PACU Registered Nurse

OakLeaf Surgical; Altoona, Northern (WI, KY); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Scrubs provided with laundry service

Free meals

PTO

401(k) with company match

Wellness reimbursement

Job summary

OakLeaf Surgical is seeking a dedicated PACU nurse in Wisconsin to provide high‑quality post‑operative care. You will monitor vital signs, manage airway and pain, and educate patients and families about recovery.

This role includes on‑call coverage and collaboration with anesthesia and surgical teams to ensure safe handoffs and optimal patient outcomes. The ideal candidate has an ADN, current Wisconsin RN license, BLS on hire, and commitment to ongoing ACLS/PALS certification within six months

Qualifications

• ADN from an accredited nursing program.
• Current Wisconsin nursing license.
• BLS certification required upon hire.
• ACLS and PALS within six months of hire.

Responsibilities

• Advocate for patients' rights and provide compassionate care tailored to individual needs.
• Assess health problems and collaborate with healthcare team to develop and evaluate care.
• Educate patients and families on health conditions, medications, and post-surgical care.
• Ensure infection control protocols and safety standards are followed.
• Record care information accurately and promptly in the medical record.
• Respond to emergencies and report incidents per policies.
• Participate in on-call rotations to ensure continuous patient care and surgical support.
• Monitor vital signs and post-anesthesia recovery, adjusting care as needed.
• Administer prescribed medications and manage post-operative symptoms.

Skills

Medical Terminology

EMR systems

HIPAA compliance

English communication

Attention to detail

Customer service

Teamwork

Independent work

Continuous learning

Education

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)

Tools

Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems

Job description

Hours:

• .8 FTE - 32 hours per week
• 8-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.