Registered Nurse (RN) | Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)

About the Role

Join the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center's Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) as a Full-Time Day Shift Registered Nurse (RN). This is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced PACU RN to bring your clinical expertise to a collaborative, high-performing recovery team committed to delivering safe, exceptional patient care.

In this role, you will care for patients recovering from anesthesia, collaborate with surgeons, anesthesia providers, and multidisciplinary teams, and play a vital role in ensuring outstanding clinical outcomes and an exceptional patient experience. This role is ideal for an experienced PACU RN who thrives in a fast-paced environment, demonstrates exceptional clinical judgment, and is passionate about providing safe, compassionate, high-quality post-anesthesia care while supporting efficient patient throughput and recovery.

Schedule

Full-Time Day Shift: 3 × 12-Hour Shifts (10:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.), including rotating weekends and holidays.

Responsibilities

• Provides independent care to unit-specific patient population; serves as clinical resource for others, utilizes and integrates evidence into practice, functions effectively in roles specific to unit.
• Accountable to patients and families for the processes and outcomes of care during an episode of care.
• Accountable to peers for the advancement of group practice on the unit, and to the nurse manager for the totality of work performance.
• Serves as an effective primary coordinating nurse; collaborates with interdisciplinary team to plan and coordinate care addressing patient/family needs.
• Serves as clinical resource for others.
• Supports charge nurse decisions; performs charge role for assigned shifts as needed.
• Assists in the development of clinical practice protocols and standards for unit.
• Participates in unit-based process activities: Performance Improvement, Professional Development, Clinical Practice, Teamwork, etc.; assists in development of action plans and supports implementation.
• Orients Clinical Nurse I to unit-level decision-making structure and councils.
• Serves as preceptor, coach, mentor to new nurses and students.
• Contributes to ancillary personnel skills and development, attends educational offerings and in-services independently.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Valid Registered Nurse (RN) license in the State of Maryland or Compact eligibility in accordance with MBON, required.
• Valid American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certifications, required.
• Minimum of 2 to 3 years of perioperative nursing experience, including PACU, Pre-Op, or PAT, required.
• Strong clinical assessment, critical thinking, and patient care management skills in a fast-paced perioperative environment, required.
• Five to seven years of perioperative nursing experience, preferred.

Bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.

What Sets Our PACU Apart

• Team Culture: Our PACU team is known for its strong culture of teamwork, adaptability, and patient-centered care. We foster an environment where nurses are respected as critical thinkers and partners in post-operative recovery.
• Leadership: Our unit is led by supportive leadership that values input at all levels and prioritizes clinical excellence and innovation.
• Growth & Development: We provide continuous learning through mentorship, certification support (such as CPAN and CAPA), and access to specialized training in advanced post-anesthesia care practices. Team members are encouraged to participate in shared governance, unit-based councils, and leadership pathways within the department and hospital-wide.
• Collaborative Environment: Our PACU prioritizes open communication, peer support, and a strong preceptorship program for new hires. We hold regular team huddles, encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration, and celebrate team milestones and achievements together. Our leadership is approachable and actively involved in daily operations, ensuring staff feel heard and supported.
• Excellence: Our department consistently exceeds post-op recovery benchmarks, and we’ve received recognition for our low complication rates and climbing patient satisfaction scores.
• Work-Life Balance: We strive to maintain balanced and predictable scheduling, offer wellness resources through our employee assistance program, and regularly incorporate staff appreciation and wellness days. We also emphasize the importance of taking breaks and PTO to recharge and prevent burnout.

Pay

Pay Range: $43.30 - $54.90 per hour. Sign-on bonus and relocation assistance available. Shift, weekend, and holiday differential pay where applicable.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package for full-time, part-time, and PRN staff members.
• Career growth and advancement opportunities within a growing peri-anesthesia and surgical services department.