PACU Registered Nurse

OakLeaf Surgical Hospital; Altoona (WI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Health Savings Account with employer

Free scrubs with laundry service

Free meals

PTO

401(k) retirement plan with 4% company

Wellness reimbursement

Job summary

OakLeaf Surgical Hospital in Altoona, Wisconsin is seeking a PACU Registered Nurse (RN) to provide high-quality post‑anesthesia care for patients recovering from surgery or procedures. You will monitor vitals, manage pain, and collaborate with anesthesia and surgical teams to ensure safe handoffs and smooth recoveries.

The role requires an ADN, Wisconsin RN license, BLS, ACLS/PALS within six months, and a patient‑focused approach in a fast-paced environment with on‑call responsibilities.

Qualifications

• ADN required and must be eligible for U.S. employment.
• Current Wisconsin RN licensure and BLS certification required.

Responsibilities

• Monitor patients post-anesthesia recovery and vital signs.
• Administer pain control and post-op medications.
• Collaborate with anesthesia and surgical teams for safe handoffs.
• Educate patients and families on post-operative care.
• Adhere to infection control and safety standards.

Skills

EMR systems

HIPAA knowledge

English communication

Nursing terminology

Education

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)

Tools

None

Job description

The PACU Registered Nurse (RN) is responsible for providing critical, high-quality care to patients recovering from anesthesia following surgical or procedural interventions. Working a fast-paced environment, the PACU RN performs continuous monitoring, manages pain and post-anesthesia symptoms, and responds to urgent clinical needs during the immediate post-operative period.

Hours:

• 1.0 FTE - 40 hours per week
• 10-hour shifts

Essential Job Functions:

• Advocate for patients’ rights, preferences, and needs, ensuring that they receive high-quality, compassionate care that is tailored to their individual circumstances
• Project a professional demeanor and appearance while maintaining the confidentiality of the patient, coworkers, and the organization, as appropriate
• Assess patient health problems and needs to develop, implement, and evaluate care in collaboration with healthcare team
• Educate patients and their families on health conditions, medications, treatment care, and post surgical care
• Ensure infection control protocols and safety standards are followed in all aspects of patient care
• Promptly record all care information concisely, accurately, and completely
• Respond to emergency situations using appropriate interventions
• Promptly report and document any occurrences of unusual events, safety concerns, or incidents in accordance with organization policies and procedures
• Participate in the department’s on‑call rotation and respond promptly to call‑ins to ensure continuous patient care and surgical support as needed
• Continuously assess vital signs, airway, consciousness, pain level, and surgical site for stability following anesthesia
• Manage airway, administer oxygen, suction as needed, and respond rapidly to changes in condition, including respiratory or cardiac complications
• Administer prescribed medications and interventions to manage pain, nausea, and other post‑operative symptoms; monitor effectiveness
• Recognize and act upon early signs of post‑operative complications or adverse reactions and report to anesthesia and provider promptly
• Accurately record assessments, interventions, medications administered, and patient responses in the medical record in a timely manner
• Provide post‑op instructions and emotional support; ensure patients and caregivers understand recovery expectations prior to transfer or discharge
• Collaborate with anesthesia, surgical teams, and inpatient unit to ensure safe and efficient patient handoffs and transitions of care
• Safety transfer patients to appropriate unit or discharge them per protocol once discharge criteria are met
• Provides for accurate care and handling of specimens
• Observes, checks, and monitors all equipment used during surgery to confirm it is functioning properly, removes any malfunctioning equipment from service, and reports it in the appropriate manner
• Review postoperative instructions, prescriptions, and post‑op instructions from the provider with patient and family
• Assists in positioning and responding to the comfort and safety of the patient
• May be cross‑trained and assigned to other nursing departments within the hospital, with responsibility for carrying out the essential functions of the assigned role
• Use the organization’s secure messaging platform in accordance with departmental protocols, including timely receipt and responses to communications
• Perform other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Medical Terminology
• Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems
• Quality assurance and accreditation standards
• Understanding of HIPAA regulations, patient confidentiality laws and patient rights
• Effective English communication in verbal and written format
• Quality work including attention to detail and accuracy
• Carry out customer service standards
• Basic computer proficiency
• Carry out organization customer service standards
• Prioritize tasks effectively through managing workload based on urgency and importance
• Capacity to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Continuously learn and improve through staying up to date on job specific trends, policies, and new technologies
• Successfully demonstrate organization‑wide performance review competencies

Qualifications:

• Demonstrates eligibility for employment in the U.S.
• Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from an accredited nursing program required
• Current licensure in the State of Wisconsin
• BLS certification is required upon hire
• Must be able to achieve ACLS and PALS certification within six months of hire
• Previous PACU, CCU, or ER nursing experience is preferred
• Must possess a cell phone that interfaces with the organization’s secure messaging system
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
• Health Savings Account with an employer contribution
• Free scrubs with laundry service
• Free meals
• PTO
• 401(k) retirement plan with 4% company match
• Wellness reimbursement

Equal Employment Opportunity & Work Force Diversity

Our organizationis an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, creed, sex, religion, marital status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, parental status, sexual orientation, veteran status, genetic testing results or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state or local laws. This practice relates to all personnel matters such as compensation, benefits, training, promotions, transfers, layoffs, etc.Furthermore, our organizationiscommitted to going beyond the legal requirements of equal employment opportunity to take positive actions which ensure diversity in the workplace and result in a multi‑cultural organization.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.