How To Become A Perianesthesia Nurse: What It Is and Career Path

What is a perianesthesia nurse and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted expert

Earlene Masi

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a perianesthesia nurse. For example, did you know that they make an average of $27.17 an hour? That's $56,513 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 195,400 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a perianesthesia nurse?

Earlene Masi

Assistant Professor of Exercise Science, Anderson University

Always be true to yourself. In any situation, never be afraid to ask for help. As you enter the workforce, remember communication is critical, always be a team player, and always be open to change. Remember to try and find a job that you enjoy, and that gives you a sense of fulfillment.

ScorePerianesthesia NurseUS Average

Salary

4.4

Avg. Salary $56,513

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.42%

Asian 9.63%

Black or African American 7.51%

Hispanic or Latino 6.98%

Unknown 4.11%

White 71.36%

Gender

female 94.12%

male 5.88%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.1

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a perianesthesia nurse

Explore perianesthesia nurse education requirements

Most common perianesthesia nurse degrees

Bachelor's

50.0 %

Associate

31.6 %

Master's

15.8 %

Start to develop specific perianesthesia nurse skills

Skills	Percentages
PACU	19.23%
BLS	13.87%
Acls	10.93%
Vital Signs	10.47%
Administer IV	6.00%

Complete relevant perianesthesia nurse training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New perianesthesia nurses learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a perianesthesia nurse based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real perianesthesia nurse resumes.

Research perianesthesia nurse duties and responsibilities

Administer medications, evaluate prescription needs and facilitate prescription management, chemotherapy teaching, assess and manage chemotherapy side effects.
Charge nurse mainly in phase 2 and occasionally in main PACU.
Receive patients from PACU, monitor, educate patient and family members regarding post operative discharge instructions.
Complete unit-based chemotherapy administration education.

Prepare your perianesthesia nurse resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your perianesthesia nurse resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a perianesthesia nurse resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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