About Careertakes

👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Healthcare & Nursing.

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

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Overview

Confidential Client is seeking a Registered Nurse for the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) in Iowa City, IA. This contract, full-time role involves providing high-quality postoperative care to surgical patients, monitoring recovery from anesthesia, collaborating with anesthesia and surgical teams, and ensuring safe discharge from PACU. The position offers a salary range of $73,696 - $122,961 per year (range provided by source).

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What You’ll Do

• Monitor and assess patients recovering from anesthesia — vital signs, airway, neurologic status, pain, and surgical site.
• Provide immediate post-op nursing care including airway management, medication administration, IV/fluids, and pain control.
• Implement PACU protocols and apply appropriate discharge criteria; communicate care plans and changes to surgeons/anesthesia providers.
• Recognize and respond to complications or emergencies; initiate appropriate interventions and escalate when necessary.
• Document patient status, interventions, and disposition accurately and in a timely manner in the medical record.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams (anesthesia, surgery, recovery staff, transport, and unit nurses) to ensure continuity of care.
• Educate patients and families about post-anesthesia care, mobility, pain management, and discharge instructions.

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Minimum Qualifications

• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• Graduate of an accredited nursing program (accreditation by ACEN or CCNE preferred).
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration/licensure as a Registered Nurse in any U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
• Graduate Nurse Technician (GNT) exception may be available in limited circumstances: candidates who meet education requirements but lack licensure may be appointed temporarily while actively pursuing licensure (per client policy).
• Ability to meet any job-specific grade/level criteria established by the hiring client (education, experience and practice dimensions).
• Ability to safely perform the physical duties of PACU nursing and to participate in a pre-employment examination/evaluation as required.

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Preferred Experience

• Prior PACU or critical care nursing experience preferred.
• Experience with post-anesthesia assessments, advanced monitoring, and acute care interventions.

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Compensation & Employment Type

• Salary range: $73,696 - $122,961 per year (provided by source).
• Employment Type: Contract, Full-time.
• Benefits and other employment terms provided per Confidential Client policy.

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Additional Information

• A pre-employment physical or evaluation may be required.
• Reasonable accommodations are available for candidates with disabilities; contact Careertakes if you need assistance during the application or interview process.
• Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States; any background checks, credential verification, or other pre-employment checks will follow Confidential Client policies and applicable law.

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Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency

Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.

If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.