Phase I in the PACU. What is Phase I?

In this video I discuss the Phase I level of care and staffing ratios for the PACU. I follow ASPAN guidelines for staffing and the basic elements of care associated with Phase I recovery. For further information I recommend reviewing ASPAN'S Perianesthesia Nursing Standards and Practice Recommendations. This can be found at: www.aspan.org/
PACU Nursing Minutes is your premier perianesthesia nursing education resource channel. Here you will find applicable information focused on registered nursing care in the post anesthesia care unit, PACU, directed towards recovery post-surgery. PACU Nursing Minutes will review evidence-based practice, that can be applied today!
The short videos are intended to guide you towards further research and education as you become an expert in perianesthesia nursing practice. Are you thinking of getting your CPAN®, Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse, well, tune in here as we discuss many of the core topics covered on the CPAN® certification test? On the PACU Nursing Minutes channel I’ll share with you specific and essential education on providing pre- and post-operative, perianesthesia nursing care.
Are you a nurse working in the ER, ICU, or step-down and considering a new chapter in your nursing career? Well, PACU Nursing Minutes is your channel to brush up on basic concepts of perianesthesia nursing, surgery, anesthesia, and common nursing intervention in the post-operative, PACU department and more!
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Cathy Zuniga, BSN, RN, CPAN
[e-mail]
Educating, Equipping and Empowering Nurses!
Creator and founder of PACU Nursing Minutes
Member of ASPAN, PNANA
Nurse of 21 years, I’m passionate about sharing knowledge & supporting the next generation of nurses!

[@DeborahAjayi-nr7kz]

As a PACU nurse you hit the nail in the head with the assessments and what to expect

[@pacunursingminutes]

Thanks Deborah for the validation and thank you for what you do every single day in the care you give!

[@JustALouie]

Thank you for your incredibly helpful video! I'm a PACU nurse and wish I had this video series when I started working in recovery. Will definitely share with other RN's who are interested in pursuing PACU!

[@pacunursingminutes]

Thanks Justin, if you’re interested in learning more I just finished a certification review course for Post anesthesia nursing check it out here. courses.pacunursingminutes.com/courses/cpan-review-course

[@amandaa898]

I’m a PACU CNA after 5 years of medsurge. I’m headed to nursing school and I’ve definitely found where I want to be. ❤

[@pacunursingminutes]

That’s so great to hear Amanda if you’re interested in learning about our pacu nursing basics course check it out here pacunursingminutes.com

[@francauchemefuna6550]

Thank you so much. These videos are very helpful. I look forward to more videos

[@mr2death]

Excellent video. Concise content. Well presented 👏

[@pacunursingminutes]

Much appreciated!

[@EllyJiang]

what is the ratio if there are three stable pediatric patients with all their parents present?

[@lizzytan277]

Love being PACU nurse... former ER nurse....learn so much......

[@dustin4450]

Random question. Had surgery about a year ago. A surgery on my stomach. Woke up in the Recovery room, with 3 female nurses in there and my gown was completely pulled up. I remember kinda just looking around for a few seconds. They were giggling, I dont remember them saying anything, one closest to me pulled my gown back down and I must've fell back outta consciousness right after that. I asked a female nurse friend who works at that hospital, she works in a compleyely different part of the hospital, bit asked her if she thought that was odd. Why were 3 female nurses in the small room? Why was my gown completely pulled up leaving me completely naked? Obviously my condition couldnt been anything serious if they were giggling. I could tell by the look on my friends face and how she basically avoided my questions she didnt want to answer really. In sure she didn't want to reveal any dirty little nurse secrets. So I thought I would try asking nurses on KZbin here to hopefully get an honest answer. So as a PACU nurse is that normal what happened to me? I mean if for some reason they did have to expose me like they did. Why were there 3 female nurses in there. Isnt it kinda unprofessional also if by the outside chance it was necessary to expose me like that to be laughing and giggling while I'm just lying there naked. I mean listen.... all guys have heard stories from female nurse friends at some point on the whole lifting of the gown thing done to guys under anesthesia. So I'm guessing I know exactly what happened to me. Just wanted confirmation basically from a PACU nurse I dont know to confirm it or explain if that was on ANY way necessary what I experienced??? Thank you!

[@forthetasteofblood]

@@dustin4450 Hi Dustin. I'm obviously a little late to your question but as a PACU nurse I wanted to answer because I have seen quite a few posts about thus recently (usually by men) and I can't give a definitive answer but can only answer from my experience. I know that I and those that work for me always try to keep the patient's dignity in tact. When the patient comes out of the OR we have to assess (look at the site) wherever that may be but, say for example it's a stomach surgery, I will raise the gown but cover the genitals with the blankets so they are not exposed. If I am checking the genital area, because of surgery or because they have a foley catheter, I will close the curtains or at least make a shield with the blankets from prying eyes. Sometimes when patients come out their gowns are either not fully own or they are dirty with blood so will will clean and change the patient. Again, we always close the curtains. I don't want to say that this is just where I work because I just can't fathom that's the case. However, I have a family member (male) who is currently in intensive care and his brother informed me that he was left totally exposed and he wasn't comfortable with that. And I agreed that wasn't appropriate. He had a fever so they exposed all of his skin but his genitals could have and should have been covered. I'm really sorry for your (and others) experience but please know that is not the norm or definitely shouldn't be. I would say to bring this to the attention of the higher ups where you were so that the workers can be re-educated. I know I was always taught to think of the patient as yourself or a family member; how would you want yourself or them ti be treated?

[@dustin4450]

@@forthetasteofblood I'm glad you respect male patients privacy. But no I do not believe A LOT of female nurses do. In fact I know they dont. And most guys cant report things because they are sedated n dont know exactly what happened to them. The ONLY way things change is if FEMALE nurses start cracking down on their own... so things will NEVER change. Female nurses know when things go on. You mean to tell me when a cute guy comes through PACU and a bunch of female nurses shuffle in there, they dont know what's going on? Female nurses know. And even the female nurses who dont partake in this stuff BUT turn a blind eye to the ones that do are JUST as complicit. They absolutely would report it if it were male hospital employees doing this to unconscious female patients but they ignore it because its being done to male patients Your brothers incident is NOT isolated. Female nurses INTENTIONALLY leave Male patients, conscious or unconscious, exposed when it isn't NECESSARY. Female nurses dont respect Male patients the way they protect n respect female patients. Not saying all!!!! But yes in general that is true, tget PURPOSELY expose male patients. They just do. Thank you for your response! I appreciate you respecting your patients!

[@forthetasteofblood]

@@dustin4450 Again, I'm sorry that you, and obviously others, have gone through that but I can HONESTLY say I have NEVER seen it done. My coworkers and I are too busy to be worried about a man OR woman's private parts. We are professionals not children. As I said, if that is what happened to you, report it, don't sit in silence. But I will also say that with you being sedated is it possible that you were hallucinating?

[@dustin4450]

@@forthetasteofblood Most us guys hear stories from female nurses. Yes you are right most guys will never fully know what happened to them because of anesthesia. I could go on and on and on and on with WILD stories Two quick ones. A local TV anchor had surgery, word spread through the unit, post surgery whole he was sedated she said basically the entire unit, 25 or so female nurses came through PACU n lifted his gown up. Poor guy never even knew how he was sexually assaulted/humiliated so he cant report anything obviously. Was sitting in a dentist chair years ago, the office was smaller n you could hear the other rooms. I was sitting there alone waiting for the dentist to come in after my cleaning. Could hear the room next to me, a female hygienist and her female patient talking. The were just having casual conversations, started talking about being put under, laughing gas n anesthesia. Then the hygienist said to her female patient that she has a friend who does eye surgeries at our local hospital and she said when a cute guy came through all the female nurses would quick go lift up his gown n "sneak a peak" and both women started laughing. They thought it was HILARIOUS. Again guy cant file a report, never knew obviously. I got a few more stories. So ya there are 4 million female nurses. Let's says only 1 out of 20 do stuff like this. Still makes 200,000 female nursing running around doing this to Male patients. Divided by 50 states. 4,000 nurses doing this stuff in each state each day, you're chance are still decent as a male patient running into them. I must've seen 60-70 medical personnel when I went to the ER, surgery, PACU, then my bed in my unit. It's more common than you think

[@janearc5788]

Hi Cathy, how do you know when patient is ready for extubation? What assessments need to be done?

[@pacunursingminutes]

That is an excellent and complex question Jane and I do plan to cover that in a future video. Stay tuned!

[@janearc5788]

@@pacunursingminutes thank you. Can you also please make a video regarding hand offs and charting. Thank you. All your videos are really informative and helpful.

[@pacunursingminutes]

@@janearc5788 Hi Jane, yes all of those topics are in my pipeline! 😉 Great minds think alike! I would recommend you get a copy of ASPAN clinical practice guidelines, most managers have a copy for reference they have core guidelines for handoff report, etc this is a good place to start!

[@zeezeebo]

Hi, do you need critical care experience to work in PACU?

[@pacunursingminutes]

It’s a common department to hire ER nurses and ICU nurses. In recent years I have seen hiring from all departments and new grads. I highly recommend gaining icu experience it will make you all the more knowledgeable when you have a complex recovery that is needing icu and your holding them due to staffing or beds. It can happen frequently in Pacu. Best of luck to you!

[@4d-dominguezantonettes.850]

is there a phase 3 in pacu??

[@pacunursingminutes]

Extended Recovery is the next phase if they aren't ready for D/C in Phase II.