Anybody volunteered in a PACU before?

[FutureMD23]

Just wondering if anyone has ever spent time volunteering in a PACU in a hospital before? I'm starting next week and just wanted to know what to expect? Thanks.

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[FutureMD23]

Yeah, that's kind of what I'm expecting but it's the only volunteer position that has any patient contact at the hospital where I'm at so I figure it will be better than none at all.

 

[pinkpanther88]

I spent a year volunteering in PACU. I enjoyed it b/c it was good people watching, and the nurses were cool. It's usually very busy in the afternoon.

I also did things like transport patients, got them food/drinks if they could have them, ran errands for nurses.

Depending upon where you work it may be a good opportunity to meet a surgeon in order to shadow them.

Have fun!

 

[Girfaroo]

I volunteered for a year in the PACU. It was a lot of restocking supplies and running errands. Occasionally, I would get to help transport patients, but that was about it.

 

[armybound]

I volunteered for a year in the PACU. It was a lot of restocking supplies and running errands. Occasionally, I would get to help transport patients, but that was about it.

same experience here. not the patient interaction experience I was hoping for.

 

[ApothecaryReady]

I did about a year and a half in a PACU - the work itself was mostly getting drinks/blankets for patients and helping nurses transport patients. There is a decent amount of patient interaction, because the patients usually do wake up before leaving the PACU. I did get to go to and meet people in pretty much everywhere else in the hospital, including ICU, and since it is the PACU, got to meet a bunch of surgeons. This translated to some pretty awesome shadowing opportunities and being in the OR for some very cool procedures.

 

[eembzee]

the PACU was pretty chill for me, mostly making gurneys, getting blankets, entering in patient information in the log book, emptying Foleys, JPs, and hemovacs, and transporting patients...you can probably expect something along those lines

have fun!