ALICIA DE LOS SANTOS
Del Rio,TX
Summary
A Master's prepared Registered Nurse with 18 years' experience in acute and chronic nursing care of patients, as well as nursing education and nurse administration.
A dedicated and compassionate professional nurse that has demonstrated strong leadership and relationship-building skills with a progressive career history in direct patient care, triage and care coordination.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Health Services Administrator
The Geo Group
10.2022 - Current
- Manage the overall operations of the healthcare facility.
- Ensure the healthcare needs of the facility are met (as per GEO and USMS policies and goals).
- Coordinate the work of colleagues and contract providers (hiring, evaluating, training, promoting, and terminating).
- Ensure adequate staffing (and licensure of all personnel) to meet the healthcare needs of the detainees/inmates.
- Monitor operational issues (overtime, issuing forms, auditing medical files, requesting records, ensuring detainees or inmates receive necessary intervention and treatment, etc.).
- Determine and track the health services unit's budgetary expenses and recommend ways to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
- Recruited, oriented, and trained healthcare staff members.
- Certified ASHI CPR/First Aid and BLS Instructor Trainer
- Organized and managed contracts directly related to strategic mission of healthcare system.
- Assisted in getting EPDF's Medical Department ready for ACA accreditation and passed with a 100%
- Assisted Lawton Facility's Medical Department fora mock ACA accreditation and they passed with 100%
Nurse Educator
Southwest Texas Junior College
Uvalde, TX
09.2007 - 10.2022
- Taught introductory and upper level courses in Texas Concept Based Curriculum for Nurses.
- Fostered students' commitment to lifelong learning by connecting course materials to broader themes and current events.
- Developed and delivered engaging lectures to licensed vocational nursing and associate degree nursing students.
- Wrote course materials such as syllabi, homework assignments and handouts.
- Planned, evaluated and revised course content and course materials.
- Guided students in using technology to support educational research.
- Advised and mentored undergraduate students placed on academic probation.
- Monitored students' academic progress and referred students who were struggling to campus resources.
- Taught courses in medical surgical nursing, basic and advanced nursing skills, pharmacology, essentials of medication administration, gerontology, nutrition, and clinical nursing to an all-ages college classroom.
- Developed courses in line with the curriculum requirements of the Licensed Vocational Nursing Department and Associate Degree Nursing Department.
RN
The Geo Group
06.2021 - 10.2022
- Administered medications accurately and safely, reducing medication errors and adverse reactions.
- Educated patients on disease management and self-care techniques, promoting lifestyle changes for improved health.
- Mentored new nursing staff, contributing to a supportive work environment and improved retention rates.
- Assessed patient conditions promptly upon admission to determine appropriate interventions and prioritize care needs.
- Trained new nurses in proper techniques, care standards, operational procedures, and safety protocols.
- Provided direct patient care, stabilized patients, and determined next course of action.
- Implemented infection control measures within the unit, maintaining a safe environment for both patients and staff members.
- Managed complex cases of critically ill patients, ensuring optimal treatment plans were executed effectively.
- Communicated with healthcare team members to plan, implement and enhance treatment strategies.
- Conducted ongoing monitoring and evaluations of behaviors and conditions, and updated clinical supervisors with current information.
- Quickly responded to situations impacting safety and security to unit, actualizing crisis prevention interventions to control and de-escalate situations.
Chief Nursing Officer
STAT Specialty Hospital
04.2019 - 10.2019
- Designed and implemented standards of care for nursing and patient care.
- Maximized staff and patient protections by enforcing optimal disease prevention protocols.
- Coordinated patient care services and managed clinical cost control.
- Interviewed, hired, instructed and mentored employees and promoted high level of care quality to patients.
- Assisted with preparation of budget and expense reports.
- Recruited new professional staff members and implemented comprehensive training programs.
- Fostered a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging open communication and teamwork among staff members.
- Ensured compliance with regulatory requirements through regular audits, policy updates, and ongoing education for staff members.
- Served as a liaison between nursing staff, physicians, administration, and other stakeholders for effective communication and collaboration.
- Participated in community outreach events to promote healthcare awareness and foster strong relationships with local organizations.
- Provided direct nursing care to patients when personnel was short-staffed.
Registered Nurse Clinical Educator
Val Verde Regional Medical Center
DEL Rio, TX
05.2018 - 04.2019
- Evaluated key performance indicators to identify improvements and opportunities for new development.
- Developed recognition programs for nursing unit in an effort to boost morale and improve team collaboration.
- Reported findings to quality departments after conducting routine restraint audits to ensure adherence to guidelines.
- Managed files utilizing Microsoft Office to facilitate operational efficiency.
- Motivated nursing staff to pursue advanced training degrees and collaborated with unit leaders to identify education needs.
- Maintained all confidential personnel files, license and CPR compliance records.
- Trained new staff on quality control procedures.
- Led teams in driving successful patient outcomes by prioritizing standard of care and best practices.
- Developed strategy to target nursing and patient satisfaction issues, improve response and patient care quality and suggest actionable improvements to promote hospital-wide quality and safety initiatives .
- Decreased prevent lapses in licensure by closely tracking nursing qualifications and credentials and sending out reminders to nursing staff.
- Worked with unit leaders to identify nurse education needs and motivated nursing staff to pursue advanced training and degrees.
- Mentored and provided clinical coaching to new nursing personnel.
- Precepted and on-boarded new nurses onto the medical surgical unit, educating new hires on policies, procedures and nursing best practices.
- Collaborated with leadership to devise initiatives for improving nursing satisfaction, retention and morale.
- Coordinated and implemented in-service educational programs focusing on safety and adherence to protocols.
Registered Nurse Supervisor
Val Verde Regional Medical Center
Del Rio, TX
12.2007 - 05.2018
- Investigated and reported issues relating to patient care or conditions that might hinder patient well-being.
- Transported patients to and from different departments.
- Coordinated with other internal departments and patients and family to keep operations running smoothly and solve both routine and complex problems.
- Coordinated nursing department activities to ensure availability of appropriate clinical and support staff for patient care.
- Assigned employee areas, scheduled staff breaks and authorized overtime.
- Consistently complied with applicable laws and regulations and ensured facility adhered to Medicare and Medicaid regulations.
- Organized the department in accordance with administrative guidelines in order to provide specified nursing services to meet the legal, organizational and medical staff guidelines.
- Monitored Infection Control and Critical Incidents, Risk Management and Quality Improvement plans.
Registered Nurse Emergency Department
Val Verde Regional Medical Center
Del Rio, TX
07.2007 - 05.2018
- Able to assess patients quickly, prioritize, and assist in minor procedures.
- Assist in the care of traumas, cardiac arrests, strokes, sexual assaults and conscious sedation.
- Triage patients and evaluate the severity of the patient's injuries. Provide careful nursinginterventions in emergency situations.
- Prepared and administered medications as directed by a physician.
- Manage multiple patients simultaneously, prioritizing needs continually.
- Recorded patients' medical history, vital statistics and test results in medical records.
- Participated in facility surveys and inspections made by authorized governmental agencies.
- Skillfully performed suture removals for patients of all ages.
- Accurately documented all elements of nursing assessment, treatments, medications, discharge instructions, and follow-up care.
- Contributed substantially to successful department JCAHO accreditation.
- Participated in unit-based Quality Assurance Program.
Director of Nurses
My Home Care, LLC
Del Rio, TX
12.2011 - 01.2013
- Completed initial assessment of patient and family to determine home care needs.
- Provided a complete physical assessment and history of current and previous illness(es).
- Regularly re-evaluates patient nursing needs.
- Initiates the plan of care and makes necessary revisions as patient status and needs change.
- Uses health assessment data to determine nursing diagnosis.
- Develops a care plan which establishes goals, based on nursing diagnosis and incorporates therapeutic, preventive, and rehabilitative nursing actions.
- Includes the patient and the family in the planning process.
- Initiates appropriate preventive and rehabilitative nursing procedures.
- Administers medications and treatments as prescribed by the physician.
- Counsels the patient and family in meeting nursing and related needs.
- Provides health care instructions to the patient as appropriate per assessment and plan.
- Identifies discharge planning needs as part of the care plan development and implements prior to discharge of the patient.
- Communicates with the physician regarding the patient's needs and reports and changes in the patient's condition; obtains/receives physicians orders as required.
- Participates in on-call duties as defined by the on-call policy.
- Ensures that arrangements for equipment and other necessary items and services are available.
- Instructs, supervises and evaluates home health aide care provided every fourteen days.
- Develops plan for ongoing in-services and staff development.
- Develops parameters, establishes best practices and teaches field nurses the agency standards.
- Manages ongoing education for clinical staff - keeping program personnel up-to-date with clinical information including orientation, in-service education and continuing education.
- Coordinates Quality Improvement activities with timely implementation of corrective action plans and ongoing monitors.
- Manages the coding process.
Licensed Practical Nurse
Val Verde Regional Medical Center
Del Rio, TX
05.2004 - 07.2007
- Administered controlled narcotics, inserted IVs and performed catheterizations.
- Input medical histories, symptoms and vital statistics as part of the intake process.
- Educated clients, patients and caregivers on medical diagnoses, treatment options, chronic disease self-management and wound management.
- Made valuable contributions to care-plan development and patient education processes.
- Cared for wounds, provided treatments and assisted with procedures.
- Assisted patients with bathing, dressing, hygiene and grooming.
- Developed and implemented nursing care plans.
- Accurately recorded and reported test results according to established procedures.
- Treated patients with strokes, head traumas, comas, and intracranial hematomas.
- Evaluated patient care needs, prioritized treatment, and maintained work flow.
- Provided patient education.
- Performed basic physical assessments of newborns and infants.
- Performed vitals/glucose testing and assisted in administering injections and urinalysis.
Education
Master of Science - Nurse Educator
Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, TX2015
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
University Of Texas Health Science Center
San Antonio, TX2007
Licensed Vocational Nursing Certificate: Nursing - Nursing
Southwest Texas Junior College
Uvalde, TX2004
Skills
- Fluent in Spanish, both written and spoken
- Clear communicator of complex ideas
- Critical Thinking
- Strong clinical judgment and skills
- Acute care expertise
- High level of autonomy
- Regulatory compliance
- Multidisciplinary team collaboration
- Policy and program development
- Quality assurance
- Electronic charting expertise
- Strong presentation skills
- Data collection and management
Certification
- Registered Nurse in Texas 2021
- TNCC - Trauma Nurse Core Course 2023
- BLS Instructor 2020
- PALS Instructor- Pediatric Advanced Life Support 2020
- ACLS Instructor- Advanced Cardiac Life Support 2020
- S.A.N.E. - Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (2011-2015)
Timeline
Health Services Administrator
The Geo Group
10.2022 - Current
RN
The Geo Group
06.2021 - 10.2022
Chief Nursing Officer
STAT Specialty Hospital
04.2019 - 10.2019
Registered Nurse Clinical Educator
Val Verde Regional Medical Center
05.2018 - 04.2019
Director of Nurses
My Home Care, LLC
12.2011 - 01.2013
Registered Nurse Supervisor
Val Verde Regional Medical Center
12.2007 - 05.2018
Nurse Educator
Southwest Texas Junior College
09.2007 - 10.2022
Registered Nurse Emergency Department
Val Verde Regional Medical Center
07.2007 - 05.2018
Licensed Practical Nurse
Val Verde Regional Medical Center
05.2004 - 07.2007
Master of Science - Nurse Educator
Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
University Of Texas Health Science Center
Licensed Vocational Nursing Certificate: Nursing - Nursing
Southwest Texas Junior College