PACU Nurse

Children's National Hospital; Washington; On-site; USD 50,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

Children’s National Hospital is seeking a registered nurse for PACU in Washington, DC. The RN will deliver comprehensive postoperative care for a variety of patients, manage airway postoperatively, and collaborate with the care team to ensure safety and timely interventions.

Requirements include a BSN, 2 years PACU or critical care experience, and certifications in CPR and PALS. The role emphasizes leadership, evidence-based practice, and adherence to safety and hospital policies.

Qualifications

• BSN from an approved school of nursing; licensure to practice in DC or state with transferability.
• Minimum 2 years PACU experience or equivalent critical care experience.
• Strong airway management and knowledge of anesthetic agents required.
• Ability to adapt to changes, complete assignments on time, and think critically.
• Demonstrated teamwork and professional behavior with staff and physicians.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and manage postoperative airway and ventilation as needed.
• Monitor cardiopulmonary function and oxygen saturation.
• Provide timely pain management and participate in care planning.
• Support change, leadership initiatives, and Magnet-related activities.
• Communicate care plans and advocate for patient needs across teams.
• Adhere to safety standards and ensure accurate handoffs and documentation.

Skills

Airway management

Analgesia knowledge

Critical thinking

Team collaboration

Assessment skills

BLS certification

CPR

PALS

Education

BSN

Job description

Kids Are Our Everything.

Department

10355 PACU

Pay Range

$36.11 - $63.99

All nursing practice is based on the legal scope of practice, national and specialty nursing standards, Children’s National Policies and Procedures, and
in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. The professional Model of Care require registered professional nurses to be responsible and
accountable for their own practice. Children’s National support the development of RN relationships with the community; specifically those
relationships associated with the health and well being of the community at large. A RN is an independent practitioner who functions as an identified
resource to staff in a patient care area. H/She will provide comprehensive patient care to a variety of patients. Incorporate all members of the health care team in the planning and delivery of patient care. Will deal successfully with complex clinical problems. Conduct quick assessment of patients and
handle emergency situations appropriately . Demonstrate evidence based practice through participation in unit projects and activities.

Minimum Education

BSN Graduated from an approved school of nursing (Preferred)

Minimum Work Experience

2 years P ACU experience required or related clinical nursing experience in a comparable setting such as critical care or Peds ED. (Required)

Required Skills/Knowledge

The licensed Registered Nurse will successfully complete the hospital and nursing orientation at Children’s National.
Must have strong skills of airway management and knowledge of anesthetic agents.
Excel in organizational skills, adjust for changes and be able to complete assignment on time.
Role model critical thinking skills by problem-solving patient care and unit/system issues.
Demonstrate a collegial and respectful relationship with peers, physicians and other departments.
Care will incorporate best practices based on benchmarks and evidence within the literature.

Required Licenses and Certifications

Registered Nurse in District of Columbia (Required)Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) (Required)
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) (Required)
Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN) (Preferred) And
Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse (CPAN) (Preferred)

Functional Accountabilities

• Evaluate and manage patient’s airway postoperatively including breakthrough laryngospasms; apply knowledge of the physiological changes to the airway postoperatively as a consequence of anesthesia and surgery .
• Perform manual intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV).
• Be aware of the risk factors that contribute to the condition and make decisions when caring for patients and families.
• Monitor cardiopulmonary function, airway patency, and oxygen saturation.
• Provide prompt care to minimize the incidence of emergence delirium; maintain safety environment while patient experiencing emergence delirium.
• Evaluate and treat post-operative pain in a timely manner with appropriate intervention.
• Manage epidural administration of local anesthetics and opioids.
• Manage patients with central neuraxial and peripheral nerve blocks.
• Monitor complications associated with administration of analgesics and act promptly to minimize adverse incidents. Transformational Leadership
• Contribute to Magnet re-designation as evidenced by independent involvement or leadership in: committees, task force and/or community outreach.
• Communication reflects development of plan of care and ability to advocate to meet patients’ needs; make suggestions for resolution of system issues.
• Role model procedures for escalation of issues and utilize chain of command.
• Demonstrate proper use of identified hand off processes; follow up on inconsistent practice related to handoff.
• Take the lead in implementing change and support management decisions.
• Role model behavior reflecting empathy, concern and a desire to help others. Structural Empowerment
• Independently maintain regulatory requirements e.g. license, BLS.
• Initiate professional activities to enhance nursing practice.
• Engage in active review of peers giving constructive feedback through timely participation in evaluations.
• Role model adherence to national safety standards and service excellence standards; champion advancement of education and certification.
• Orchestrate involvement of the healthcare team and role model professional behavior and teamwork with co-workers.
• Serve as a resource as needed and know when to escalation to next level Exemplary Professional Practice
• Analyze assessment data gathered from patient and family to ensure completion of database and plan of care within identified timeframes.
• Role model excellent clinical skills with complex patients; care will reflect analysis of patient status and appropriate interventions.
• Direct prioritization and organization for complex patient with rapidly changing needs.
• Documentation will exemplify adherence to the highest standards of practice.
• Anticipate and proactively plan for educational needs verify with patient and family throughout the hospital/outpatient stay and prior to discharge.
• Role Model care in all encounters with patient and family as evidenced by feedback from parents and an increase in patient satisfaction scores. Safety
• Speak up when team members appear to exhibit unsafe behavior or performance
• Continuously validate and verify information needed for decision making or documentation
• Stop in the face of uncertainty and takes time to resolve the situation
• Demonstrate accurate, clear and timely verbal and written communication
• Actively promote safety for patients, families, visitors and co-workers
• Attend carefully to important details - practicing Stop, Think, Act and Review in order to self-check behavior and performance

The disclosed salary range includes the minimum and maximum rates within which Children’s National believes an individual’s base pay rate will fall for this position. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the maximum of the pay range. The exact pay rate for this position will be based on a variety of factors in alignment with the Children’s National compensation philosophy. These factors are legitimate and non-discriminatory including, but not limited to, the current market conditions; organizational needs; the individual’s combination of prior work experience, level of education, knowledge, skills, and other qualifications. Children’s National is committed to providing a fair and competitive total rewards package to each of our employees. This base salary range does not include our comprehensive benefits package or any additional compensation for which this position may be eligible.

Childrens National Hospital is an equal opportunity employer that evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, identity, or other characteristics protected by law. The “Know Your Rights” poster is available here: and the pay transparency policy is available here:Know Your RightsPay Transparency Nondiscrimination Poster.

Please note that it is the policy of Children’s National Hospital to ensure a “drug-free” work environment: a workplace free from the illegal use, possession or distribution of controlled substances (as defined in the Controlled Substances Act), or the misuse of legal substances, by all staff (management, employees and contractors). Though recreational and medical marijuana are now legal in the District of Columbia, Children’s National and its affiliates maintain the right, in accordance with our policy, to enforce a drug-free workplace, including prohibiting recreational or prescribed marijuana.