Alexis Villegas, BSN, RN, PCCN

• Clinical Nurse I - May 2021
• Clinical Nurse II - May 2022
• Clinical Nurse III - September 2023

Privileged to work and grow in a department that has repeatedly earned number 1 in California and number 3 in the United States for Cardiac Surgery. Nursing duties include providing compassionate care for acutely ill patients requiring close monitoring while recovering from open-heart surgeries, robotic heart surgeries, heart transplant, lung transplant, and other cardiothoracic procedures. The patient population also includes those who have implanted LVADs and total artificial hearts. Demonstrated expertise in cardiac monitoring, including recognition, prevention, treatment, and management of cardiac arrhythmias. Also proudly proficient in post-transplant care, managing ventricular assist devices, total artificial hearts, epicardial pacemakers, and chest tubes. Experience also includes educating patients on preventative and postoperative homecare needs.

Took part in administering COVID vaccines to Cedars-Sinai Health System patients under the guidance of a nurse preceptor.

Temporary/contract work as an unlicensed graduate nurse worker providing helping hands to experienced RNs at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park facility's COVID units. The shifts are 2-4 eight-hour night shifts a week.

Full-time from August 2016-August 2020;

Per diem from September 2020 to April 2021;

Assisted RNs with patient care in various units across five different LLUH hospitals as part of the float team. The hospitals that I float to are: LLU Medical Center, East Campus Hospital, Children’s Hospital, Behavioral Medical Center, and Surgical Hospital. I perform tasks that are within the scope of a California CNA.

Observed chemotherapy radioactive, as well as neutropenic precautions, while assisting RNs with patient care, stocking the unit and the rooms, taking vital signs, answering call lights, etc. I also trained a total of six new hire PCAs as the night shift PCA preceptor.

Visited 8-10 hospice and home health patients per day, averaging an hour in each patient’s home, to provide patient care, mainly bathing and hygiene, based on the RN supervisor’s plan of care. Demonstrated patient care basics and techniques to patients' caregivers. Provided comfort care for actively dying patients as well as post-mortem care. Documented my visits in compliance with Medicare’s guidelines. The companies whom I visited patients for were mainly: Angels on Earth Hospice (Montclair, CA), St Luke’s Hospice (Diamond Bar, CA), Brio Hospice and Home Health (Chino Hills, CA), and Goldberg Hospice (Upland, CA).

Cared for seven to (up to) twenty patients, depending on what shift I worked; bathing, feeding, transferring, repositioning, incontinence care, vital signs, documenting intake and output as well as all care that was provided, and reporting changes in condition to the LVN charge nurses.