Walk into your first PACU shift already knowing what to do.
The free The New PACU Nurse First-Shift Survival Kit gives you the checklists real post-anesthesia nurses use — bay setup, the handoff questions to ask out loud, your first five minutes, SBAR, and the red flags that mean escalate now.
- Six printable pages built for the badge book in your pocket
- Written for new grads, transfers, and nurses in orientation
- No credit card, no membership, no fluff
Enter your name and email — it lands in your inbox in under a minute, and you can download it immediately on the next page.
Nobody forgets their first PACU patient.
The doors swing open, anesthesia is talking fast, the monitor is alarming, and your brain goes completely blank. Every PACU nurse has stood in that exact spot. The difference between panicking and performing is not talent — it is having a structure you can run every single time.
Six pages. Zero fluff.
Every page is printable, checklist-driven, and written the way a preceptor would actually say it to you at the bedside.
Everything set up before the doors swing open, so you are never digging for equipment mid-handoff.
- Suction assembled, plugged in, and tested — canister and tubing ready
- Oxygen source connected; correct delivery device sized for your patient
- Bag-valve-mask within arm's reach and functional
The questions that turn a rushed report into a safe one. Ask them out loud. Every time.
- What procedure was actually performed, and did the plan change?
- What type of anesthesia — general, regional, spinal/epidural, MAC, or a block?
- Was the airway difficult? What airway device was used and when was it removed?
Look at the patient before you look at the computer. Charting can wait five minutes. Airway cannot.
- AIRWAY — Is it patent? Snoring, stridor, or obstruction? Do they need repositioning, a jaw thrust, or an airway adjunct?
- BREATHING — Rate, depth, effort, symmetry, breath sounds, oxygen saturation trend, is the patient splinting?
- CIRCULATION — Blood pressure compared with their baseline, heart rate and rhythm, perfusion, dressings and drains for bleeding
Fill in the blanks and you sound like a nurse who has been doing this for ten years.
- SITUATION — "This is ___, RN in PACU calling about ___ in bay ___, your ___ from today. The problem is ___."
- BACKGROUND — Procedure, anesthesia type, time out of the operating room, pertinent history, intra-op events, last doses given
- ASSESSMENT — Current vital signs, the trend rather than a single number, pain score, level of consciousness, dressing and drain status, and what you think is going on
The things that should make you call for help now, not after one more set of vitals.
- Airway compromise — stridor, obstruction, an inability to protect the airway, or repeated desaturation off stimulation
- Respiratory depression — a falling respiratory rate, apnea, or somnolence that will not stimulate awake
- Sudden or sustained hypotension, new arrhythmia, or unexplained tachycardia
Rate yourself weekly. Watching the numbers move is how you prove to yourself that you are growing.
- Setting up my bay independently
- Receiving anesthesia handoff and asking clarifying questions
- Completing my first-five-minute assessment without prompting
Who this kit is for
You went straight from pinning to post-anesthesia. This gives you a repeatable structure for every patient who rolls in.
Med-surg, ER, ICU, endoscopy, or the OR — you already have skills. This maps them onto the PACU workflow fast.
When your brain blanks with your preceptor watching, you need a checklist, not a lecture. That is what this is.
A shared framework so you and your orientee are assessing, reporting, and escalating the same way.
Back to basics before a CPAN attempt, a float assignment, or a return from time away from the bedside.
Baddie RN is a nurse education platform, not a content farm.
Everything we publish is written from real post-anesthesia practice — the free guides, the cheat sheets, the daily rhythm strips, and the CPAN-style question banks inside the app. This kit is the same standard, just free.
One email, one download, zero pressure. Print it before your next shift.
When you're ready for more than a checklist
The kit is free forever. The Baddie RN app is the optional next step — CPAN-style question banks, adaptive mock exams, EKG and crash cart drills, specialty hubs, and AI mentors. Membership is $9.99 per month, $99 per year, or a one-time $149 for lifetime access. The website stays free.
Questions, answered
Is the PACU Survival Kit really free?
Yes. It is a free printable PDF. No credit card, no membership, and no purchase is required. Enter your first name and email and it is delivered to you right away.
Is this only for new graduate nurses?
No. It was written with new PACU nurses in mind, but it is built for anyone new to post-anesthesia care — including experienced nurses transferring in from another specialty.
Can experienced nurses use the kit?
Absolutely. Experienced PACU nurses use it as a refresher, as a precepting framework, and as a structure for orienting new staff.
Does this replace my hospital's orientation or policies?
No. It is an educational study and preparation aid only. Your facility's policies, protocols, provider orders, and formal orientation always come first.
Do I need a paid Baddie RN membership?
Not for this kit. Membership is optional and unlocks the full question banks, adaptive exams, drills, and AI mentors. Pricing is $9.99 per month, $99 per year, or $149 one-time for lifetime access.
Will I receive nursing emails after downloading?
You will receive the email containing your kit. Ongoing educational and promotional emails are only sent if you check the optional marketing box, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Free download. Print it tonight, use it tomorrow.