Heather M. Cooper
Chester,Virginia
Summary
Nurse Leader with over 15 years of successful experience in healthcare. Recognized consistently for performance excellence and contributions to success in quality patient experience and team member engagement. Strengths in quality and safety backed by training in performance improvement.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Nurse Manager, Acute Care Medicine
VCU Health System
Richmond, VA
10.2015 - Current
- Currently converting from Acute and Progressive care to Intensive Care Unit.
- Supervised, directed and motivated high-quality performance from nursing staff.
- Provided leadership, financial management and performance improvement to a 28 bed inpatient acute care and progressive care medicine unit.
- Effectively maintained low staffing vacancy rate through forecasting and professional development planning.
- Optimized capacity and throughput with reduced length of stay from a high of 9.0 days to a low of 5.4 and an increase in discharges by noon from a low of 5% to a high of 31%.
- Development of Nurse Manager Satisfaction work group yielding multiple improvements in satisfaction of managers related to work-life balance, on call staffing processes and collaborative peer relationships.
- Successful restructure of a general care unit to incorporate 8 progressive care beds.
- Achieved RN Engagement results higher than National Nursing Excellence Average and higher than VCU average (2017 and 2019).
Adjunct Faculty
VCU School of Interprofessional Education
Richmond , VA
08.2016 - 12.2019
- Provide instructional guidance to students of various health care programs in preparation for a career of interprofessional collaboration.
- Engaged over 100 students with insightful and compelling classroom discussion of topics relevant to coursework to boost student learning and retention.
Adjunct Faculty
VCU School of Nursing
Richmond, VA
05.2014 - 12.2019
- Provide instructional guidance and unit-based project oversight to students during the practicum portion of the undergraduate Nursing Administration and Leadership course.
- Worked closely with lead instructor to develop and implement Nursing Leadership and Administration curriculum for improved learning and student performance.
Performance Improvement Coordinator
VCUHS
Richmond, VA
07.2014 - 10.2015
- Provide leadership, facilitation, coordination, and education for performance improvement activities including project design, data collection and analysis, development and implementation of action plans, and documentation of outcomes.
- Successfully led clinicians through a structured Lean Six Sigma - DMAIC project resulting in increased team member use and documentation of Teach Back for patient education, a validated method for patient education.
- Earned VCUHS $144,000 in Anthem Q-HIP reimbursement dollars as a result of submission of current implementation of Teach Back for discharge education and plans for spread through out the organization.
- Successful restructure of an executive council appointed committee identified as needing facilitation to re-establish leadership, increase provider membership, and determine outcome-based goals.
- Facilitation with organizational leadership to complete an analysis of a serious safety event, identification of a root cause, development of an action plan, and measurement of completion of action items.
Clinical Nurse IV
VCU Health System
Richmond, VA
05.2007 - 07.2014
- Structured and implemented a unit based shared governance group that led to increased staff satisfaction, streamlined process for maintaining unit compliance with regulatory agencies, and continues to impact nursing quality indicators.
- Coordinated and motivated team members in the implementation of practice changes that reorganized workflow and significantly impacted patient falls, patient falls with injuries, nurse to nurse hand off, the implementation of multiple best practices, and conservation of resources.
- Mentored interdisciplinary team members by serving as a clinical leader and resource in the areas of clinical skills, information technology, and compliance with organizational policies, and regulatory protocols.
Interim Clinical Coordinator, Neuroscience ICU
VCU Health
Richmond, VA
10.2013 - 12.2013
- Supervise and coordinate team members to provide patient care during each assigned shift, adjusting for patient acuity, staff skill mix, and regulatory requirements.
- Organize unit-based activities to ensure timely and safe throughput of patients within the organization including the facilitation of inter-unit transfers, coordination of diagnostic tests, and communication with medical staff.
- Serve as a unit resource for critical nursing skills, electronic and paper documentation, information technology, organizational policies, communication and effective conflict resolution with patients, families, and team members.
Education
Master of Science - Nursing
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA12.2013
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA05.2007
Skills
- Relationship development
- Team Management
- Recruitment and Hiring
- Quality assurance
- Conflict resolution
- Strategic Planning
- Financial management
- Process improvement
- Staff Forecasting
- Policy And Procedure Adherence
Affiliations
- Virginia Nurses Association, 2017 - Present
- American Association of Critical Care Nurses, 2007 – Present
- Virginia Association for Health Care Quality, 2014 – 2015
Additional Information
- Chair, Nurse Manager Satisfaction Committee, VCU Health 2017 – Present
- Chair, Staff QAPI Chair VCU Health 2019 – 2020
- Winner, 2018 Forty Under Forty, Virginia Nurses Foundation
- Co-Chair, Nurse Manager Council, VCU Health 2017- 2018
- Podium Presentation, Social Media and Professional Boundaries, Central Virginia Association for Neo-natal Nurses Annual Conference September 2017
- Poster Presentation, Teach Back, 2016 Mid-Atlantic Interprofessional Leadership Conference, VCU Health October 2016
- Poster Presentation, Teach Back, 12TH Annual Evidence Based Practice Symposium, University of Virginia, May 2016
- Podium Presentation, Teach Back, 6th Annual VCUMC Safety Conference, March 2016
- Facilitator, VCU Health Critical Care Committee , 2014 – 2015
- Facilitator, VCU Health Medical Records Committee , 2014 – 2015
Timeline
Adjunct Faculty
VCU School of Interprofessional Education
08.2016 - 12.2019
Nurse Manager, Acute Care Medicine
VCU Health System
10.2015 - Current
Performance Improvement Coordinator
VCUHS
07.2014 - 10.2015
Adjunct Faculty
VCU School of Nursing
05.2014 - 12.2019
Interim Clinical Coordinator, Neuroscience ICU
VCU Health
10.2013 - 12.2013
Clinical Nurse IV
VCU Health System
05.2007 - 07.2014
Master of Science - Nursing
Virginia Commonwealth University
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Virginia Commonwealth University