PACU Opens New and Improved UnitBWH Nurse - For and about the Nursing Staff of Brigham and Women's HospitalPACU Opens New and Improved UnitBWH Nurse - For and about the Nursing Staff of Brigham and Women's Hospital

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PACU Opens New and Improved Unit


Staff, BWH leaders and construction and design teams gather for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the opening of the new PACU.

Teamwork, dedication and plenty of input from nursing staff went into designing the new PACU, which opened last month, and now offers an array of features that allows clinical nurses to continue providing excellent care to patients and families in the safest environment.

“It was a complete team effort,” said Jeanne Lanchester, MEd, RN, nurse manager of Pre-Op, Day Surgery and the PACU. “Staff advocated for the creation of a quiet room, which will be used for patients who require additional attention. They also spent many hours at the unit arranging supplies and equipment in a way that enhances their work environment.”

Located adjacent to the former PACU space, the opening of the new unit marks the completion of phase 1 of the redesign that creates a unit with wider corridors and added space around patient beds so family members can spend time at the patient’s side. The next phase includes construction to reconfigure the former PACU space. When complete, the PACU will double in size and patient bays, with approximately 70 bays. Currently the unit cares for an average of 90 to 120 pre-and post-operative patients daily.

Sue Vargas, RN, appreciates the new unit’s added features.

“It’s great to be at the bedside and have a supply cart in reach and find all of the essential materials for patient care,” said the 20-year veteran of the PACU. “Having a computer at the bedside is also a time saver. I’m able to check lab results in an instant with out having to leave the patient and walk to the main desk.”

Another feature is access to a ceiling lift above the bed to help ease repositioning her patient safely and without significant exertion.

Ellen Kaczmarek, RN, said the new PACU is much quieter. The former PACU space doubled as a route for staff to and from the ORs. “You don’t realize how much noise staff, visitors and supply transportation generated,” she said.

Cyndi Slater, BSN, RN, CCRN, PACU nurse in-charge, said the teamwork extended to other departments including Pharmacy, which now stocks two medication Omni cells; Information Services, which is working with the unit to enhance a new patient tracking system that will allow staff to keep track of patients from arrival to unit transfer; and Materials Management staff who helped with stocking the unit.

“This is just the beginning,” she said. “As the project continues to unfold, it will give us more ways to provide great patient care.”