Work Environments
The core ideology of the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (ASPAN) is to serve nurses "practicing in all phases of preanesthesia and postanesthesia care, ambulatory surgery, and pain management."http://www.aspan.org/AboutUs/CoreIdeology/tabid/3145/Default.aspx The National Association of PeriAnesthesia Nurses of Canada (NAPAN©) promotes leadership to PeriAnesthesia nurses (from the PreAdmission/PreOperative Phase through to the Anesthesia Phase and all of the PostAnesthesia phases) in education, research and adapting to evolving practices in client and health services needs within the Canadian health care system.Preoperative assessment
Nurses are responsible for a large amount of the assessment done in pre-operative clinics, where patients are evaluated for the ability to tolerate anesthetic and screened for factors which may affect the course of the anesthetic experience.Post anesthesia care unit
Nurses provide extensive care to patients in the early stages of emergence from anesthetic and in the immediate post-operative period until they are deemed stable enough to safely transfer to other areas.Ambulatory care
There is a large number of procedures that are performed on an outpatient basis where the patient is not expected to require hospitalization after the procedure. Examples include dental, gynecological, and diagnostic imaging clinics.Pain management
Pain management nurses are sometimes considered to be perianesthesia nurses, given the collaborative nature of their work with anesthetists and the fact that a large proportion of acute pain issues are surgery related. However, distinct pain management certifications exist through the American Society for Pain Management Nurses.Training and Certification
Both registered nurses and licensed practical nurses work in some perianesthesia areas. Beyond active registration in good standing, educational and specialized training requirements vary by jurisdiction and practice setting. Many institutions require specialized training in areas such as cardiac and invasive monitoring, administration of intravenous push medications, as well as CPR and ACLS. In the United States, RNs can receive specialty certification through the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (ASPAN) as either Certified PostAnesthesia Nurses (CPAN) or Certified Ambulatory PeriAnesthesia Nurses (CAPA). In Canada, thePractice standards
See also
*References
External links