Jennifer Ridgway
Chicago,IL
Summary
Dedicated, compassionate, highly skilled, seasoned nursing professional offering proven clinical knowledge, natural leadership strengths, critical thinker, and technical abilities. Interdisciplinary collaboration focused on optimizing patient care and support. Quality-focused and efficiency-driven trained nurse with experience ensuring exacting standards of care for a wide variety of patients with diverse needs. Highly proficient technical aptitude with multiple electronic charting and computer programs. Easily adaptable to constantly changing situations.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Infection Preventionist
Hines VA Medical Center
Hines, IL
10.2023 - Current
- Collect, analyze, and interpret health data to track infection trends, plan appropriate interventions, measure success, and report relevant data to public health agencies
- Established evidence-based infection control protocols, resulting in 40% decrease in hospital-acquired infections; collaborated with multidisciplinary healthcare team to ensure seamless implementation across all departments
- Work to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in healthcare facilities by isolating sources of infections and limiting their transmission
- Educate healthcare personnel and public about infectious diseases and how to limit their spread
- Collaborated with environmental services staff to ensure proper cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization of patient care areas and equipment
- Enhanced patient safety through rigorous monitoring and evaluation of infection control measures
- Performed preventive measures and maintained firm safety levels to avoid spread of infection and disease
- Assisted with regulatory compliance efforts by conducting audits, addressing deficiencies, and providing guidance on necessary improvements related to infection control standards
- Provided comprehensive training for staff on proper hand hygiene, personal protective equipment usage, and other infection control practices to minimize risks
Utilization and Case Management Lead / Critical Care
Pinnacle Hospital
Crown Point, IN
03.2021 - 03.2024
- Dual case management/utilization management as well as ICU nurse for 18 patients daily
- Additional duties as necessary; Direct patient care as needed
- Identified care needs of individual patients and coordinated responses based on physician advice, insurance limitations and procedural costs
- Evaluated medical guidelines and benefit coverage to determine appropriateness of services
- Performed prior authorization review of services requiring notification
- Submitted cases for criteria failures and helped facilitate resolutions and approvals
- Obtained authorizations from multiple insurance carriers for various levels of care
- Provides medical case management to individuals through coordination with patient, physician, other health care providers, employer, and referral source
- Implement care such as negotiating and coordinating delivery of durable medical equipment and nursing services
- Required to prepare organized reports within specified timeframe
- Performance rating consistently marked as exceeding expectations
- Leads and organizes delivery of care to assure continuity of care and peer accountability for practice, including access to care and discharge planning
- Utilizes advanced clinical knowledge/judgement to promote staff involvement in planning, decision-making, and evaluating outcomes
- Functions as expert in clinical practice and/or areas related to assigned roles and responsibilities
- Systematically evaluates current practice, and formulates outcomes for groups of patients and/or organizational processes within area of expertise
- Applies Outward Leadership principles to all personnel management situations, including giving advice, counsel, or instruction to personnel on work or administrative matters
- Applies professional standards of care, scientific evidence, and practice to evaluate programs and/or service activities
- Actively cultivates multidisciplinary collaborative partnerships across facility
- Provides coverage for nurse manager in absence and functions under supervision of nurse manager
- Ensures patient and employee safety concerns are identified and addressed timely
- Monitoring compliance with accreditation and regulatory standards, ensuring continuous readiness for all internal and external reviews
- Foster mentality of positive change and support process improvement opportunities that embrace new ideas and new methods to facilitate safe practice and sound business decisions
- Performs delegated duties: i.e., develops time schedules, complete performance evaluations, complete fact findings and initiates or recommends disciplinary action.
- Assessed and managed various patient treatments for numerous patient diagnoses from sepsis to acute respiratory distress
Critical Care Nurse / Case Management
Advocate Health
Oak Lawn, IL
02.2018 - 03.2022
- Anticipates and recognizes significant changes in patient’s condition, status, and need for care in immediate cardiothoracic post operative recovery
- Provides ongoing assessment of patient and takes appropriate actions when changes occur within high acuity level 1trauma center
- Anticipates and alters plan of care as needed, mobilizes appropriate resources, and collaborates with other health care team members to coordinate patient centered care
- Implements strategies to reduce patient risk and increase patient safety
- Assesses patient and family readiness to learn and individualizes approach as necessary
- Works collaboratively to develop strategies to meet learning needs of patient and family
- Applies evidence-based practice to deliver patient care
- Consistently incorporates nursing and regulatory standards of care into practice
- Trained new nurses in proper techniques, care standards, operational procedures, and safety protocols
- Functions as expert in clinical practice and/or areas related to assigned roles and responsibilities.
Critical Care / Cath Lab Nurse
Franciscan Health/Community Healthcare
Hammond, IN
01.2006 - 02.2018
- Optimized scheduling processes for Cath Lab cases to ensure timely treatment for all patients requiring catheterization services while maximizing resource utilization.
- Promoted culture of collaboration among Cath Lab team members by actively participating in team meetings, sharing insights from experience, and offering constructive feedback for continuous improvement efforts.
- Ensured patient safety during procedures by adhering to stringent infection control standards and maintaining sterile environment in Cath Lab.
- Improved efficiency of patient documentation processes by utilizing electronic health records systems accurately and consistently following procedural protocols.
- Leader charge nurse
- Formulating inventory system for high value supplies and medical equipment
- Maintaining accurate inventory of high value catheterization supplies i.e., stents, balloons, and wires
- Reordering above listed inventory
- Coordinating clinical specialists to assist with cases
- Maintaining relationships with vendors and other clinical representatives
- Responsible for educating staff hospital wide when new equipment or procedure utilized and implemented
- Delivered age-appropriate medical care for adult, adolescent, and geriatric ICU patients
- Dual role of ICU RN for 20 patients as well as Catheterization laboratory nurse
- Supported physicians and patients throughout introduction of medical devices and vascular closure with collagen plugs and stitches
- Administered nursing care to cardiovascular patients undergoing diagnostic, therapeutic or emergency services
- Performs delegated duties: i.e., develops time schedules, complete performance evaluations, complete fact findings and initiates or recommends disciplinary action.
- Enhanced patient outcomes by providing expert care in Cath Lab, including monitoring vital signs and administering medications during procedures
Education
Master of Science - Nursing Public Health Nursing
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ05.2018
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Indiana University
Gary, IN06.2010
Skills
- Family and Patient Advocate
- Critical Care
- Military Leadership
- Nursing Professional Practice Model Expert
- Problem-Solving
- Team motivation
- Surveillance
- Leadership Qualities
- Quality Improvement
- Staff education and training
- MS Office
- Resource optimization
- Decision-making capabilities
- Critical thinking abilities
- Process improvement strategies
Affiliations
2006 - Present
2013 - 2022
American Nurses Association
Member
American Association of Critical – Care Nurses
Member
2023 - Present
Association for Professionals in Infection Control
Member, Healthcare Provider BLS
Multiple EHR (Super User)
Data analysis 10+ Years
American Heart ACLS
Management
17 Years Clinical Experience Including Emergency Room, ICU, Procedural
Emergency Room
Precepting
Veteran Advocate
Acute Care
Organizational Leadership
Timeline
Infection Preventionist
Hines VA Medical Center
10.2023 - Current
Utilization and Case Management Lead / Critical Care
Pinnacle Hospital
03.2021 - 03.2024
Critical Care Nurse / Case Management
Advocate Health
02.2018 - 03.2022
Critical Care / Cath Lab Nurse
Franciscan Health/Community Healthcare
01.2006 - 02.2018
Master of Science - Nursing Public Health Nursing
Grand Canyon University
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Indiana University
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