Cara Wells
Fonda,IA
Summary
Fifteen years professional nursing experience that began in sick-care nursing, then shifted to leadership, education, and now mentoring, has led to some amazing experiences witnessing the inner power and healing potential of our minds and bodies to meet goals, and has ignited a passion for the wellness side of nursing. Passionate about empowering people to harness their inner power of healing, so that they may live vibrantly and well, prevent disease, manage and reduce chronic disease, and live the life they most deeply desire.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Program Mentor
Western Governors University
07.2017 - Current
- Mentor licensed registered nurses in setting and achieving their educational and career goals
- Use motivational interviewing, to build trusting relationships with students and support them throughout their journey towards earning their bachelor's degree
- Collaborate with students to develop term plans personalized to their individual needs and goals
- Talk with students on a weekly or biweekly basis to celebrate progress, encourage and empower them, support them through obstacles/barriers to success, and co-develop new SMART goals to support pacing and progress through their degree
- Connect students with various university resources to support them in their academic journey
- Contribute to university initiatives to improve student success and student experience
RN Case Manager - Home Health and Hospice
Pocahontas Community Hospital
06.2015 - 07.2017
- Assessed patient safety and health care needs of patients in their home
- Developed and modified patient care plans and assisted interdisciplinary team in identifying client needs and goals to determine priorities of care
- Managed support services and fostered communication among physicians, social workers, therapists, hospital staff, volunteers, and patients to support and offer resources to maintain high-quality, efficient patient care, and reduce hospitalizations
- Assessed patient responses to medications, therapies and variances in plans of care and communicated patient response to interdisciplinary team
- Educated patients and caregivers on healthcare protocols and processes
- Implemented patient care under physician orders and sought clarification when needed to promote safety, quality and cost-efficient care
- Increased referral rates by providing excellent service and building meaningful relationships with patients and caregivers
Nursing Instructor and Clinical Coordinator
Iowa Central Community College
08.2014 - 12.2014
- Provided instruction to students who wanted to become registered nurses
- Designed and delivered educational curriculum, lesson plans, simulations, and assessments
- Coordinated clinical placements for student nurses
- Assessed and evaluated student knowledge levels and abilities with detailed written and clinical assessments
- Coached underperforming students to help meet learning objectives
- Contributed educational and clinical expertise to help optimize learning experiences
Medical Surgical Clinical Nurse Educator
Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital
05.2013 - 07.2014
- Assessed and identified the educational needs of the nursing staff of the medical-surgical units
- Assisted with policy, protocol, order set, and procedure development, ensuring application of evidence based practice and supported patient safety and quality outcomes
- Provided education to nursing staff improving communication, moral, patient safety, and quality outcomes
- Ensured effective roll-out of new initiatives
Adjunct Clinical Instructor
Mercy College Of Health Sciences
05.2012 - 04.2013
- Assigned students to patients based on students' learning objectives and patient needs
- Improved student performance by defining clear goals and communicating performance metrics
- Instructed students on how to perform nursing skills, develop care plans, maintain safety at all times, document, and manage time
- Instructed students on how to intervene in medical emergencies
- Evaluated students' nursing knowledge, critical thinking, ability to provide safe nursing care, document effectively and timely, follow and implement physician orders, perform assessments, administer medications, provide wound care, insert IVs and NGs, manage various tubes, lines, and dressings, and manage their time, and provide immediate feedback for growth and improvement
- Facilitated learning and critical thinking by identifying new educational techniques to boost student comprehension while reducing learning time
Staff Nurse
Mercy Medical Center
05.2008 - 04.2013
- Served as a Staff Nurse on Neurology Medical Surgical Unit, Neuro-Trauma-Medical Intensive Care Unit, and EENT-Gynecology-Diabetes Medical Surgical Unit
- Assessed patient histories and current physical, psychological, physiologic, and cognitive status of patients
- Directed patient care by initiating and following through with plan of care, continuing care, and discharge instructions
- Educated patients, families and caregivers on diagnosis, disease process, treatment, and management and lifestyle options
- Performed various nursing interventions such as head-to-toe assessments, vital sign monitoring, medication administration (all routes), IV and NG insertions, central line management, wound and wound vac dressing changes, feeding tube management, various specimen collections including blood draws, tracheostomy and ventilator cares and management, suture and staple removals, drain removals, care and management related to various devices
- Monitored patients' conditions and response to treatments and reported changes to the interdisciplinary care team to enhance treatment strategies and improve patient safety and outcomes
- Precepted student nurses and oriented new hires, providing guidance and mentorship when teaching on hospital policies, emergency procedures, and nursing best practices
Education
Master of Science - Nursing Education
Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, UT04.2015
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Mercy College of Health Sciences
Des Moines, IA04.2012
Associate of Science - Nursing
Mercy College of Health Sciences
Des Moines, IA04.2008
Skills
- Interpersonal Skills
- Emotional Intelligence
- Effective Communication
- Cross-functional Collaboration
- Active Listening
- Motivation Techniques
- Goal Setting
- Progress Monitoring
- Feedback Delivery
- Time Management
- Technical Proficiency
- Organizational Skills
- Adaptability
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Case Management
- Instructional Strategies
- Educational Support
- Curriculum Design
- Lesson Planning
- Classroom Management
Certification in Progress
Currently enrolled in the Transformative Nurse Coach Collective 23.2 certificate program which runs 10/2023-05/2024. Upon completion of the program, will be eligible to apply to take the Nurse Coach Board Certification Exam through American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation (AHNCC).
Timeline
Senior Program Mentor
Western Governors University
07.2017 - Current
RN Case Manager - Home Health and Hospice
Pocahontas Community Hospital
06.2015 - 07.2017
Nursing Instructor and Clinical Coordinator
Iowa Central Community College
08.2014 - 12.2014
Medical Surgical Clinical Nurse Educator
Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital
05.2013 - 07.2014
Adjunct Clinical Instructor
Mercy College Of Health Sciences
05.2012 - 04.2013
Staff Nurse
Mercy Medical Center
05.2008 - 04.2013
Master of Science - Nursing Education
Western Governors University
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Mercy College of Health Sciences
Associate of Science - Nursing
Mercy College of Health Sciences
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