Abstract
This article was written for intensive care unit (ICU) nurses who find themselves having to recover surgical patients from anesthesia, whether they are critical care patients or acute care patients to be transferred to a regular nursing unit after recovery. Intensive care orientation programs may not adequately address the care of postanesthesia patients. This inadequacy manifests itself in the stress that intensive care nurses experience in caring for their patients. It may also present as a discomfort among anesthesia personnel with leaving a patient in the ICU postoperatively, and a lack of rapport between ICU nurses and anesthesia personnel. This article presents specific, practical information about nursing care of patients recovering from anesthesia, building on the existing assessment and interventional skills of the critical care nurse. It discusses the roles of the anesthesiologist, nurse anesthetist, and the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) nurse, and the types of anesthesia often seen in ICU recovery patients. It also covers preparation activities that can make the recovery process progress smoothly and offers tips and suggestions based on the author's experience related to special needs of postanesthesia patients that differ from the typical ICU patient.