Deborah Arnett

I started on 2 south, which is the transplant surgery floor. I took care of post liver and kidney transplant surgery patients as well as surgical patients, last year i transferred to 5 Wiser which is women’s surgery and post partum floor.

• Administered medications and treatments as directed and as appropriate for patient's medical care in collaboration with multi-disciplinary team.
• Implemented pre, and post-op care, evaluating response to clinical interventions with progression toward discharge.
• Assessed and prepared patients for procedures, performing initial and ongoing patient assessments.
• Updated physicians on patient test results and assisted in developing care plans.
• Trained new RN hires and ancillary staff members to meet patient service goals, champion standards of care and improve patient overall satisfaction.
• Assisted patients with healing and recovery after surgery by closely monitoring and caring for wounds, answering questions and educating about continued care strategies.
• Acted as patient advocate and implemented total patient care through team nursing process.
• Delivered high-quality nursing care to patients on 24-bed medical-surgical unit.
• Also from July of 2020 to July of 2021 I worked on 2 East which is a cardiac intermediate unit- we took care of patients after leaving CVR, cath lab, after cath lab procedures, and of MI patients not requiring CCU care. This was an 18 bed unit.

I worked primarily on 4 South which was ortho and general surgery postop. Covid started during this time and we worked between different units even taking care of Covid patients as elective surgeries were placed on hold .

I worked on 3 south , which is a busy fast paced med surg unit, focusing on post operative care of many different surgeries. Some of these include bariatric surgeries, mastectomies, thyroid surgeries, and colon resections. I have experience with telemetry patients as well. Also , I have experience with being charge nurse and training new nurses and nursing students .

I left St D at this time to try and work closer to home . At Baptist Attala , I was a staff nurse for their acute care and swing bed unit . We would have acute medical patients with pneumonia, Copd, DKA, chest pain and various medical problems and we also had swing bed patients . This was considered a critical access hospital so any patients requiring a higher level of care were transferred to the appropriate facility.

I worked on 3 South, which is a busy medical/surgical unit that is primarily for postoperative general surgery patients . As staff nurses, we rotated charge nurse duties, and I was also a preceptor. With preventing , I would orient new nurses , and train nursing students during their last preceptorship of nursing school. On this unit, you get a variety of skills in surgical care, drains , tubes, and central lines , as well as caring for the medical problems that arise during the postop period.

• Recorded comprehensive patient histories and coordinated treatment plans with multi-disciplinary team members.
• Developed appropriate policies for identification of medically-related social and emotional needs of clients.
• Effectively managed daily charting for each patient.
• Handled vital sign monitoring, medication administration and patient behavior assessments.
• Monitored patients prescribed psychotropic medications to assess medications' effectiveness and side effects.
• Provided client assessments upon admission and discharge.
• Met patient needs by devising and coordinating highly tailored care plans for each individual.
• Communicated with patients regarding continuing care and medications and discussed treatment plans with family members and guardians.
• Consulted with psychiatrists about client medication changes, issues with medicine compliance and efficacy of medications.
• Helped patients and families feel comfortable during challenging and stressful situations, promoting recovery and reducing compliance issues.
• Assessed patient conditions, monitored behaviors and updated supervising physicians with observations and concerns.
• Collaborated with prescribing professionals to get patients necessary medications.
• Managed 10 patients and care plans in geriatric psychiatric unit .
• Advocated for patient needs with interdisciplinary team and implemented outlined treatment plans.

This is what is now Merit Rver Oaks , I worked on 2 north which at that time was medical surgical. We took care of ortho patients as well as general surgical patients as well as medical patients. We rotated charge nurse responsibilities.

I worked prn float pool on the cardiac telemetry floors as well as the medical floors . I usually did at least 2 shifts a week

I worked prn for the geriatric psychiatric unit . We took care of the geriatric patient experiencing confusion, dementia, depression, and requiring medication adjustments.

• Communicated patient progress and issues with families, physicians and other agencies.
• Partnered with interdisciplinary team to assess patient goals and establish treatment plans.
• Coordinated in-home skilled nursing care to patients with diverse physical needs and conditions.
• Supervised team of home health aides and certified nursing assistants in delivering patient care.
• Updated physicians on patient test results and assisted in developing care plans.
• Instructed patients, families and caregivers on diagnoses, chronic disease management and medication self-management.
• Observed and carried out physician and nursing orders.
• Collected and documented vital signs to track current patient conditions.

At Dch , I originally started out full time on a med surg floor , also worked telemetry floor, and later worked in their sub surgical intensive care unit and chronic ventilator unit. After having triplets , I worked float pool about 3 shifts a week on the medical floors and sub intensive care units .

• Promoted kind, compassionate environment, utilizing active listening and effective communication skills for cancer patients receiving treatment.
• Administered chemotherapy to patients as indicated by chart instructions given by each physician.
• Emotionally supported patients receiving treatment by carefully listening and offering comfort.
• This was my first job as a nurse. I loved this unit . We also had an autologous bone marrow unit that we rotated working in.