Cross-cultural comparison of perianesthesia nursing: challenges encountered in the PACU

Nurses often consider caring for the pediatric patient in the PACU stressful. This stress may be compounded when providing this care in a foreign country. This article compares and contrasts the challenges experienced by one nurse when working in both Russia and China as a PACU nurse for the volunteer group, Operation Smile. Topics discussed in this article include the physical setup of the PACU; safety issues within the PACU; and the importance of communication, pain management, and parents within the PACU. The author elaborates on how to provide safe, competent, and culturally sensitive care to children within the PACU setting.