Christopher Merkel
Hamburg,PA
Summary
Dynamic Registered Nurse with extensive experience at Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center, excelling in emergency triage and compassionate patient care. Proven ability to administer critical medications and manage airway emergencies, ensuring optimal patient outcomes. Committed to maintaining privacy and confidentiality while advocating for patient rights and safety.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Registered Nurse, Emergency Department
Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center
04.2019 - Current
- Charge nurse role - facilitate patient flow in a busy 27 bed emergency department.
- Provide critical care to newborn through elderly patient populations
- Preceptor for new RN staff
- Educated patients and answered questions about health condition, prognosis, and treatment.
- Answered codes quickly and orchestrated efficient, skilled medical care.
- Communicated openly and collaboratively with all healthcare staff to organize successful patient care.
- Collaborated with physicians to quickly assess patients and deliver appropriate treatment while managing rapidly changing conditions.
- Educated family members and caregivers on patient care instructions.
- Administered medications via oral, IV, and intramuscular injections and monitored responses.
- Delivered important IV and venous medications to control symptoms and provide effective treatments.
- Provided skilled, timely and level-headed emergency response to critically-ill patients.
- Performed triage on incoming patients and determined severity of injuries and illnesses.
- Documented treatments delivered, medications and IVs administered, discharge instructions, and follow-up care.
- Quickly responded to situations impacting safety and security to unit, actualizing crisis prevention interventions to control and de-escalate situations.
- Performed frequent checks on life support equipment and made necessary adjustments to preserve optimal patient conditions.
- Monitored patient reactions after administering medications and IV therapies.
Registered Nurse, Medical-Surgical Unit
Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center
04.2018 - 04.2019
- Managed caseload of 5-6 patients simultaneously by providing bedside care, treatments, IV therapy, and wound care.
- Ordered and analyzed diagnostic tests to identify and assess patient conditions.
- Managed patients' pain by implementing pharmacological and non-pharmacological pain management interventions.
- Educated patients and families on medical-surgical procedures, therapeutic regimens, and pain management techniques.
- Started intravenous fluids, administered medications, and documented patient charts by recording food and fluid output and intake.
- Administered medications and treatment to patients and monitored responses.
- Advocated for and strived to protect health, safety, and rights of patient.
- Performed emergency medical procedures such as BLS, ACLS and other condition stabilizing interventions.
- Monitored hemodynamic variances to identify signs of life-threatening complications.
- Provided health education to patients and families regarding discharge instructions and plans of care.
- Utilized Cerner to document data related to patient care such as medications, interventions and patient responses.
- Managed patient pain relief and sedation by providing non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions.
- Monitored patient vital signs to perform thorough condition assessments.
- Performed intravenous therapy procedures and monitored chest tubes.
- Implemented care plans for patient treatment after assessing physician medical regimens.
- Observed and documented patient factors such as diets, physical activity levels, and behaviors to understand conditions and effectively modify treatment plans.
- Explained course of care and medication side effects to patients and caregivers in easy-to-understand terms.
- Conducted ongoing monitoring and evaluations of behaviors and conditions, and updated clinical supervisors with current information.
- Promoted patient and family comfort during challenging recoveries to enhance healing and eliminate non-compliance problems.
- Managed patients recovering from medical or surgical procedures.
Education
Associate of Science - Nursing
Lehigh Carbon Community College
Schnecksville, PA12-2017
Skills
- Privacy and confidentiality
- Airway management
- Emergency triage
- Vital signs monitoring
- Intravenous therapy
- Pediatric advanced life support
- Advanced cardiac life support
- Patient assessments
- Medication administration
- Compassionate care
Accomplishments
- Received the Daisy Award for Patient Care - Delivered compassionate care that exceeded hospital requirements. Successfully provided quality care to 4-5 patients in emergency environment.
Certification
- PHRN - Pre Hospital RN
- PHTLS- Pre Hospital Trauma Life Support
- PALS - Pediatric Advanced Life Support
- ACLS - Advanced Cardiac Life Support
- ENPC - Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course
- TNCC - Trauma Nursing Core Course
- BLS- Basic Life Support
Timeline
Registered Nurse, Emergency Department
Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center
04.2019 - Current
Registered Nurse, Medical-Surgical Unit
Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center
04.2018 - 04.2019
Associate of Science - Nursing
Lehigh Carbon Community College