Division of Nursing – Nursing Unit Highlights
Division of Nursing – Nursing Units – Pre Surgical Care Unit and Post Anesthesia Care Unit
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Highlight on PSCU and PACU The Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), located in the basement of the 1983 building, consists of 15 beds and operates from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM with one RN on call during “after hours” and weekends. The following procedures are done in PACU: bone marrow biopsies, electroconvulsive therapy, trans-esophageal echocardiogram, cardioversions, pain blocks, lumbar punctures, nerve blocks, invasive hemo-dynamic monitoring, central line insertion and pain management. The predominant patient populations served are adults and geriatric patients. Occasional patient populations are infant, adolescent and pediatric. Commonly performed surgery includes but is not limited to: total joint replacement, laparoscopic procedures, biopsies and neurosurgical procedures. Patients are admitted to the department based on scheduled surgery or procedures and condition meeting criteria for Phase I Recovery. The PACU is responsible for Phase I Recovery of surgical patients and invasive diagnostic procedures. Nursing staff in the PACU provide care for patients including but not limited to insertion of central lines and hemo-dynamic monitoring lines, nerve blocks, epidurals for pain control and anesthesia, blood patches, lumbar punctures, central lines, bone marrow biopsies and pain management. |
