Innovations in care: the nurse practitioner in the PACU.
Recognizing the advantages of the advanced practice nurse (APN), an urban medical center of 500+ beds created an innovative position. The decision was made to hire a nurse practitioner to manage patients seen in the busy PACU. This article is a description of the program. The article includes background, objectives, qualifications of the practitioner, collaborative practice agreement, delineation of privileges, and educational plan. The role description and daily practice plan of the practitioner are also discussed.
Federico
Anne
A
Post-Anesthesia Care Unit, NYU Hospital Centers, New York, NY 10016, USA. Anne.federico@med.nyu.edu
D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D002568:Certification; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D003479:Curriculum; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007587:Job Description; D008504:Medical Staff Privileges / Q000458:organization & administration; D009519:New York City; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D010560:Personnel Selection; D016528:Postanesthesia Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation