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Post-anesthesia care unit nurse vs registered nurse

The differences between post-anesthesia care unit nurses and registered 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 registered nurse. Additionally, a post-anesthesia care unit nurse has an average salary of $81,716, which is higher than the $73,349 average annual salary of a registered nurse.

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

Post-anesthesia care unit nurse vs registered nurse overview

Post-Anesthesia Care Unit NurseRegistered Nurse
Yearly salary$81,716$73,349
Hourly rate$39.29$35.26
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs417,150646,159
Job satisfaction-2.75
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Associate Degree, 46%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

Post-anesthesia care unit nurse vs registered nurse salary

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

Post-Anesthesia Care Unit NurseRegistered Nurse
Average salary$81,716$73,349
Salary rangeBetween $50,000 And $131,000Between $45,000 And $117,000
Highest paying CityBoston, MASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateMassachusettsCalifornia
Best paying companyDignity HealthNORCAL Ambulance
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between post-anesthesia care unit nurse and registered nurse education

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

Post-Anesthesia Care Unit NurseRegistered Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Associate Degree, 46%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Post-anesthesia care unit nurse vs registered nurse demographics

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

Post-Anesthesia Care Unit NurseRegistered Nurse
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 15.7% Female, 84.3%Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7%
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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between post-anesthesia care unit nurse and registered 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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Registered nurse example responsibilities.

  • Manage patient care for individuals with multiple diagnoses including COPD, diabetes, stroke and cardiac issues.
  • Organize and manage regular clinics involving external physicians, including ophthalmology, ENT, Med/Surg, orthopedics, and podiatry professionals.
  • Manage surgical recovery patients including vascular, ENT, GI urological and neurological cases, coronary bypass surgery patients.
  • Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
  • Provide care for cardiac patients in arrhythmia critical care unit, providing patient education and monitoring telemetry
  • Re-Cover surgical patients immediately after heart and vascular surgery until transfer out of ICU.
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Post-anesthesia care unit nurse vs registered nurse skills

Common post-anesthesia care unit nurse skills
  • Patients, 22%
  • BLS, 16%
  • PACU, 16%
  • Acls, 12%
  • Anesthesia Care, 9%
  • Acute Care, 6%
Common registered nurse skills
  • Patients, 24%
  • BLS, 10%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Acute Care, 5%
  • Acls, 5%
  • Home Health, 4%

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