ILISA SPEARS
Nashville,TN
Summary
Registered Nurse with extensive experience in patient assessment, critical thinking, and care coordination. Demonstrates a strong commitment to safety and quality by executing post-operative care and educating patients, contributing to enhanced recovery processes and team efficiency.
Overview
1
1
Certification
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Registered Nurse
Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital
Nashville, Tennessee
05.2024 - Current
- Monitored airways and surgical sites during critical care to ensure optimal patient safety.
- Executed post-operative orders from physicians while managing pain levels effectively.
- Oversaw patient care. Facilitated recovery for patients post women's health, urology, spinal, plastics, and gastroenterology procedures.
Registered Nurse
Vanderbilt Medical Center
Nashville, TN
12.2021 - Current
- Collaborated with physicians Dr. David Slosky, Dr. Jennifer Kelley, Dr. Kathryn Lindley, and Dr. Leah Raj to efficiently manage 10-20 clinic visits, including imaging orders and procedure scheduling.
- Focused on women's heart disease, heart disease in pregnancy, pediatric lipid management, autonomic dysfunction, congenital heart defects, interventional cardiology, and cardio-oncology.
- Educated patients, families, and caregivers on diagnosis, prognosis, treatment options, and lifestyle modifications.
- Performed in-office procedures including triaging EKGs, phlebotomy, and IV therapy.
Registered Nurse
Saint Thomas West Hospital
Nashville, TN
04.2021 - 02.2023
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary team to enhance recovery for patients post-cardiac surgeries and acute conditions.
- Managed comprehensive care for six patients, coordinating effectively with case management and cardiac rehabilitation services.
- Assessed diverse patient needs through telemonitoring, cardiac drip titration, chest tube management, medication administration, and external pacing.
- Maintained accurate legal documentation using Cerner EMR while managing patient care tasks.
Patient Care Technician
Saint Thomas West Hospital
04.2020 - 03.2021
- Transitioned to hospital care during global pandemic, supporting inpatient staff with increased patient load and complexity
- Assisted nurses with vital signs, phlebotomy, glucometers, emptying drainage bags, responding to personal and emergent patient calls, feeding patients, recording I/Os, and notifying nursing staff of patient changes
- Collaborated in transition of cardiac unit to covid unit during fall 2020 peak, earning employee of the month for dedication to practice, staff, and patients
Express Care - Certified Medical Assistant
Saint Thomas Medical Partners
11.2018 - 04.2020
- Dual Role-maintaining both front desk and clinical assistant in a disadvantaged community walk-in clinic setting
- Triaged patients in waiting room, scheduled patients, processed insurance, collected payments or applications for charitable financial assistance. All while balancing being the sole clinical resource of the facility
- Clinical duties include vital signs, patient histories, medications, allergies, and preparing patients for exams
- Assisted NPs with STD testing, flu, covid, and strep swabs.
- Helped develop initial Covid-19 response in the Nashville community and became one of the first swab sites in Nashville
Certified Medical Assistant
Saint Thomas Medical Partners
01.2013 - 11.2018
- Primary position managing daily clinics of 20-30 patients on behalf of cardiologist Dr. Evans Kemp specializing in valvular disease, Marfan syndrome, HOCM, CAD, HTN
- Coordinated clinic and procedure schedules, managed medication, and recorded patient vitals to support patient care
- Performed EKGs, charted patient information, handled telephone calls, processed orders, authorized medications, and provided patient education using Athena EMR
- Developed and integrated work processes that streamlined operations and reduced duplicate tasks for support staff and physicians
Education
Associate of Applied Science - Nursing
Columbia State CommunityCollege
Franklin, TN12-2020
Skills
- Patient assessment
- Critical thinking
- Rapid assessment and airway management
- Phlebotomy and IV insertion
- Patient Education
- Care coordination
Certification
- LICENSES Registered Nurse (RN) - TN, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Basic Life Support (BLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Sterile Technique, EKG and Telemetry
Timeline
Registered Nurse
Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital
05.2024 - Current
Registered Nurse
Vanderbilt Medical Center
12.2021 - Current
Registered Nurse
Saint Thomas West Hospital
04.2021 - 02.2023
Patient Care Technician
Saint Thomas West Hospital
04.2020 - 03.2021
Express Care - Certified Medical Assistant
Saint Thomas Medical Partners
11.2018 - 04.2020
Certified Medical Assistant
Saint Thomas Medical Partners
01.2013 - 11.2018
Associate of Applied Science - Nursing
Columbia State CommunityCollege