Registered Nurse - Post Anesthesia Care Unit/Ambulatory Surgery Unit

Department of Veterans Affairs

The Perioperative Post Anesthesia Care Unit & Ambulatory Surgery Unit (PACU-ASU) Critical Care Nurse is a professional registered nurse (RN) who is responsible and accountable for all elements of the nursing process along the Perioperative continuum of care - PeriAnesthesia, Post-anesthesia Phase I, Phase II, and Extended Care. The incumbent provides care to all surgical and procedural service specialties.

• The PACU-ASU Critical Care RN assumes the following major duties and responsibilities: 1. Competent in charge nurse and preceptor duties. 2. Practice affects unit, team, or workgroup level to improve care. 3. Practices independently. 4. Organizes and coordinates staff and resources to identify problems, issues, and needs to improve existing processes at the unit, team, or workgroup level. 5. Looks for opportunities to improve practice or functions at the unit level for a group of patients, using group process to accomplish this by organizing, leading, or facilitating interdisciplinary team meeting(s). 6. Precepts and mentors others by coordinating patient care and collaborating with other disciplines/ departments to achieve desired patient outcomes. 7. Precepts and coaches others on appropriate management of mechanically ventilated patients. 8. Precepts and coaches others on safe and therapeutic care of the patient with epicardial and transvenous pacing. 9. Able to lead resuscitation efforts of a patient during a code blue or rapid response situation. 10.Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to quickly analyze problems, determine appropriate level of intervention, and develop and apply effective solutions. 11.Assists the UPC and the Nurse Manager in the development, maintenance, and implementation of the Units Score Card, addressing process related to the feedback from All Employee Survey. 12.Proactively makes leadership choices to prioritize Veteran-Centered needs, operating within allocated resources, and takes the initiative to find solutions to operational challenges. 13.Functions as an expert in clinical practice and/or areas related to the assignment of roles and responsibilities. 14.Guides, develops, and supports staff from a leadership perspective. 15.Assumes leadership role in identifying policies procedures, standards, guidelines, and protocols requiring review or revision. 16.Performs other duties as assigned. Preferred Experience: Current, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license; Minimum of two (2) years of current experience in a Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) providing critical care-level services; Demonstrated competency in managing patients across the perioperative continuum, including Phase I (immediate post-anesthesia), Phase II (recovery), and extended care settings; Strong clinical skills in airway management, hemodynamic monitoring, pain control, and post-anesthesia recovery; Experience caring for a wide range of surgical and procedural patient populations; Current Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications; Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse (CPAN) credential; Ability to independently assess, plan, implement, and evaluate patient care in a fast-paced, high-acuity environment; Demonstrated leadership abilities, including charge nurse responsibilities, precepting, and mentoring staff; Experience with mechanical ventilation, cardiac monitoring, and emergency response (e.g., code blue, rapid response); Strong critical thinking, problem-solving, and organizational skills; Effective communication and collaboration skills across interdisciplinary teams; and Commitment to adhering to established policies, standards of care, and professional nursing practice. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 0500 - 2200. To be discussed during interview Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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