Expert Details
Critical Care Nursing: Neurology, Stroke, Cardiology, Emergency Services, Palliative:Hospice Care, and Quality.
ID: 739748
California, USA
In her current role as a Start of Care (SOC) RN, she performs assessment/data collection in an on-going systematic manner, focusing on physiologic, cultural, and cognitive status; also nutrition, pain and comfort management, patient/family education, family involvement and patient advocacy. She educates and instructs patients’ caregivers on proper medications administration to achieve comfort, prevention of pressure ulcer, falls, constipation, pain and respiratory distress associated with their hospice diagnosis. Expert demonstrates expertise in history and physical exam skill for critical patients, and applies prognostic information to common terminal illnesses, including but not limited to advanced cancer, COPD, heart failure, cirrhosis, renal failure, Alzheimer’s and other dementias. She applies evidence-based principles in treatment of common symptoms, including pain, dyspnea, nausea, anorexia, fatigue, anxiety and delirium.
Expert also served as a Triage RN and Case Manager. In this role, Expert planned, organized and directed hospice care. Expert builds from the resources of the community to plan and direct services to meet the needs of individual and families within their homes and communities as necessary. Based on health assessment data, she has developed, implemented and coordinated a plan of care that establishes goals and incorporates palliative nursing actions.
In her experience, she has assessed and evaluated patient's status by initiating and documenting a plan of care. She initiates appropriate preventive, palliative and rehabilitative nursing procedures, and administers medications and treatments as prescribed by a physician. She is responsible for Evaluating patient's response to treatments /medications, and facilitates patient's activities of daily living and efforts toward self-sufficiency, quality of life and optimal comfort care, and provides hospice services directly to patients in the patient's home or other setting. Additionally, Expert completes, maintains and submits / synchronizes accurate and relevant clinical notes and electronic documents regarding patient's condition and care given, and records pain / symptom management changes / outcomes as appropriate.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 2013 | Degree: BS | Subject: Nursing | Institution: National University |
| Year: 2011 | Degree: AD | Subject: Transfer Studies | Institution: Grossmont College |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2023 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Start of Care RN | Department: Hospice |
Responsibilities:Performs assessment/data collection in an on-going systematic manner, focusing on physiologic, cultural, and cognitive status; also nutrition, pain and comfort management, patient/family education, family involvement and patient advocacy. Educates and instructs patients’ caregivers on proper medications administration to achieve comfort, prevention of pressure ulcer, falls, constipation, pain and respiratory distress associated with their hospice diagnosis. Demonstrates expertise in history and physical exam skill for critical patients. Applies prognostic information to common terminal illnesses, including but not limited to advanced cancer, COPD, heart failure, cirrhosis, renal failure, Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Applies evidence-based principles in treatment of common symptoms, including pain, dyspnea, nausea, anorexia, fatigue, anxiety and delirium. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2022 to 2023 | Employer: Bridge Home Health and Hospice | Title: Triage RN | Department: Hospice |
Responsibilities:The triage RN plans, organizes and directs care and is experienced in nursing with emphasis on education and communication. The professional nurse builds from the resources of the community to plan and direct services to meet the needs of individual and families within their homes and communities as necessary. Provides professional nursing care by utilizing all elements of the nursing process. Based on health assessment data, develops, implements and coordinates a plan of care that establishes goals and incorporates palliative nursing actions.Assesses and evaluates patient's status by initiating and documenting a plan of care. Initiates appropriate preventive, palliative and rehabilitative nursing procedures. Administers medications and treatments as prescribed by a physician. Evaluates patient's response to treatments /medications. Facilitates patient's activities of daily living and efforts toward self-sufficiency, quality of life and optimal comfort care. Provides and maintains a safe environment for the patient. Ensures that DME / medical supplies and other necessary items and services are available. Provides hospice services directly to patients in the patient's home or other setting. Facilitates professional communications and works effectively. Completes, maintains and submits / synchronizes accurate and relevant clinical notes and electronic documents regarding patient's condition and care given. Records pain / symptom management changes / outcomes as appropriate. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2020 to 2022 | Employer: Bristol Hospice | Title: Admissions RN | Department: Clinical |
Responsibilities:Shows compassionate communication with patients and their families while having keen observation skills, high ethical standards and knowledge of when to alert doctors and others about changes in patient conditions. Possesses resiliency, sympathy, and has emotional and physical stability to deal with the challenges of severe illness and death. Responsible for identifying patient/family needs and for providing skilled nursing assessment, planning and supportive care and appropriate services in accordance with the attending physician’s orders and the interdisciplinary group plan of care. Obtains data on physical, psychological, social and spiritual factors that may influence patient/family health status and incorporates that data into the plan of care. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2019 to 2020 | Employer: Sharp Memorial Hospital | Title: Lead Clinical Nurse | Department: Nursing |
Responsibilities:On a daily basis delegates, supervises and evaluates the nursing care given by others while retaining accountability for the quality of care given to the patients. Oversees the management of patient care, trouble shoots complex problems in patient care, documents findings and progress in patient record. Reviews all patient information, including lab & other test results and progress notes in patient health record daily. Develops a partnership with care providers and patient/family and ensures that patient goals are set with patient and patient’s family involvement. Provides or oversees the education of the patient and family to understand illness and self-care concepts.Utilizes information technology to obtain evidence-based practices and the latest research to provide current best practice information to care providers on the unit. Reviews available data on nurse sensitive outcomes and incident reports for the unit/cohort to compare to system wide and national data. Seeks opportunities to make improvements to reduce risk Works with team members, other leaders and physicians to develop and trend performance improvement indicators based on national standards and best practices. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2019 to 2019 | Employer: Q Centrix | Title: Senior Quality Specialist | Department: Quality |
Responsibilities:Responsible for the review and detailed abstraction of stroke, sepsis, heart failure, AMI and pneumonia data from electronic medical records to report to CMS/The Joint Commission Core Measures. Performs analysis of records to ensure accuracy, internal consistency and correlation regarding billing and documentation policies, procedures and regulations. Reviews the hospitals’ performance of patient care (Core Measures), submits performance data to the applicable quality agencies in compliance with regulations. Maintains an interrater reliability of at least 95% for all charts abstracted. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2018 to 2019 | Employer: Infectious diseases of Southern Nevada | Title: Infusion RN | Department: Nursing |
Responsibilities:Provides specialized outpatient intravenous infusions, with strong assessment and IV therapy skills, to a variety of patients throughout the continuum. Reviews, interprets and implements plan of care, per doctor's orders. Orders, interprets and evaluates diagnostic tests to identify and assess patient plan of care. Initiates, monitors and discontinues intravenous infusions such as peripheral, PICC and Port lines. Documents data related to patient's care including assessment results, interventions, medications, patient responses, or treatment changes using electronic documentation systems. Coordinates healthcare with other health-related personnel according to patients' needs. Communicates with medical staff and provides feedback to ensure safe, effective medical care with a zero percent infection rate. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2017 to 2019 | Employer: Henderson Hospital | Title: Director of Neurology, Director of Cardiology | Department: Nursing Leadership |
Responsibilities:Provides clinical leadership coordination for the regional hospital Neurology and Cardiology programs. Maintains a strong working relationship with the Stroke Medical Director, Cardiology Medical Director, ED Medical Director, Quality team, the American College of Cardiology, The Joint Commission, AHA/ASA and the entire team of Registered Nurses and ancillary staff. Responsibilities include planning, coordinating, and evaluation of both stroke and cardiac patient care throughout the continuum and facilitation of a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach to maintain high quality and evidence based stroke, cardiac and trauma care. Utilized telemedicine, teleconferencing, and clinical information technology to continuously evaluate intensive and progressive care patients. Responds to all in house and ED stroke and STEMI codes, leading the team in emergent bedside assessment and treatment of the critically ill patient.Responsible for the development, implementation, marketing, evaluation and overall flow of the Neurology and Cardiology programs. Facilitates, evaluates and maintains adherence to the certification standards of accrediting bodies (i.e. the Joint Commission, American College of Cardiology, etc.) for stroke and chest pain related programs. Continual auditing/documentation of best practice bundles and quality initiatives to improve patient outcomes and ensure regulatory compliance. Collects accurate data supporting research activities in conjunction with senior leadership to submit to accrediting bodies to ensure best practice care is being delivered to patients at all times. Serves on multiple interdisciplinary committees including the Professional Practice Committee, Brain Attack Coalition, Nursing Research Council and HPIC in order to analyze work flow and evaluate performance to maximize the use of evidence-based practice and optimal interdisciplinary communication both within the hospital and alongside several EMS agencies. Nominated in 2018 for Future of Nursing in Nevada Nurse of the year. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2017 to 2019 | Employer: Valley Health System | Title: Critical Care RN III | Department: Nursing |
Responsibilities:Provides direct patient care in a brand new, busy intensive care unit, emergency department and cardiac Cath lab. Cares for patients with various neurological disorders, with the emphasis of patients with strokes and aneurysms, vascular malformations, post angiography therapy, post Alteplase (tPA) treatment, spinal cord injuries & traumatic head injuries. Provides direct nursing care to critically ill patient post-surgery including trauma and coronary artery bypass graft cases. Assessed, planned, implemented and evaluated patient care and performed patient education in accordance to unit standards for all patient types and age groups. Collaborated with professionals across the organization to formulate an integrated care plan. Devised health care goals using a holistic approach aligned with patient and family needs. Championed changes in documentation and drug administration processes for best practice standards to shape the hospital's mission and foundation for practice. Promoted a team environment by effectively identifying needs of other staff and assisting them as required. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2014 to 2016 | Employer: Sharp Healthcare | Title: RN | Department: Nursing |
Responsibilities:Practiced evidence-based care and utilized the nursing care process in a collaborative environment. Cared for patients with various neurological disorders with the emphasis on patients with strokes and aneurysms, vascular malformations, post angiography therapy, post Alteplase/tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) treatment, spinal cord injuries & traumatic head and brain injuries.Served as a preceptor to new graduate nurses and improved team dynamics by communicating with other healthcare providers in the management of patient care; monitored and interpreted telemetry strips of all patients issued a telemetry monitor. Documented all patient care during shifts; maintained/updated patient records and prepared patients for handoff to oncoming staff. Conducted safety checks on medical equipment valued at more than $1M; resulted in zero patient related safety incidents. Created the new role of “stroke code RN” and worked with all departments of the hospital, c-suite and physicians to implement this new role and hire and train qualified nurses to cover the cost position. By adding the stroke code role, the hospital was able to reduce its door to times exponentially. Stroke code RN was added to the RRT/Code blue team and is still ran this way today. |
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Government Experience
| Years | Agency | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2009 to 2010 | Agency: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection | Role: Training Assistant | Description: The men and women of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) are dedicated to the fire protection and stewardship of over 31 million acres of California's privately-owned wildlands. In addition, the Department provides varied emergency services in 36 of the State's 58 counties via contracts with local governments. The Department's firefighters, fire engines, and aircraft respond to an average of more than 5,600 wildland fires each year. Those fires burn more than 172,000 acres annually. Through practical training exercises and classroom courses, every California firefighter is exposed to training standards that have been approved by CAL FIRE and The Office of the State Fire Marshall, each among the best institutions in the nation for fire training education. Offering more than 1,000 classes annually, State Fire Training programs reach over 24,000 students each year and have issued over 100,000 certifications to members of the more than 900 fire California fire departments. Each year over 2,000 personnel attend the CAL FIRE Academy in Ione, California participating in courses ranging from basic fire control and arson investigation, to leadership development and forest practice enforcement. Here, Expert assisted in the instruction of the aforementioned, and daily education and re-education involving; CPR, breathing apparatus, ladders, patient assessment, EMT, triage, AED, fire science, airway, ventilation, emergency command operations, hazardous materials, BLS, ALS, and infection control. Her position also involved office duties including; typing, editing documents, filing, administering tests, answering telephones, producing certifications, working directly with the public, distributing mail, and relied heavily on functioning as a team. |
Career Accomplishments
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| CA Registered Nurse CA Public Health Nurse Stroke Certified RN NEDA Proficient Death Doula CPR/BLS for the Healthcare Provider Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS All current and active |