 weeks

Job Overview

• Position in Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) covering both inpatient and outpatient recovery areas.
• Work includes recovery of general, neuro, thoracic, interventional, radiology, and simple procedure cases.
• ICU patients (except open heart) are also recovered in PACU.
• Floating between inpatient and outpatient PACU, surgery center, and anesthesia clinic is required.
• Typical shifts are predominantly 12-hour day shifts, with some flexibility for 8- or 10-hour shifts.
• Staff expected to stay until cases are completed.
• Weekend and holiday call rotations required.
• Schedule requests allowed (up to 4 per schedule) but must meet unit needs.

Unit Details

• Inpatient PACU: 7 bays
• Outpatient PACU: 15 bays
• Surgery Center: 14 bays
• Anesthesia Clinic: 6 rooms
• All areas blend Phase 1 & Phase 2 recovery care.
• Nurse aides (UA2s) support the unit and are cross-trained as unit receptionists.
• Each area has its own charge nurse who also takes patient assignments.

Certifications & Licenses

• Required:

  • Current RN license for West Virginia
  • BLS (Basic Life Support)
  • ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support)
  • PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support)
  • TNCC (Trauma Nursing Core Course)
• Only BLS required for Anesthesia Clinic area.

Clinical Requirements

• Ability to read and interpret telemetry strips.
• Ventilator management is handled by Respiratory Therapy.
• Respiratory Therapy and Pharmacy services are available 24/7.
• Use of electronic medical record system (Sunrise).
• Scrubs provided for all areas except Anesthesia Clinic; navy blue scrubs must be provided by staff for that area.

Work Environment & Expectations

• Patient ratios follow typical PACU Phase 1 & Phase 2 standards.
• Weekend call: one 24-hour shift per month (7am-7am).
• Additional call: two overnight shifts per month (11pm-7am).
• Holiday call coverage included in rotation (24 hours, 7am-7am).
• Orientation: 2-3 shifts specific to the floor.
• Must submit an unexpired driver’s license with application.
• Disclosure of any licensing issues required at time of submission.
• 50-mile radius rule applies for candidate submissions.

Additional Notes

• No in-house hospitalist or intensivist coverage.
• No IV team available.
• Staff flexibility and teamwork are essential due to floating and variable case load.
• No prior travel experience explicitly required.

Requirements / Qualifications

• Valid RN license in West Virginia
• Minimum 2 years of recent PACU (Post Anesthesia Care) experience, including experience within the last year
• Current ACLS certification
• Current BLS certification
• Current PALS certification
• Current TNCC certification
• Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
• Valid driver’s license