Post-Anesthesia Care Unit Registered Nurse at Hospital

Sterling St James Inc.; Great Falls (MT); On-site; USD 44,000 - 63,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent nurse-to-patient ratios

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Retirement plan with employer matching

Fully covered malpractice insurance

Generous PTO

Job summary

Sterling St James Inc. is seeking a Hospital PACU Registered Nurse (RN) in Great Falls, MT, for a full-time, on-site position within a hospital setting.

The role emphasizes excellent nurse-to-patient ratios, supportive administration, and teamwork in perioperative care. The ideal candidate has an active Montana RN license (compact/endorsement eligible), ADN or BSN, and BLS/ACLS/PALS certification with 2–4 years of acute care experience.

Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited nursing program (ADN required; BSN preferred).
• Active RN license in Montana or eligibility for compact/endorsement.
• BLS, ACLS, and PALS certifications required on hire.
• 2–4 years of hospital experience in acute medical/surgical or critical care settings.

Responsibilities

• Pre-Operative Preparation: assess, admit, and optimize patients for elective/outpatient procedures.
• Phase I Recovery: monitor and stabilize patients waking from anesthesia, manage airway/ventilation, monitor vitals.
• Advanced Visual & Device Care: care for higher-acuity post-op patients with chest tubes, central lines, arterial lines and short-term ventilator support (training provided).
• Wound & Line Management: monitor incisions, drains, dressings for post-op complications.
• Pain Control: titrate IV analgesics, treat PANV, and manage hypothermia/shivering.
• Observation Unit Care: care for observation patients from ED to post-surgical status.
• Collaborative Leadership: coordinate care with Providers, Anesthesia, Nurse Managers, and LPN/CNA staff.
• Discharge & Transfer Planning: use Aldrete or similar scoring to discharge or hand off to inpatient units.

Skills

Advanced nursing skills

Asepsis principles

IV insertion/management

Computer literacy

Education

RN licensure (Montana)

BLS

ACLS

PALS

Job description

Registered Nurse (RN) – Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) – Hospital

Job Type: Full-Time | On-Site

Setting: Hospital-Based Outpatient Department (HOPD) / Perioperative & Observation

Location: Great Falls, Montana

We have partnered closely with a prominent regional healthcare system to secure a full-time, dedicated nursing professional for their surgical services division. We are currently seeking an experienced Hospital PACU Registered Nurse (RN) to join their clinical team. This position is ideal for an RN looking for a supportive environment that emphasizes excellent nurse-to-patient ratios, robust administrative backing, and a strong culture of teamwork and compassion.

Tucked into a scenic Montana community known for an exceptional quality of life and outdoor recreation, this role provides an ideal balance of professional clinical development and personal lifestyle stability.

Operational Hours: 6:00 AM – 7:30 PM Varied Shifts

Call Requirements: Shared Rotation (~4 weeknights/month + 1 weekend every other month)

• Pre-Operative Preparation: Safely assess, admit, and optimize patients arriving for elective or outpatient surgical procedures, ensuring all pre-op checklists and safety parameters are met.
• Phase I Recovery (Post-Op Monitoring): Closely monitor and stabilize patients waking up from general, regional, or local anesthesia. Manage airway and ventilation (including extubation), track hemodynamic stability, and conduct frequent neurological checks.
• Advanced Visual & Device Care: Recover and monitor higher-acuity post-operative patients with chest tubes, central lines, arterial lines, multiple titration IVs, and those requiring short-term ventilator support (comprehensive training provided if required).
• Wound & Line Management: Perform continuous surveillance of surgical sites, dressings, incisions, and drains (JP drains, Foleys, NG tubes) to catch or prevent post-op complications.
• Symptom & Pain Control: Titrate powerful IV medications to manage acute post-operative pain, treat post-anesthesia nausea/vomiting (PANV), and utilize warming devices to manage hypothermia and shivering.
• Observation Unit Care: Directly care for both medical and surgical observation patients who are admitted to observation beds from the Emergency Department, through direct admission, and/or post-surgical status.
• Collaborative Leadership: Coordinate care plans dynamically with Providers, Anesthesia teams, Nurse Managers, and Charge Nurses. Provide appropriate clinical guidance and directional support to LPNs and CNA staff.
• Discharge & Transfer Planning: Utilize standardized scoring systems (like the Aldrete Score) to safely clear patients for home discharge (Phase II) or execute detailed hand-off reporting to inpatient units (ICU, PCU, Med/Surg).

Qualifications:

• Education: Graduate of an accredited nursing program (Associate Degree in Nursing required; Bachelor of Science in Nursing preferred).
• Licensure: Active, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) licensure in the State of Montana (or immediate compact/endorsement eligibility).
• Certifications: Core certifications in Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) are required upon hire.
• Required Experience: Minimum of 2 to 4 years of recent professional hospital experience specifically within an acute Medical/Surgical or Critical Care nursing environment.
• Preferred Experience: Dedicated background or professional familiarity with Critical Care (ICU) workflows is highly preferred.
• Core Skills: Advanced understanding of basic nursing principles/procedures, strict application of the principles of asepsis, proficient intravenous (IV) insertion/management skills, and basic computer/office technical literacy.

Benefits:

• Excellent nurse-to-patient ratios designed to foster highly personalized care and balanced clinical workloads.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance packages.
• Robust retirement savings plan with a generous employer matching contribution.
• Fully covered medical malpractice insurance.
• Generous paid time off (PTO) allocation to support a healthy work-life balance.

Note on Compensation & Hiring Requirements: Final hourly compensation will be verified and determined by the organization based on your documented years of nursing experience. All job offers are contingent upon the successful completion of standard pre-employment screenings, including a criminal background check, drug screening, and health/immunization verification.

Note on Employment Status: The comprehensive benefits package and compensation structure detailed above are explicitly offered for full-time positions. Eligible benefits may vary or be prorated for part-time arrangements.