Dianne M. McGuirk

• Detailed to provide day to day management, supervision and ongoing education to pilot Tele-Observation to the VA San DIego Healthcare system. New program designed to improve nursing work loads on units while providing options to ensure patient safety if constant observation was needed.
• Coached employees through day-to-day work and complex problems.
• Entered data, generated reports, and produced tracking documents providing outcomes to nursing leadership
• Improved team productivity with regular communication and progress updates, fostering a collaborative work environment.
• Enhanced operational workflows by maintaining well-organized documentation systems and updating records accurately as needed.
• Gathered and organized materials to support operations.
• Responsible for updating policy and procedures, order sets and nursing documentation to include tele-observation.
• Trained RN's and LVN's on updated policies and procedures and documentation regarding constant observation and using remote monitoring platforms.
• Trained and supervised Nursing assistants on policy and procedures, documentation and to be Tele-Observers using the tele-observation platform.
• After a successful pilot program, which reduced falls and prevented other injuries for Veterans that required Constant observation, program expanded to other inpatient units.

Housing and Urban Development Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing RN Case Manager (HUD/VASH):

As a key tool in efforts to end veteran homelessness, the HUD-VASH program provides clinical case management and supportive services to homeless Veterans utilizing housing first principles and a team-based model of care. barriers that are common for newly housed veterans, such as lack of

transportation and lack of telephones, make it challenging to effectively connect veterans to VA Health Care services for which they are eligible. Veterans experiencing homelessness regularly utilize local hospital emergency departments (ED) for non-emergent conditions.

• First RN hired for new position
• Provided comprehensive nursing care, including psychosocial assessment, implementation of treatment, referral to appropriate programs and providers, comprehensive case management, and home visits for Veterans with physical and mental health issues who face challenges finding and maintaining stable housing.
• Provided direct patient care based on best practice models developed by national healthcare for homeless Veteran (HCHV) guidelines, VA/DOD clinical practice guidelines, HUD/VASH, VASDHS policies/procedures.
• Used most up to date evidenced based practice to connect HUD/VASH Veterans to healthcare, mental health care, and community care to reduce ED visits and hospitalizations.
• Instrumental in the development of policies, procedures and nursing practices to care for Homeless Veteran's based on Healthcare for Homeless Veteran's guidelines (HCHV), VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guidelines, VASDHS policies/procedures and most up to date Evidenced Based Practice.
• Functioned independently and provided direct care to Veterans experiencing homelessness or at risk for homelessness, managing complex cases involving multiple comorbidities and complex social issues requiring close monitoring and coordination of various healthcare services.
• Case management included transportation to medical and mental health appointments, assisting with scheduling appointments, and medication management.
• Coordinated video appointments with medical and mental health providers reducing the need for Veterans to travel to clinics.
• Collaborated with various Primary Care, Mental Health and specialty providers regarding plan of care for individual Veterans. Assisting Veterans in managing and optimizing health.
• Referred Veterans to various resources including Veterans Justice Outreach, mental health, addiction therapists, employment and housing specialists. Provided ongoing follow up.
• Responsible for providing risk assessments to clinical social workers for most appropriate housing and housing options (Independent, semi-independent or dependent) based on the individual needs of the Veterans.
• Completed necessary paperwork and provided ongoing follow up when referring Veterans for Home health, In home supportive services and nutrition services such as meals on wheels.
• Completed necessary forms for Reasonable accommodations prior to Veteran being housed or while housed to prevent Veterans from becoming homeless again.
• Acted as RN consultant to members of the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) interdisciplinary team, partnering with them , to provide assessments, interventions, and navigating the VA Healthcare system.
• RN consultant for VASDHS Grant per Diem (GPD) and Transitional Housing inspections from 2013-2023. Providing ongoing consultations to HCHV staff and community providers throughout the year regarding Nursing and medication management for VA funded programs and contracts.
• Assisted in creating the policy and procedures for Veteran Village of San Diego (VVSD) newest special grant program for Veterans not independent in some activities of daily living. Goal was to stabilize medical and mental health needs and work to permanently house them independently or in assisted living.
• Provided ongoing education to interdisciplinary team on healthcare needs of homeless Veterans.
• Co-Chair Nurse professional standards board
• Member of the Joint Commission Mock survey team at the VA San Diego preparing staff for upcoming surveys
• Responsible for and preparing VASH program for CARF, ensuring correct documentation and practice standards meet current guidelines

• Founding member of VA San Diego's Homeless Patient Aligned Care Team (HPACT). A Primary Care clinic specifically designed to meet the needs of homeless Veterans.
• Instrumental in the development of policies, procedures and nursing practices to care for Homeless Veteran's based on Healthcare for Homeless Veteran's guidelines (HCHV), VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guidelines, VASDHS policies/procedures and most up to date Evidenced Based Practice.
• HPACT reduced Emergency Department visits by 86 % and inpatient hospitalizations by 15 % for those enrolled in the in the program within the first two years of its inception.
• Coordinated medical outreach events in the community and at local shelters to provide medical care to homeless Veterans. Responsible for logistics, planning, scheduling, and follow up of care.
• Co-Managed , with the HPACT Primary Care Provider (PCP), Veteran's with Heart Failure, Diabetes, Hypertension, and COPD and other chronic diseases. Responsible for follow up, education on and medication management per VA DOD guidelines.
• Triaged all "walk in" Veterans. Completed histories, physicals and focused interventions documenting episodes of care in collaboration with the PCP. Improving access to care for this vulnerable patient population.
• Worked with HPACT/VASH Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from 2013 to 2018. Coordinated care, scheduled Veterans, provided education on medications and treatment options for those assigned to the Mental Health NP.
• Functioned independently and provided direct care to Veterans experiencing homelessness or at risk for homelessness, managing complex cases involving multiple comorbidities and complex social issues requiring close monitoring and coordination of various healthcare services.
• Worked with San Diego County Public Health (PHS) and Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) to provide Hepatitis A vaccinations to homeless Veteran's at Bridge housing locations and Veteran's Village of San Diego (VVSD) Tent during Hepatitis A outbreak. Assisted in development and approval of ROI to share Veteran's immunization records between agencies, to keep accurate count of homeless Veterans receiving immunizations against Hepatitis A and B. Updated CPRS immunizations records.
• Provided Hepatitis A and flu vaccines for HCHV Veterans at San Diego Counseling Center (SDCC) and Hotel Churchill.
• Acted as RN consultant to members of the HCHV interdisciplinary team, partnering with them , to provide assessments, interventions, and navigating the VA Healthcare system.
• RN consultant for VASDHS Grant per Diem (GPD) and Transitional Housing inspections from 2013-2023. Providing ongoing consultations to HCHV staff and community providers throughout the year regarding Nursing and medication management for VA funded programs and contracts.
• Co-liaison representing VASDHS and HCHV for Bridge shelter provider meetings. Meeting with Family Health Centers, People Assisting the Homeless, Alpha project and other community providers caring for homeless Veterans. Discussed services and referral options for Veteran's in community programs and coordinating medical and mental health care between services.
• Considered as an expert in the care of homeless Veteran's. Guest Speaker at National Medical-Surgical conference, VASDHS Brown Bag lunches and the Nursing Transition into Practice Program on the care of homeless.
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• Provided supervision and leadership for clinic licensed vocation nurse assigned to HPACT.
• Preceptor for newly hired RN's and LVN;s assigned to HPACT at the VA San Diego as well as other staff in the VHA's VISN 22 network opening new Homeless Patient Aligned Care Teams in those locations.
• Co-Chair Nurse professional standards board
• Member of the Joint Commission Mock survey team at the VA San Diego preparing staff for upcoming surveys

• Responsible for carrying out mission of VASDHS during off-tour hours, ensuring optimal success of nursing team in provision of quality patient care.
• Confidently directed overall operation of nursing services and patient care, including quality assurance, patient care, safety risk management, and teammate satisfaction on off-tour.
• Functioned as off-tour bed management coordinator, working with interdisciplinary team, to provide appropriate level of care for Veterans.
• Provided leadership and acted as a clinical resource during off-tour hours as appropriate.
• Assisted in team processes, communication and collaboration with physicians to ensure appropriateness of orders for various units, ensuring nurses were working within their scope of practice per policies of various floors and VASDHS.
• Acted as patient/staff advocate to resolve conflicts when needed.
• Guest lecturer for "Nursing skills day. Implemented education on PTSD, Women veterans and med-surg milieu and trained 80 RN's. Provided up to date information on pathophysiology, gender differences in presentation of PTSD, nursing diagnosis and nursing symptom management while hospitalized on med-surg unit. Based on pre and post tests nurses increased their knowledge from a "limited" to "intermediate" understanding of PTSD, improving bedside nursing practices.
• Guest lecturer for Transitions into Nursing practice on Organization and Time management.

• Staff RN on 3 North medical oncology and surgical unit.
• Administered medications and treatment to patients and monitored responses while working with healthcare teams to adjust care plans.
• Monitored Veteran's condition, including interpreting and tracking EKG readings, identifying irregular telemetry readings and updating team members on changes in stability or acuity.
• Informed Veterans and families of effective treatment options and at-home care strategies, enhancing long-term outcomes.
• Delivered outstanding care to Veterans with various diagnoses and managed care from treatment initiation through to completion.
• Facilitated therapeutic communication, conflict resolution and crisis intervention by redirecting negative behaviors and helping Veterans regain or improve coping abilities to prevent further disability.
• Conferred with physicians to discuss diagnoses and devise well-coordinated treatment approaches.
• Acted as off-tour Unit Coordinator (Charge Nurse)
• Precepted and mentored newly hired RN's and RN's with Performance improvement plans (PIP's).
• Voted by peers as "Best under pressure, best preceptor, best mentor and most organized" while working on 3 north.
  

• Worked in various locations and on various units including Multi-Service unit, Emergency Department, Hematology/Oncology, Palliative Care and Same Day surgery.
• Delivered outstanding care to patients with various diagnoses and managed care from treatment initiation through to completion.
• Informed patients and families of effective treatment options and at-home care strategies, enhancing long-term outcomes.
• Administered medications and treatment to patients and monitored responses while working with healthcare teams to adjust care plans.
• Monitored patient condition, including interpreting and tracking EKG readings, identifying irregular telemetry readings and updating team members on changes in stability or acuity.
• Facilitated admissions/discharges and transfers and responsible for documentation of assessments, treatments and other nursing duties.
• Served as Assistant Division Officer for Medical Surgical Oncology unit from 2003 - 2005.
• Served as charge nurse on various units from 2001-2017.
• Served as preceptor and mentor on various units from 2001-2017 for Registered Nurses and Corpsman.
• Functioned as staff education and training officer for Same Day Surgery unit, hematology oncology unit and multi-service unit.
• Served as Resolve Through Sharing (RTS) staff/family bereavement counselor from 2003-2005.
• End of life care consortium instructor and instructor trainer. Developed curriculum and acted as lead instructor for multiple classes from 2004-2006.
• Co-developed Palliative Care program and Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) in 2004 . Using evidenced based practice presented NMCSD leadership with Point Paper, developed policies, procedures, Standing admission orders and implemented program Researched and wrote "Grief and loss" portion of policy and procedures based on the most recent evidence based practice.
• Lead instructor and curriculum developer for the Emergency Medical technician program, Twenty-nine Palms Ca