Erica Nickels, RN
Chesterfield,Va
Summary
Qualified Registered Nurse with a profound foundation in clinical nursing practice, ability to provide compassionate patient care and effectively manage clinical duties, including developing patient care plans and administering treatments with consistent demonstration and proficiency in patient assessment and care coordination.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Clinical Nurse IV, Pediatric Supplemental Staffing
VCU Health System
10.2022 - Current
- Maintain competency to provide exceptional care in the following units as a Pediatric Float RN: Pediatric Intensive Care, Neonatal Intensive Care, Postpartum/Nursery Care, Burn Unit, Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, Bone Marrow Transplant, Virginia Treatment Center for Children, Acute Care Pediatrics and Step-down, Transitional Long Term Care and the Pediatric Emergency Room.
- Maintain required education, advanced certifications, and annual CEUs.
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members to formulate and implement the nursing process and plan of care, tailoring education to meet the individual needs of families.
- Maintain professional work relationships with colleagues and peers.
- Participate as departmental liaison for Life Net Health Organ Procurement Committee.
- Precepting new graduate nurses upon opportunities present.
Clinical Nurse III, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
VCU Health System
06.2012 - 10.2022
- Provide exceptional, compassionate care in a 20 bed PICU for critically ill patients ranging from newborn to 21 years of age with varying diagnosis.
- Served as a member of the interdisciplinary team with multiple sub-specialties including: Neurosurgery, Neurology, Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Transplant, Nephrology, Respiratory, Trauma, and Hematology and Oncology.
- Served as a Charge Nurse which maintained responsibility of leading a team of skilled nurses, assessing educational needs, and managing throughput. In 2018, I started serving as the Rapid Response Nurse which covers multiple areas of the hospital which serve pediatric patients.
- Preceptor for new graduate nurses, PICU fellowship nurses as well as experienced nurses. Responsible for orienting nursing colleagues to advance modalities including ECMO, CRRT, and Post-Cardiac Surgery.
- Served as a mentor to two particular individuals, providing independent coaching and support.
Patient Care Technician/Care Partner, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit/Progressive Care Unit
VCU Health System
08.2010 - 06.2012
- Provided care in a 13 bed PICU for critically ill patients ranging from newborn to 21 years of age.
- Responsibilities included stocking the bedside carts and PPE supplies, maintaining awareness of the environment including tidiness and staff needing assistance with turns, ADLs, and daily therapies.
- Assisted with procedural sedations, bedside procedures, and assisted during patient travels to the operating room or radiological studies.
- Served on the Environmental Supply Committee.
- Responsibilities included orienting new staff to the unit and environment, serving as a preceptor for new care partners. I implemented the Daily Care Partner Check List to advocate for patient safety and timeliness of supplies. I worked closely with Central Supply to meet the needs of the unit.
- Anticipated the needs of the staff and environment and attention to detail.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Virginia Commonwealth University
01-2012
Skills
- Obtain vital signs and perform assessments on pediatric patients across the continum of care in various settings
- Administer medications in a timely and safe manner
- Support providers through clinical procedures and sedation at the bedside
- Escalate patients care based off clinical data as appropriate
- Structure and tailor education to meet the needs of the patients and families I am serving
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members to perform duties and create safe discharge plans of care
- Review and initiate performance improvement initiatives for quality control
Certification
- American Heart Association Health Care Provider, (BLS): certified May 2010 to current.
- Pediatric Advance Life Support (PALS): certified December 2010 to current.
- Trauma Nurse Core Course (TNCC): certified December 2014 to current.
- Advanced Burn Life Support (ABLS) certified November 2017- current.
- Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) 2021-current.
- Neonatal Resuscitation (NRP) January 2023-current
- Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses (APHON), certified March 2014- December 2018.
Timeline
Clinical Nurse IV, Pediatric Supplemental Staffing
VCU Health System
10.2022 - Current
Clinical Nurse III, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
VCU Health System
06.2012 - 10.2022
Patient Care Technician/Care Partner, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit/Progressive Care Unit
VCU Health System
08.2010 - 06.2012
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Virginia Commonwealth University