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CUTTING REMARKS
John D. Kelly IV, MD
Ode to PACU Nurses
John D. Kelly IV, MD
Our post-op caregivers are the embodiment of tough love.
N
othing can make or break a surgeon's happiness more than the
PACU nurses. Thank God I have the
blessing of a real A-team. They truly
keep me on my toes and really leave no
PRIDE OF PACU Nicole McVey,
RN, BSN, CCRN; Patrice
McDevitt, RN, BSN, PCCN; and
Jennifer Harkins, RN, BSN, have
Dr. Kelly's back.
stone unturned in matters of patient
care. This skilled cadre of seasoned
pros knows a problem when they see it
and proactively confront potential situa-
tions — or, better yet, averts them. Here are some examples of
how the PACU team saves my butt.
1. The unhappy fam
Despite my best efforts, I sometimes don't
get to spend enough time with the family
Once I leave the
hospital, I can
rest assured my
"patients are in the
best of hands.
after surgery. Worse yet, I miss them — either I was stuck in the
OR or the family was upstairs when I thought they were downstairs. It's times like these when my partners in PACU text me:
• "Please call the Jones family at home tonight … if you value
your life!"
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