What do recovery nurses do

One of the challenges I have faced as a recovery nurse is dealing with a patient with an obstructed airway especially if it is a child. The child deteriorates rapidly in just a few seconds. I will never forgive myself if I ever lose a child in my care. It is so important that recovery nurses must have the expertise in dealing with emergency situations like this and act accordingly.

With the COVID pandemic, all elective lists in the operating theatres were cancelled except cancer patients who need surgery. This simply means one thing for us working in the operating theatres: deployment to the critical care areas of the trust to help the overstretched and outnumbered critical care nurses.

This is another challenge that we are facing as we have the most skills that could be immensely helpful in looking after HDU or ITU patients. What are the benefits of working as a recovery nurse? Working in this role is extremely rewarding because, first and foremost, I love and enjoy what I am doing. I was introduced to the immense world of the perioperative environment. There is just so much to learn if you have the interest and inclination towards learning new things.

Some of my colleagues in Recovery have even decided to move to anaesthetics and scrub practice because they want to learn and develop a new skill and gain a new experience. We also have opportunities both for internal and external trainings and study days relevant to our role although at times external learning opportunities comes far and between due to budget restraints.

Financially, we get special rates for extra shifts that we do which are paid as overtime rates. We also do private cases outside our NHS hours and get paid a generous rate per hour for this from our patients who pay for their surgery through their private health insurance. Working in the operating theatres department is a benefit as well. You meet and work with a remarkably diverse group of people with different culture and skill set.

A patient at one time woke up from anaesthesia in the Recovery Unit thinking he was in a different country. Advice to Other Nurses. Recovery practice or post-anaesthetic care is a specialised area of practice in the operating theatre department. This is a good step-up for nurses who have previous work experience in other areas of the hospital. If you feel the burn-out or the stagnation in your nursing career, a role in recovery could kickstart your career because of its dynamic and busy environment.

I am not dissuading newly qualified nurses from working in recovery but if you are highly motivated to learn and acquire new skills and knowledge, then, this is the field of practice for you.

We have experienced mentors who will provide new members of staff in recovery with support. Recovery nurses administer tests, analyze lab results and report back to surgeons and doctors. They track the progress of patients' conditions, and ensure patients receive adequate rest, food, fluids and nutrients.

Recovery nurses teach patients how to clean their bandages, take medication and care for themselves after they leave the hospital. According to the U. Recovery nurses' wages depend on experience, training and geographic location. Nurses with advanced education, and those who are experts in different fields of medicine, generally take home more than those without extra qualifications.

The BLS estimates employment for all registered nurses will increase by 26 percent between and The type of patients a PACU nurse sees will depend on the type of surgery being undertaken. The patient type is also dependent on the facility and the services it offers.

Day surgery PACU nurses may be dealing with patients who have had short procedures requiring light anaesthetic while in larger hospitals PACU may be dealing with ICU patients or trauma patients undergoing lengthy surgery. PACU nurses assist with post-op pain management, nausea and vomiting, observations and occasional airway emergencies. On a regular basis, she takes the patient's vital signs, such as blood pressure, pulse and temperature. The nurse ensures that the patient is breathing properly and administers oxygen when needed.

Recovery room nurses must react rapidly to signs of negative physical changes, calling for assistance and beginning cardiopulmonary resuscitation if necessary.

Pain intervention is another important part of the job description of a recovery room nurse. The nurse observes patients to assess their comfort level, asks patients about their level of pain, and administers pain medications that have been prescribed. He notifies the physician if more pain medication appears to be needed. The nurse must be able to use patient-controlled pumps, and intravenous and epidural infusions.