HEATHER ARNOLD
Banner Medical Group
Peoria,AZ
1
Certification
17
years of professional experience
Experienced Registered Nurse with 16 years in neonatal ICU, OBGYN, and lactation within acute care and outpatient settings. Expertise developed through 3.5 years in an OBGYN clinic emphasizes leadership, mentorship, and staff education to promote evidence-based patient care. Focused on continuous improvement and fostering teamwork to enhance patient outcomes and support healthcare professionals.
Work History
Registered Nurse, OBGYN Clinic
3 Years 7 Months- Developed a new OB/GYN Clinic RN role from the ground up, designing clinical workflows, operational processes, standardized procedures, and care coordination systems to support safe, efficient, and high-quality patient care.
- Led clinical process improvement and operational optimization initiatives, identifying workflow inefficiencies and collaborating with physicians, nursing leadership, medical assistants, management, IT, and administrative teams to implement sustainable solutions.
- Proposed and collaborated on implementation of FetaLink in the outpatient OB/GYN clinic, initiating the project and coordinating implementation across RN leadership, management, IT, and ENTECH. Streamlined fetal non-stress test (NST) documentation, reducing RN charting time from 2–3 hours to less than one hour, and increasing accuracy of charting.
- Developed and standardized clinical protocols and patient safety initiatives, including third-trimester antenatal depression screening using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), staff education on screening and scoring, and workflows for connecting patients with appropriate resources and postpartum support.
- Developed a comprehensive OB/GYN Clinic RN orientation and training program, creating standardized training materials to onboard a new full-time RN. Implemented targeted education to strengthen staff competency, consistency, and confidence.
- Provided clinical leadership and interdisciplinary education on fetal non-stress testing, high risk conditions of pregnancy, lactation, and postpartum support. Developed standardized patient education materials and individualized education programs addressing breastfeeding initiation, breast pump use, unmedicated labor, birth planning, induction procedures, and antenatal testing.
- Served as an RN consultant on a system-wide Banner Health committee to revise and standardize OB/GYN patient intake forms, contributing frontline clinical expertise to enterprise-level standardization and process improvement.
- Led continuity-of-care planning and practice transition initiatives during the departures of multiple OB/GYN physicians, developing comprehensive workflows, coordinating with providers and management, tracking outstanding responsibilities, and supporting safe patient transitions with minimal disruption to care.
- Developed and maintained OB patient tracking systems to monitor care milestones, identify follow-up needs, improve visibility into patient status, and support timely antenatal and postpartum care coordination.
- Managed clinical operations tracking and reporting, coordinating monthly obstetrical patient volume and delivery reporting for designated physician call group to support management oversight, financial reporting, and billing accuracy.
- Designed and implemented standardized scheduling workflows, scripts, training materials, and physician schedule templates in collaboration with physicians, management, and clinical support staff to improve appointment access, optimize provider utilization, and promote efficient clinic flow.
- Initiated and helped establish a quarterly RN collaboration forum spanning OB/GYN, Endocrinology, Family Medicine, and Gastroenterology. Facilitated ongoing cross-specialty communication through daily Microsoft Teams discussions to share best practices, address operational challenges, and advance continuous improvement.
- Provided comprehensive clinical nursing care for obstetrical and gynecologic patients, including telephone and portal triage, symptom assessment, care prioritization, fetal NST performance and interpretation, postoperative incision assessments, blood pressure follow-ups, diagnostic specimen collection, and new OB intake and scheduling.
- Delivered patient-centered education and care coordination throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period, collaborating with physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, medical assistants, and administrative teams to support informed decision-making, timely intervention, and positive maternal-newborn outcomes.
Registered Nurse, Neonatal Intensive Care
11 Years 10 Months- Delivered outstanding care of premature and critically ill neonates from admission to discharge at multiple Banner Health NICU locations: Desert 2011-2012, Thunderbird 2012-2023, Estrella & Del E. Webb 2018-2023.
- Showed willingness to help by actively engaging with team members and addressing patient needs.
- Initiated and continued various forms of respiratory support.
- Administered medications via oral, IV and intramuscular injections and monitor responses.
- Collected blood and other laboratory specimens.
- Collaborated with physicians and nurse practitioners to quickly assess patients and deliver appropriate treatment while managing rapidly changing conditions.
- Provided family/caregiver education, advocacy, guidance, and communication.
- Educated families and caregivers on neonatal care, advocating for patient needs and facilitating effective communication.
- Ensured compliance with hospital policies and regulations to uphold patient safety and care standards.
Registered Nurse, Birth Assistant
2 Years 4 Months- Assisted Certified Nurse Midwife as an RN in home birth setting.
- Assessed and documented maternal/fetal vital signs during labor, delivery, and postpartum through EMR.
- Drew maternal lab samples in home birth setting.
- Drew maternal lab samples for testing.
- Prepared to assist during emergencies in home birth setting.
Registered Nurse, Neonatal Intensive Care
1 Year 4 Months- Delivered developmentally appropriate, family-centered care to sick and premature infants from 24 weeks gestation to post-term in 36-bed unit, enhancing overall patient experience.
- Assessed and managed neonates requiring respiratory support, IV insertion, IV fluid maintenance, medication administration, and oral/enteral nutrition, ensuring optimal health outcomes.
- Advocated for patients and families while providing education, guidance, and communication to support informed decision-making.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
- Graduated Cum Laude with Honors
- Honors Thesis: Best Practice Recommendations for Minimizing Noise in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
No Degree - Doctor of Nursing Practice - Women's Health
- 4.0 GPA
- 21 credits completed from 8/2017-5/2018
- Relevant Coursework: · DNP 601 Theoretical Foundations, DNP 605 Evaluating Research Practice, and DNP 709 Individual & Innovation Leadership in Healthcare Practice.
- Left program on good terms due to family obligations.
Skills
Understanding diverse perspectives
Emotional Intelligence
Effective Communication
Leadership in clinical initiatives
Clinical workflow optimization
Patient Safety & Quality Improvement
Staff development and Mentorship
Clinical protocol development
Interdisciplinary Collaboration & Team Leadership
Clinical operations leadership
Change management strategies
Patient-centered care coordination
Accomplishments
Nurses Week Recognition 2026: Nominated by supervisor in recognition of contributions to patient care, commitment to process and workflow improvement, as well as interdisciplinary collaboration.
Certification
- Licensed Registered Nurse: Arizona, RN161930, Exp 04/2030
- BLS (Basic Life Support): Renewed 09/2026
- Certified Breastfeeding Specialist: 09/2019 - Present
Timeline
Registered Nurse, OBGYN Clinic
Banner Medical Group
04.2023 - CurrentRead More
Registered Nurse, Birth Assistant
Canyon Midwifery
08.2016 - 12.2018Read More
Registered Nurse, Neonatal Intensive Care
Banner Health
06.2011 - 04.2023Read More
Registered Nurse, Neonatal Intensive Care
University Medical Center (Now Banner University Medical Center - Tucson)
02.2010 - 06.2011Read More
University of Arizona
Bachelor of Science from Nursing
Read More
Arizona State University
No Degree from Doctor of Nursing Practice - Women's Health
Read More