Heather Thoma
Evansville,WY
Summary
Compassionate Registered Nurse with experience offering comprehensive patient care in various environments. Works well with diverse patient populations and fosters trusting relationships to improve outcomes.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Registered Nurse
Banner Wyoming Medical Center
02.2019 - Current
- Improved patient outcomes by implementing evidence-based nursing interventions and individualized care plans.
- Reduced hospital readmissions through effective discharge planning, patient education, and follow-up care coordination.
- Enhanced patient satisfaction by providing compassionate, holistic nursing care that addressed physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to develop comprehensive treatment plans for complex patients with multiple comorbidities.
- Conducted thorough patient assessments to identify changes in condition, promptly notifying physicians and initiating appropriate interventions when necessary.
- Facilitated patient transitions between different levels of care, ensuring continuity of services and minimizing disruptions in treatment plans.
- Skillfully managed challenging patient situations using de-escalation techniques, crisis intervention strategies, and therapeutic communication skills.
- Utilized critical thinking skills to prioritize nursing interventions based on patients'' acuity levels and individual needs.
- Participated in ongoing professional development opportunities to stay current on best practices in nursing care and emerging trends in healthcare delivery.
- Collaborated with physicians to quickly assess patients and deliver appropriate treatment while managing rapidly changing conditions.
- Administered medications via oral, IV, and intramuscular injections and monitored responses.
- Educated patients, families and caregivers on diagnosis and prognosis, treatment options, disease process, and management and lifestyle options.
- Provided direct patient care, stabilized patients, and determined next course of action.
- Advised patients and caregivers of proper wound management, discharge plan objectives, safe medication use, and disease management.
- Collected blood, tissue, and other laboratory specimens and prepared for lab testing.
- Evaluated patient histories, complaints, and current symptoms.
- Educated family members and caregivers on patient care instructions.
- Managed patients recovering from medical or surgical procedures.
- Monitored patient reactions after administering medications and IV therapies.
- Provided skilled, timely and level-headed emergency response to critically-ill patients.
- Offered exceptional care and support to individuals recovering from acute incidents and dealing with chronic conditions.
Registered Nurse, Long Term Care and Rehab
Life Care Center Of Casper
02.2017 - 08.2019
- Conducted thorough patient assessments to identify changes in condition, promptly notifying physicians and initiating appropriate interventions when necessary.
- Skillfully managed challenging patient situations using de-escalation techniques, crisis intervention strategies, and therapeutic communication skills.
- Contributed to interdisciplinary team meetings by presenting relevant clinical data about patients'' progress toward reaching established goals of care.
- Provided support for patients'' families during difficult medical decisions or end-of-life care, serving as a liaison between the healthcare team and loved ones.
- Utilized critical thinking skills to prioritize nursing interventions based on patients'' acuity levels and individual needs.
- Implemented evidence-based fall prevention strategies, resulting in a significant decrease in patient falls within the unit.
- Administered medications via oral, IV, and intramuscular injections and monitored responses.
- Implemented medication and IV administration, catheter insertion, and airway management.
- Maintained quality care and comfort for patients with heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and other conditions.
- Explained course of care and medication side effects to patients and caregivers in easy-to-understand terms.
- Offered exceptional care and support to individuals recovering from acute incidents and dealing with chronic conditions.
- Observed and documented patient factors such as diets, physical activity levels and behaviors to understand conditions and effectively modify treatment plans.
Patient Navigator
Wyoming Medical Center
09.2013 - 12.2014
- Streamlined communication between patients and healthcare providers for enhanced care coordination and timely treatment.
- Improved patient satisfaction by providing personalized guidance and resources throughout their healthcare journey.
- Assisted patients in overcoming barriers to care, such as transportation, language, and financial challenges.
- Educated patients on medical procedures, diagnoses, and treatment options to empower informed decisionmaking.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to develop comprehensive care plans tailored to individual patient needs.
- Reduced hospital readmissions by closely monitoring high-risk patients and connecting them with appropriate support services.
- Increased patient engagement by developing culturally sensitive educational materials and outreach initiatives.
- Facilitated access to community resources for patients experiencing social determinants of health that impact their wellbeing.
- Served as an advocate for vulnerable populations within the healthcare system, addressing disparities in access to care and treatment outcomes.
- Participated in case conferences with interdisciplinary teams to review patient progress and adjust interventions as needed.
- Supported patients in managing their mental and emotional well-being through active listening, empathy, and appropriate referrals to specialized care providers.
- Participated in regular team meetings, huddles, staff meetings and quality improvement projects to improve patient care.
- Consulted with medical staff and ancillary department to eliminate barriers to delivery of care and identified service delivery problems and potential for patient management intervention.
- Coached patients on self-advocacy.
- Assisted patients in scheduling doctor and healthcare appointments.
- Facilitated nursing care and individual patient and family education to support high risk and chronic disease management.
- Identified barriers when treatment goals not met, treatment plan not followed or important appointments missed and collaborated in redeveloping patient treatment goals.
- Provided excellent customer service to patients and medical staff.
- Offered simple, clear explanations to help clients and families understand hospital policies and procedures.
- Facilitated communication between patients and various departments and staff.
- Resolved customer complaints using established follow-up procedures.
- Applied administrative knowledge and courtesy to explain procedures and services to patients.
- Helped address client complaints through timely corrective actions and appropriate referrals.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY12.2019
Associate of Science - Nursing
Casper College
Casper, WY12.2018
Bachelor of Arts - Biology
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Denver, COSkills
- Unit Administration
- Diabetes management
- Precepting
- Chronic Disease Management
- Lab result interpretation
- Medical assessment
- Emergency Response
- Case Management
- Care Planning
- Patient Management
- Intravenous therapy
- Preventive health
- Professional Bedside Manner
- Medication and IV administration
- Newborn care
- Compassion and Empathy
- Family Education
- Patient and family advocacy
Certification
- PALS - Pediatric Advanced Life Support
- BLS - Basic Life Support
Timeline
Registered Nurse
Banner Wyoming Medical Center
02.2019 - Current
Registered Nurse, Long Term Care and Rehab
Life Care Center Of Casper
02.2017 - 08.2019
Patient Navigator
Wyoming Medical Center
09.2013 - 12.2014
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
University of Wyoming
Associate of Science - Nursing
Casper College
Bachelor of Arts - Biology
Metropolitan State University of Denver
- PALS - Pediatric Advanced Life Support
- BLS - Basic Life Support
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