Cynthia Schuster
Auburndale,FL
Summary
Compassionate and highly skilled Labor and Delivery Registered Nurse with 37 years of experience providing exceptional maternal-newborn care in high-acuity settings. Proven expertise in managing routine and high-risk pregnancies, obstetric emergencies, fetal monitoring, and patient education. Experienced in clinical leadership as an Assistant Nurse Manager, with strengths in staff development, team collaboration, quality improvement, and patient safety. Dedicated to delivering evidence-based, family-centered care while fostering a supportive environment for patients, families, and healthcare teams.
Overview
37
37
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Assistant Nurse Manager
Advent Health Heart of Florida
Davenport, FL
08.2022 - Current
- Assist the Nurse Manager in overseeing daily operations of the Labor and Delivery unit, ensuring safe, efficient, and patient-centered care.
- Provide clinical leadership and support to nursing staff, serving as a resource during routine care and high-risk obstetric emergencies.
- Coordinate staffing, scheduling, patient assignments, and throughput to optimize patient care and maintain appropriate staffing levels.
- Promote a culture of patient safety by ensuring compliance with evidence-based practices, regulatory standards, and hospital policies.
- Collaborate with physicians, certified nurse midwives, anesthesia providers, neonatal teams, and interdisciplinary departments to improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency.
- Lead shift huddles, facilitated communication among team members, and supported effective problem-solving in a fast-paced environment.
- Participate in quality improvement initiatives, patient safety programs, and performance improvement projects focused on maternal and neonatal outcomes.
- Support regulatory readiness and accreditation activities by maintaining compliance with organizational, state, and national standards.
- Maintain clinical competency by providing direct patient care as needed, including management of laboring patients, obstetric emergencies, and postoperative cesarean patients.
Registered Nurse
Advent Health Heart of Florida
Davenport, FL
12.2002 - Current
- Provide comprehensive nursing care to women throughout labor, delivery, recovery, and the immediate postpartum period.
- Perform maternal and fetal assessments, including continuous electronic fetal monitoring, and recognize changes requiring prompt intervention.
- Assess labor progression and collaborate with obstetric providers to develop and implement individualized care plans.
- Administer medications, IV therapy, blood products, and epidural care in accordance with physician orders and evidence-based practice.
- Assist with vaginal deliveries, cesarean sections, operative vaginal deliveries, and obstetric emergencies
- Respond rapidly to maternal and fetal emergencies, including postpartum hemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, eclampsia, and fetal distress.
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, including obstetricians, anesthesiologists, neonatologists, surgical staff, and lactation consultants, to provide high-quality patient care.
- Accurately document assessments, interventions, patient responses, and outcomes in the electronic medical record.
- Promote patient safety by adhering to hospital policies, quality initiatives, and regulatory standards.
- Serve as a patient advocate while providing compassionate, family-centered care in a fast-paced, high-acuity environment.
- Precept new nurses, supporting orientation and professional development.
Registered Nurse
Carilion Clinic
Roanoke, VA
05.1995 - 12.2002
- Educate patients regarding pregnancy, postpartum care, contraception, menopause, gynecologic conditions, and preventive health screenings.
- Triage patient phone calls and electronic messages, assess symptoms, provide clinical guidance, and coordinate appropriate follow-up care.
- Administer medications, immunizations, injections, and treatments according to provider orders and clinical protocols.
- Coordinate diagnostic testing, laboratory work, imaging, referrals, and specialty consultations.
- Monitor high-risk obstetric patients, recognize changes in condition, and communicate findings promptly to providers.
- Ensure accurate documentation in the electronic medical record while maintaining patient confidentiality and regulatory compliance.
- Collaborate with physicians, advanced practice providers, medical assistants, and ancillary staff to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care.
- Promote preventive healthcare through patient education on routine screenings, wellness visits, and healthy lifestyle practices.
- Maintain exam rooms, prepare equipment and supplies for procedures, and adhere to infection prevention and safety standards.
Registered Nurse
Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital
Roanoke, VA
08.1991 - 05.1995
- Provide comprehensive nursing care to women throughout labor, delivery, recovery, and the immediate postpartum period.
- Perform maternal and fetal assessments, including continuous electronic fetal monitoring, and recognize changes requiring prompt intervention.
- Assess labor progression and collaborate with obstetric providers to develop and implement individualized care plans.
- Administer medications, IV therapy, blood products, and epidural care in accordance with physician orders and evidence-based practice.
- Assist with vaginal deliveries, cesarean sections, operative vaginal deliveries, and obstetric emergencies.
- Stabilize and resuscitate newborns as needed, ensuring a safe transition to extrauterine life.
- Educate patients and families on labor, childbirth, postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, newborn care, and discharge instructions.
- Respond rapidly to maternal and fetal emergencies, including postpartum hemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, eclampsia, and fetal distress.
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, including obstetricians, anesthesiologists, neonatologists, surgical staff, and lactation consultants, to provide high-quality patient care.
- Accurately document assessments, interventions, patient responses, and outcomes in the electronic medical record.
- Promote patient safety by adhering to hospital policies, quality initiatives, and regulatory standards.
- Serve as a patient advocate while providing compassionate, family-centered care in a fast-paced, high-acuity environment.
- Precept new nurses and nursing students, supporting orientation and professional development.
- Participate in quality improvement initiatives, unit-based committees, and continuing education to enhance patient outcomes.
Registered Nurse
Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital
Roanoke, VA
05.1989 - 08.1992
- Provide comprehensive nursing care to women throughout labor, delivery, recovery, and the immediate postpartum period.
- Perform maternal and fetal assessments, including continuous electronic fetal monitoring, and recognize changes requiring prompt intervention.
- Assess labor progression and collaborate with obstetric providers to develop and implement individualized care plans.
- Administer medications, IV therapy, blood products, and epidural care in accordance with physician orders and evidence-based practice.
- Assist with vaginal deliveries, cesarean sections, operative vaginal deliveries, and obstetric emergencies.
- Stabilize and resuscitate newborns as needed, ensuring a safe transition to extrauterine life.
- Educate patients and families on labor, childbirth, postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, newborn care, and discharge instructions.
- Respond rapidly to maternal and fetal emergencies, including postpartum hemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, eclampsia, and fetal distress.
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, including obstetricians, anesthesiologists, neonatologists, surgical staff, and lactation consultants, to provide high-quality patient care.
- Accurately document assessments, interventions, patient responses, and outcomes in the electronic medical record.
- Promote patient safety by adhering to hospital policies, quality initiatives, and regulatory standards.
- Serve as a patient advocate while providing compassionate, family-centered care in a fast-paced, high-acuity environment.
- Precept new nurses and nursing students, supporting orientation and professional development.
- Participate in quality improvement initiatives, unit-based committees, and continuing education to enhance patient outcomes.
Education
Associate of Science - Associate in Applied Science- Nursing
Virginia Western Community College
Roanoke, VA05.1989
Associate of Science - General
Virginia Western Community College
Roanoke, VA05.1987
Skills
- Leadership & Staff Development
- Labor & Delivery Nursing
- High-Risk Obstetric Care
- Electronic Fetal Monitoring
- Obstetric Emergency Management
- Patient Safety & Quality Improvement
- Staff Scheduling & Workforce Management
- Interdisciplinary Collaboration
- Patient & Family Education
- Clinical Documentation (EMR)
- Performance Coaching
- Regulatory Compliance
Certification
BLS
ACLS
NRP
NCC Inpatient Ontetrical Nursing
NCC EFM
Timeline
Assistant Nurse Manager
Advent Health Heart of Florida
08.2022 - Current
Registered Nurse
Advent Health Heart of Florida
12.2002 - Current
Registered Nurse
Carilion Clinic
05.1995 - 12.2002
Registered Nurse
Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital
08.1991 - 05.1995
Registered Nurse
Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital
05.1989 - 08.1992
Associate of Science - Associate in Applied Science- Nursing
Virginia Western Community College
Associate of Science - General
Virginia Western Community College