CHARLIE E. SAARINEN
Scappoose,OR
Summary
Hardworking Registered Nurse with 14 years of experience in providing individualized patient care in diverse settings. Compassionate and driven to deliver high quality, post service claims review, through effective collaboration, critical thinking, and problem solving skills. Proven leadership in an undeveloped role, establishing various review processes and workflows for post service, inpatient claims, that included, but are not limited to: high dollar inquiry and clinical review, customer service inquiry, medium dollar clinical reviews, including device/implant review, reconsiderations, considerations, and readmissions. Focused on increasing and enhancing processes to ensure best practice and alignment with Medicare guidelines. Proven ability to remain calm under pressure and skillfully handle fluid and difficult situations. Team-oriented and reliable with a strong foundation of healthcare knowledge, clear verbal and written communication skills, and sound clinical judgement. Known for having great rapport with providers.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Utilization Management Nurse
Providence Health And Services
04.2023 - Current
- Participated in quality improvement initiatives to enhance the overall standard of care within the organization.
- Promoted a positive work environment by serving as a resource for clinical questions and concerns.
- Strengthened relationships by networking, attending meetings, and establishing collaborative partnerships.
- Collaborated across teams and roles to ensure our processes were aligned with up-to-date knowledge of payer-specific guidelines.
- Designed and wrote multiple workflows/processes to align with the vision of the Reimbursement team, exceeding my role expectations.
- Contributed to team success by consistently meeting productivity goals while maintaining high-quality standards in job performance.
- Navigated and completed up to 8 different types of post service claims review.
- Consults with physician advisors to ensure clinically appropriate determinations when needed.
District Nurse
St. Helens School District
07.2021 - 04.2023
- Oversees health services for 6 schools and approximately 2800 students and their faculty.
- Conducts individualized student and faculty assessments, triaging their immediate condition or needs to get them to right care at right time.
- Facilitates and performs faculty education and/or delegation for medication administration and specialized care for students with allergies, asthma, seizures, tube feedings, diabetes, anaphylaxis, and other acute and chronic conditions.
- Advocated for and facilitated innovation of improved student health documentation, complying with FERPA and HIPPA regulations.
- Advocates for and facilitates innovation of communicable disease management systems within our schools, including but not limited to, Covid-19 diagnostic and screening testing for students and faculty, documentation systems to streamline reportable diseases to Public Health, and facilitate transparency for necessary interventions of affected schools and/or persons according to local investigative guidelines and Oregon Communicable Disease Management Guidelines.
- Performs treatments as ordered by physicians and documents actions in compliance with FERPA and HIPPA regulations.
- Develops plan of care for students with acute and chronic health conditions, reflecting collaboration with members of healthcare team, making referrals as necessary.
- Prepared to initiate emergency resuscitative measures according to resuscitation and advanced life support protocols and directives.
- Communicates with physicians and practitioners regarding student health concerns to obtain orders and intervention protocols, in compliance with FERPA and HIPPA regulations.
- Serves as liaison between families, school personnel and other healthcare providers on behalf of students.
- Provides medical consultations to other school personnel to promote well-coordinated school health and safety efforts.
- Advocates for and strives to protect health, safety and rights of students and faculty.
- Conducts ongoing monitoring and evaluations of behaviors and conditions, and updates supervisors with current information.
- Coordinates health screening for students by facilitating vision and dental evaluations.
- Conducts ongoing monitoring and evaluation of immunization compliance for students within our district, serving as liaison to obtain necessary immunizations and/or documentation.
RN, Perianesthesia
Oregon Health Science University
04.2014 - 06.2021
- Multifaceted Ambulatory Short Stay Unit within Perioperative Services
- Assume primary responsibility for and provide direct and indirect professional nursing care to patients in Ambulatory Recovery, Pre-operation and Post- Operation areas, and pre and post-GI procedural population
- Apply critical thinking skills to recognize and report any changes in patient’s baseline physiological status to appropriate health care provider
- Administer and maintain IV catheters with >90% success rate
- Directly manage care of post-surgical and post-procedural patients requiring artificial airways, and other airway support
- Monitor patient condition, including interpreting and tracking EKG readings, identifying irregular telemetry readings and updating team members on changes in stability or acuity.
- Provided didactic and clinical instructions to orient new nurses and potential student nurses to achieve training outcomes.
- Advocated for patients by communicating care preferences to practitioners, verifying interventions met treatment goals and identifying insurance coverage limitations.
- Implement nursing process to actively assess patients and families needs, managing care from admission to discharge, including patient assessments, care planning, health education and discharging support to provide comprehensive care to over 15 patients daily.
RN, Covid Connected Care Center
Oregon Health Science University
03.2020 - 02.2021
- Redeployed at onset of pandemic to help establish foundation of Covid Connected Care Center within Ambulatory Division.
- Safely and properly triage pediatric-adult patients by phone, and work within and outside of OHSU to get patient connected to right care at right time, while also providing relevant patient education.
- Specialize in telephone triage assessment of patients with Covid-19 related symptoms.
- Directly help facilitate collaboration at leadership level to aid in alignment of Connected Care Center practices within OHSU system, and update and create workflows that promote safe, patient-centered care.
- Provide patient and family education about care management of Covid related symptoms at home, and how to identify emergent symptoms that require higher level of care.
- Facilitate access to clinics within OHSU system.
- Collaborated and coordinated with interdisciplinary healthcare personnel to meet patients' personal, physical, psychological and cognitive needs.
- Evaluated healthcare needs, goals for treatment and available resources of each patient and connected to optimal providers and care.
- Trained new nurses in proper techniques, care standards, operational procedures and safety protocols to optimize performance and safety.
- As Charge RN successfully led 10-15 person team comprised of RN's through teleworking platform.
Charge RN, Perianesthesia
Oregon Health Science University
06.2016 - 03.2020
- Charge RN of fast-paced Ambulatory Surgery Unit.
- Oversaw delivery of care for all patients within Perianesthesia and GI procedural units, that provided direct care to up to 50 patients.
- Successfully led and supported 30 person team comprised of nurses, CNA's, and ancillary staff.
- Collaborated with leadership to devise initiatives for improving nursing satisfaction, retention and morale.
RN, Critical Care
Oregon Health Science University
09.2009 - 04.2014
- 20 -Bed Adult Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care Unit.
- Implement nursing process to provide safe, quality, culturally competent, evidence-based, and personalized family centered care.
- Safely and properly monitor, administer and evaluate medications and treatments.
- Apply critical thinking skills to recognize and report any changes in patient’s physiological status to appropriate health care provider.
- Directly manage care of critically ill adults requiring ventilatory support, pressor support, moderate sedation, and hemodynamic monitoring.
- Actively participate in research on unit: Evidenced-Based Nursing Fellow.
- Admit and assume care for high-risk surgical patients and open heart surgical patients.
- Managed quality care for patients with varied conditions, including heart failure, end-stage renal disease, coronary artery disease, liver failure, and cancer.
- Educated patients, families and caregivers on diagnosis and prognosis, treatment options, disease process and management and lifestyle options.
- Responded rapidly to critical codes to coordinate stabilization treatments and restore vital functions.
RN, Clinical Faculty
University of Portland
09.2012 - 12.2012
- Work as team with student, nurses, and staff of Dedicated Education Units, to assure student has relevant clinical experiences that allow for practice and achievement of their expected clinical competencies.
- Support and bring forth student clinical reasoning skills and assist student with integration of theory and practice at bedside of patients, and also in written work.
- Evaluate and collaborate with DEU's staff in their evaluation of students’ achievements.
- Grade all student work.
RN, General Surgery
Oregon Health Science University
09.2009 - 01.2010
- Adult Acute Care General Surgery Unit.
- I was hired as new grad of feeder program by manager of Adult Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care Unit to develop basic nursing and time management skills, until beginning Adult Critical Care- Nurse Internship Program in January 2010.
- Administered medications and treatment to patients and monitored responses while working with healthcare teams to adjust care plans.
- Reviewed post-operative orders and continuously monitored patients' post-operative vitals, set up PCA and fluids and oriented patients to unit to achieve optimal outcomes
Education
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
University of Portland
Portland, OR08.2009
Skills
- Ability to work well under pressure in fast-paced, high stress, fluid environments
- Strong collaboration and communication skills within multidisciplinary settings
- Passionate and driven to provide empathetic, trauma-informed, patient centered care
- Strong leadership skills with focus on effective and respectful interpersonal and inter-professional communication, problem solving and developing clearly defined action plans, and advocating for practices that promote quality and safe patient outcomes through process evaluation
- Enhancing nursing engagement through leadership roles
- Technology skills with multiple operating systems, office software suites, communication and collaboration tools, and spreadsheets
- Chronic and acute disease management and patient and family advocacy in obtaining right care at right time
- Telephone Triage
- EMR/EHR
- Care Coordination and Outreach
- Case Management
- Facets Production
- CIM
Accomplishments
- Certifications
-Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse (CPAN), Current Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Current American Heart Association, BLS. Oregon and Washington RN license.
- Leadership
-Took part in the Magnet site visit interview process to talk about patient satisfaction with an appraiser from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (AACN) Magnet Recognition Program.
-Submission of information sharing poster during Nurses Week to aid in dissemination of the Covid Connected Care Center
- Nursing Fellowship in Evidence Based Practice
-Identified a practice problem focusing on evidence-based practices concerning family presence during resuscitation and invasive procedures. Was a co-investigator for study Health Care Providers’ Perceptions of Family-Witnessed Resuscitation, which evaluated the perceptions and self-confidence of nurses, physicians, and licensed independent practitioners regarding family presence during resuscitation and invasive procedures, in an adult ICU setting. This had been a practice area for the last three years in an adult ICU at OHSU Hospital, where I was currently employed at the time.
- 38th Annual Critical Care Fall Symposium
-Poster abstract submission and acceptance to the 38th Critical Care Symposium for my research done with one other colleague on Attitudes of Family Presence During Resuscitation.
- Evidenced-Based Practice at OHSU Nursing Grand Rounds
-Presented my research done with one other colleague on Attitudes of Family Presence During Resuscitation. Also presented our findings for our study Health Care Providers’ Perceptions of Family-Witnessed Resuscitation.
- Continuing Education
-Medical Spanish for Professionals
Timeline
Utilization Management Nurse
Providence Health And Services
04.2023 - Current
District Nurse
St. Helens School District
07.2021 - 04.2023
RN, Covid Connected Care Center
Oregon Health Science University
03.2020 - 02.2021
Charge RN, Perianesthesia
Oregon Health Science University
06.2016 - 03.2020
RN, Perianesthesia
Oregon Health Science University
04.2014 - 06.2021
RN, Clinical Faculty
University of Portland
09.2012 - 12.2012
RN, Critical Care
Oregon Health Science University
09.2009 - 04.2014
RN, General Surgery
Oregon Health Science University
09.2009 - 01.2010
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
University of Portland
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