Anna Zaretski
Northridge,USA
Summary
My objective in applying to the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System is to advance my clinical expertise in comprehensive psychiatric assessment, evidence-based treatment, and trauma-informed care in order to better serve the complex mental health needs of Veterans. With extensive experience in perioperative nursing leadership within the VA system, I am committed to transitioning into an advanced practice role that addresses the psychological, emotional, and behavioral aspects of patient care. Through this program, I seek to develop advanced competencies in diagnostic evaluation, psychopharmacology, and therapeutic interventions while upholding the VA’s mission of providing high-quality, patient-centered care. My long-term goal is to practice as a PMHNP within the VA healthcare system, contributing to integrated mental health services, improving access to care for underserved Veterans, and supporting recovery through ethical, evidence-based, and holistic treatment approaches.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Assistant Manager/Clinical Manager Educator
Kaiser Permanente
Los Angeles, CA
02.2022 - Current
- Direct, educate, coach and mentor nurses to develop keep a strong team atmosphere.
- Oversee PeriOp101 as well as PACU 101 TTP.
- Develop and maintain annual competencies for all PeriOp Services.
- Oversee onboarding process of new hires.
- Develop and monitor department's budgets for the appropriate use of human and material resources.
- Monitor financial performance and identify and implement strategies to reduce costs and improve quality of care/service.
- Participate in implementation of patient safety initiatives and promote National Patient Safety Goals either separately or concurrently with other projects.
- Partner with Risk Management to participate in the review/investigation and analysis of occurrence reports, causal factor data, and determine action plans.
- Manages and resolves human resource and risk management issues.
- Determines the appropriate staff mix for department and develops processes to screen, interview, hire, train, and maintain the competency of all department staff. Ensures ongoing staff development.
- Supervise and ensure continuous improvement of all clinical practices, services, and operations by designing and implementing systems, processes, and methods to evaluate and improve patient care within the unit.
- Supervise day-to-day activities of the unit.
Cardiovascular Operating Room Interim Nurse Manager
Kaiser Permanente
Los Angeles, CA
02.2022 - 09.2022
- Supervised a Cardiovascular Operating Room unit of approximately 30 employees.
- Developed and monitor department's budgets for the appropriate use of human and material resources.
- Monitored financial performance and identify and implement strategies to reduce costs and improve quality of care/service.
- Managed and resolved human resource and risk management issues.
- Determined the appropriate staff mix for department and develops processes to screen, interview, hire, train, and maintain the competency of all department staff. Ensures ongoing staff development.
- Supervised and ensure continuous improvement of all clinical practices, services, and operations by designing and implementing systems, processes and methods to evaluate and improve patient care within the unit.
- Supervised day-to-day activities of the unit.
- Monitored quality services and utilization standards.
- Supervise unit day-to-day clinical operations including staffing, payroll, budgets, fiscal management, and quality improvement.
- Provided program specific design and training, management and coordination for new hires and program launch.
- Investigate and resolve patient/family/member concerns regarding patient care.
- Direct, educate, coach and mentor nurses to develop keep a strong team atmosphere.
- Worked with health care providers outside of the unit, to achieve optimal patient care across the continuum.
- Worked closely with leadership throughout the service, nursing department and other hospital departments to ensure that the highest expectations of all regulatory and professional standards are met.
- Assisted in maintaining departmental budget paraments by monitoring charges, supply usage of the unit, over time.
- Assured that nursing policies, procedures, and operating practices are in compliance with standards set by regulatory and accrediting agencies.
- Identify, respond to, and investigate potential and actual risk management matters.
Cardiovascular Operating Room Assistant Nurse Manager
Kaiser Permanente
Los Angeles, CA
02.2020 - 01.2022
- Supervise a Cardiovascular Operating Room unit of approximately 30 employees.
- Supervise and ensure continuous improvement of all clinical practices, services, and operations by designing and implementing systems, processes and methods to evaluate and improve patient care within the unit.
- Supervise day-to-day activities of the unit.
- Monitor quality services and utilization standards.
- Supervise unit day-to-day clinical operations including staffing, payroll, budgets, fiscal management and quality improvement.
- Investigate and resolve patient/family/member concerns regarding patient care.
- Direct, educate, coach and mentor nurses to develop keep a strong team atmosphere.
- Work with health care providers outside of the unit, to achieve optimal patient care across the continuum.
- Work closely with leadership throughout the service, nursing department and other hospital departments to ensure that the highest expectations of all regulatory and professional standards are met.
- Assisted in maintaining departmental budget paraments by monitoring charges, supply usage of the unit, over time.
- Assured that nursing policies, procedures, and operating practices are in compliance with standards set by regulatory and accrediting agencies.
- Identify, respond to, and investigate potential and actual risk management matters.
Operating Room Nurse Manager
VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare Systems
Los Angeles, CA
01.2018 - 01.2020
- Supervised a 10 Operating Room unit
- Developed, implemented and oversaw the unit-based quality initiatives performance improvement program.
- Provided operational and clinical oversite to nursing staff to ensure that all day to day activity supports the clinical guidelines.
- Worked closely with leadership throughout the service, nursing department and other hospital departments to ensure that the highest expectations of all regulatory and professional standards are met.
- Maintained, reviewed and updated all specialty policies in accordance with hospital, professional and regulatory.
- Identified, responded to and investigated potential and actual risk management matters.
- Monitored the quality of nursing care delivered by reviewing, documentation, meeting with patients and/or families, and investigating all practice concerns.
- Assured that nursing policies, procedures, and operating practices are in compliance with standards set by regulatory and accrediting agencies.
- Assisted in maintaining departmental budget paraments by monitoring charges, supply usage of the unit, over time.
- Developed plans to facilitate and support associates in their efforts for growth and development.
Operating Room Assistant Nurse Manager
VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare Systems
Los Angeles, CA
01.2015 - 01.2018
- Supervised and ensured continuous improvement of all clinical practices, services and operations by designing and implementing systems, processes and methods to evaluate and improve patient care within the unit.
- Supervised day-to-day activities of the unit
- Monitor quality services and utilization standards
- Supervised unit day-to-day clinical operations including staffing, payroll, budgets, fiscal management and quality improvement.
- Investigated and resolved patient/family/member concerns regarding patient care.
- Directed, educated, coached and mentored nurses to develop keep a strong team atmosphere.
- Worked with health care providers outside of the unit, to achieve optimal patient care across the continuum.
- Coordinated with Sterile Processing in creating new and efficient instrument trays.
Operating Room Registered Nurse
VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Los Angeles, CA
01.2008 - 01.2015
- Lead Nurse for Cardio-thoracic surgery service
- Champion operating room nursing staff compliance with established Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) practices.
- Assisted OR Nurse Manager in coordinating with the nurses, surgeons, anesthesiologists, and other healthcare personnel with phone calls, surgical decisions, safety concerns, and other impromptu issues that arise in the OR
- Provided educational in-services to OR nursing staff on Nursing Informatics, da Vinci Surgical Robotic System utilization, and reusable medical equipment and instrumentation.
- Functioned as the lead nurse for Thoracic Surgery Service.
- Served as circulating nurse in the cardiothoracic and vascular operating rooms; providing evidence-based care to ensure patient safety and promote better, whole-patient healing toward improved health outcomes.
- Assisted in developing the infrastructure for the OR / Surgery Department electronic surgical preference card system; designed to 1) improve accuracy and completeness of information on surgical procedure instrumentation, and 2) improve operating room nursing personnel efficiency in pre-procedure instrumentation setup.
- Establish and maintain communication pathways with physicians, nurses and supportive staff to ensure preservation of continuity in patient care throughout the perioperative period.
- Provided patient and family education throughout the intra-operative period.
- Provided total patient care including medication administration in accordance with established standards, policies, and procedures.
- Documented and maintained appropriate patient and admission information through the Electronic Medical Record system.
- Conduct patient rounds, observing patient condition and vital signs, assessing findings and recording observations in the patient's charts.
- Assessed and identified patient needs, evaluate nursing care practices, and establish priorities of care needed to return the patient to optimal health.
- Admitted patients for surgery, perform clinical assessments, obtain detailed patient histories, perform intravenous therapies, and relay any critical findings to physicians.
- Function as a pre-op holding area nurse; serving to facilitate partnerships and communication between patients, their family members, and charge nurses, staff nurses, surgeons, and anesthesia team members, ensuring safe surgical procedures for the patient.
Education
Post Masters Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Certification Program -
Walden University
Minneapolis, MN01.2026
Basic Life Support Instructor - undefined
Kaiser Permanente
CA01.2026
Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification - undefined
Kaiser Permanente
Los Angeles, CA01.2026
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Certification - undefined
Kaiser Permanente
Los Angeles, CA01.2026
Hospital Fire Safety and Life Safety Certification - undefined
Kaiser Permanente
Los Angeles, CA01.2026
Assistant Department Administrator University - undefined
Kaiser Permanente
Los Angeles, CA01.2021
Masters of Science in Nursing - undefined
University of Phoenix
Phoenix, AZ, USA01.2015
Leadership Development Institute - undefined
Department of Veterans Affairs
Los Angeles, CA01.2015
VA Emerging Leaders Program Certification - undefined
Department of Veterans Affairs
Los Angeles, CA01.2015
LEAN Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification - undefined
Department of Veterans Affairs
Los Angeles, CA01.2014
LEAN Six Sigma Green Belt Certification - undefined
Department of Veterans Affairs
Los Angeles, CA01.2014
Bachelor of Science in Nursing - undefined
University of Phoenix
Phoenix, AZ, USA01.2012
Public Health Nurse - undefined
University of Phoenix
Phoenix, AZ, USA01.2012
da Vinci Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery Certification - undefined
Department of Veterans Affairs
Los Angeles, CA01.2011
Associate of Science in Nursing - undefined
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica, CA, USA01.2008
Surgical Technician Certification - undefined
Mira Costa College
Oceanside, CA, USA01.2006
Skills
- Operational Systems Quality Assurance
- Program Operations Risk Management
- Reusable Medical Equipment
- Quality Assurance Compliance
- Sterile Processing Practice Compliance
- LEAN Six Sigma Methodology
- Sensitive and Highly-Sensitive Data Management
- Program Productivity/Efficiency Improvement
- VISN, VACO, TJC Readiness
- Microsoft Office Suite Administration (SharePoint/Word/Excel/PowerPoint/Outlook)
- Clinical Policies Compliance
- Strategic Planning / Leadership
- Medical-Surgical Nursing
- Systems Redesign
- Staff Training and Development
- Patient Advocacy and Education
- Change Management
- Diplomacy and Tactfulness
- Problem Solving
- Customer Satisfaction
- Surgical Cardiothoracic Nurse
- Patient Records/Documentation Cardiac Nursing
- JCAHO Standards/Compliance
- DaVinci Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery
- Direct Patient Care
- Care Plan Development
- Nursing Health Assessment
- Leadership, Family and Community Nursing
- Physical Examination / Patient Assessment
- Clinical Policies/Procedures Compliance
- Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Vista, and CPRS
Accomplishments
• Successfully supervised and led multidisciplinary perioperative teams of up to 30 staff members, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, optimizing workflow efficiency, and maintaining high-quality patient care outcomes.
• Developed, implemented, and maintained comprehensive staff onboarding and competency programs, including PeriOp 101 and PACU 101, resulting in improved clinical performance, staff retention, and patient safety metrics.
• Led departmental quality improvement initiatives aligned with National Patient Safety Goals, contributing to enhanced patient outcomes, reduced risk events, and improved regulatory compliance.
• Managed departmental budgets and staffing models effectively, ensuring appropriate allocation of human and material resources while maintaining fiscal responsibility and operational efficiency.
• Partnered with Risk Management to investigate and resolve patient safety events, implement corrective action plans, and reduce adverse outcomes through evidence-based interventions.
• Played a key role in policy development and revision across multiple committees, ensuring alignment with hospital, professional, and accreditation standards.
• Championed compliance with reusable medical equipment and sterile processing practices, improving surgical safety and infection prevention efforts.
• Led the implementation of clinical education programs for new hires and program launches, supporting workforce readiness and continuity of care.
• Demonstrated strong leadership during interim Nurse Manager service in a high-acuity Cardiovascular Operating Room, maintaining operational stability and staff engagement during leadership transitions.
• Contributed to the development of electronic surgical preference card systems, improving accuracy, efficiency, and communication among surgical teams.
• Provided consistent mentorship and coaching to nursing staff, fostering professional growth, leadership development, and a positive work environment.
• Maintained high standards of patient advocacy, communication, and interdisciplinary collaboration throughout all clinical and leadership roles.
Affiliations
- Nurse Professional Standards Board 2012 – 2020
- Policy and Procedures Committee 2018 – 2020
- Medical Reusable Equipment Committee 2016 – 2020
- Surgical Procedures Committee 2016 – 2020
- Surgical Commodities Committee 2016 – 2020
- Surgical Site Infections Committee 2016 – Present
- Safe Patient Handling & Mobility 2016 – 2020
Certification
- Registered Nurse (RN), California
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Student
- Basic Life Support (BLS) – Current
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) – Current
- Hospital Fire & Life Safety Certification – Current
- Public Health Nurse Certification
- da Vinci Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery Certification
- LEAN Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification
- LEAN Six Sigma Green Belt Certification
- Leadership Development Institute Certification
- VA Emerging Leaders Program Certification
- Surgical Technician Certification
Languages
Russian
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Assistant Manager/Clinical Manager Educator
Kaiser Permanente
02.2022 - Current
Cardiovascular Operating Room Interim Nurse Manager
Kaiser Permanente
02.2022 - 09.2022
Cardiovascular Operating Room Assistant Nurse Manager
Kaiser Permanente
02.2020 - 01.2022
Operating Room Nurse Manager
VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare Systems
01.2018 - 01.2020
Operating Room Assistant Nurse Manager
VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare Systems
01.2015 - 01.2018
Operating Room Registered Nurse
VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
01.2008 - 01.2015
Basic Life Support Instructor - undefined
Kaiser Permanente
Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification - undefined
Kaiser Permanente
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Certification - undefined
Kaiser Permanente
Hospital Fire Safety and Life Safety Certification - undefined
Kaiser Permanente
Assistant Department Administrator University - undefined
Kaiser Permanente
Masters of Science in Nursing - undefined
University of Phoenix
Leadership Development Institute - undefined
Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Emerging Leaders Program Certification - undefined
Department of Veterans Affairs
LEAN Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification - undefined
Department of Veterans Affairs
LEAN Six Sigma Green Belt Certification - undefined
Department of Veterans Affairs
Bachelor of Science in Nursing - undefined
University of Phoenix
Public Health Nurse - undefined
University of Phoenix
da Vinci Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery Certification - undefined
Department of Veterans Affairs
Associate of Science in Nursing - undefined
Santa Monica College
Surgical Technician Certification - undefined
Mira Costa College
Post Masters Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Certification Program -
Walden University