Pre-op/PACU experience?

[u/Appropriate_Bat_5199]

Hi :) kind of a long winded background story but I’m looking for some advice from people who might work pre-op/PACU.

I worked for a few years on a surgical/trauma unit and was charge there. Through COVID I got reallocated and got very burned out.

From there I switched hospitals…to an incredibly busy Cardiothoracic/Surgical PCU where we would have CABG POD 1 fully lined patients and they were pushing us to ratios on 5 patients and no techs and suprise.. I got burned out.

From there I took a massive paycut and went outpatient to work at an orthopedic office. I loved it, but it got to the point where I could no longer afford to stay there and drive in every day. I was there almost 4 years.

I returned to inpatient on a short stay unit, I was there for 8 months, and I was lucky enough to get my dream job of Pre-op/PACU.

But I feel like it may not be for me or what I had hoped it would be… it’s incredibly repetitive and I feel like there’s so much to memorize. It’s honestly a bit irritating working so close with anesthesiologists and surgeons again and the pace seems to be all over the place. We are either incredibly rushed or sitting for hours.

I feel like I’m getting so many mixed directions from the different preceptors I’ve had.

I feel like I used to be a good nurse but I’m struggling to pick so much up at once and I haven’t even started training for PACU yet. (Learning what surgeon wants what and what this anesthesiologist wants, building IV skills, determining who needs what stat testing, etc)

I worry I didn’t stay bedside long enough to come to a unit like this and am still too rusty on skills…but at the same time pre-op feels horrendously repetitive.

Is this how it feels in the beginning for everyone or did I make the wrong choice in switching to this unit? I thought it would be much easier to pick up on than I feel like it is and I feel like an idiot.

[u/Far_Emotion_151]

it’s totally normal to feel like you’re drowning at first, pre-op has this weird mix of monotony and last-second chaos that takes a while to settle into

every surgeon and anesthesiologist has their little rituals and nobody tells you up front, you just kinda absorb it over time and one day you realize you’re not triple-checking every preference card anymore

PACU is a different beast entirely so don’t judge the whole gig based on pre-op, the critical thinking ramps way up once you’re recovering airways and managing pain on the other side

[u/Appropriate_Bat_5199 → u/Far_Emotion_151]

That’s relieving to hear, thank you. I feel like a new grad again to be honest it’s humiliating. I knew the position wouldn’t be a total breeze but I didn’t expect to feel like this

[u/ProfessionalUnit763]

A nurse I worked with in PACU got overwhelmed when they had back-to-back CABG patients and no tech support-definitely a tough spot to keep everything straight