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Post-anesthesia care unit nurse vs nurse

The differences between post-anesthesia care unit nurses and nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a post-anesthesia care unit nurse and a nurse. Additionally, a post-anesthesia care unit nurse has an average salary of $81,716, which is higher than the $57,564 average annual salary of a nurse.

The top three skills for a post-anesthesia care unit nurse include patients, BLS and PACU. The most important skills for a nurse are patients, home health, and CPR.

Post-anesthesia care unit nurse vs nurse overview

Post-Anesthesia Care Unit NurseNurse
Yearly salary$81,716$57,564
Hourly rate$39.29$27.68
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs417,150696,124
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

Post-anesthesia care unit nurse vs nurse salary

Post-anesthesia care unit nurses and nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

Post-Anesthesia Care Unit NurseNurse
Average salary$81,716$57,564
Salary rangeBetween $50,000 And $131,000Between $38,000 And $86,000
Highest paying CityBoston, MASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateMassachusettsCalifornia
Best paying companyDignity HealthConviva
Best paying industryHealth CareGovernment

Differences between post-anesthesia care unit nurse and nurse education

There are a few differences between a post-anesthesia care unit nurse and a nurse in terms of educational background:

Post-Anesthesia Care Unit NurseNurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Post-anesthesia care unit nurse vs nurse demographics

Here are the differences between post-anesthesia care unit nurses' and nurses' demographics:

Post-Anesthesia Care Unit NurseNurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 15.7% Female, 84.3%Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between post-anesthesia care unit nurse and nurse duties and responsibilities

Post-anesthesia care unit nurse example responsibilities.

  • Manage patients' pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions and monitoring patients' responses.
  • Do preop teaching, draw labs and perform EKG's prior to surgery.
  • Maintain and care for arterial/venous sheaths sites, as well as medication titration pre and post op.
  • Provide leadership in improving and sustaining the quality and effectiveness of the care provide by PACU nursing and ancillary staff.
  • Assess post-operative surgical patients for anesthesia complications
  • Monitor for hemorrhagic changes and lingering affects of anesthesia.
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Nurse example responsibilities.

  • Monitor patients' status during surgery (circulate in operating room) and manage patients in PACU.
  • Manage high-acuity cardiac/pulmonary and psychiatric patients
  • Monitor patients for cardiac rhythm changes and implement medication according to ACLS guidelines.
  • Educate patients and families on diseases processes, medications, wind care, and iv infusion.
  • Provide care for patients on medical/surgical, transplant, cardiac, orthopedic, postpartum, neonatal ICU, and psychiatric units
  • Demonstrate competence in CPR and other medical emergency situations.
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Post-anesthesia care unit nurse vs nurse skills

Common post-anesthesia care unit nurse skills
  • Patients, 22%
  • BLS, 16%
  • PACU, 16%
  • Acls, 12%
  • Anesthesia Care, 9%
  • Acute Care, 6%
Common nurse skills
  • Patients, 21%
  • Home Health, 7%
  • CPR, 6%
  • BLS, 6%
  • Acute Care, 5%
  • Acls, 4%

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