Karin Brennan

• Solo Wound, Ostomy, and Diabetes Education RN for 216 bed hospital, providing bedside consults, wound care recommendations , interventions for patients to ensure best practice is followed. Collaboration with bedside staff and physician colleagues, ancillary services, speech therapy, registered dietitians, PT/OT, case management, to ensure wound care was implemented, care completed, wound healing in progress , goals addressed, post discharge care ordered, to ensure all patient have tools needed to succeed post discharge. Education on infection prevention and wound-tailored post discharge care discussed with patient. Collaboration with Quality for data analysis, presentation, NDNQI Studies. Policy creation and updating. Collaborates with sister-campuses for new product selection, trials, best practices, changes needed for EMR.
• Assessed patient's wound care needs and developed individualized wound care plans.
• Trained and mentored new RNs on wound care best practices, hospital policies and standards of care.
• Assisted physicians with examinations and patient scans during diagnostic processes. Wounds prepared for rounding physician assessment so interventions discussed at that time, orders obtained, imaging for ongoing documentation done to minimize patient from having wound undressed multiple times per consultant.
• Bedside education for all new ostomy patients, including skin alterations, stomal complications are addressed. Provided tailored care to identify psychosocial needs met to ensure a safe and successful discharge. Ensure all DME is ordered, uninsured and low income patient needs addressed.
• Trained other nurses on patient care and daily tasks, supporting growth and professional development in wound and ostomy care
• Actively participated in professional organizations related to nursing practice. CEUs on wound and ostomy management, obtained CWCA, participated in zoom and in person ostomy and wound care presentations, best practices. Attended CALNOC and NDNQI Conferences.
• Taught classes on topics of wound and ostomy care, including to new grads quarterly, Skin champion recruitment, presentation quarterly, education on NPWT, wound care terminology, new methodology, classes organized with vendors to provide staff education on new product rollout, Assisted in planning and implementation of LBMC Annual Wound Conference annually, breakout table education at LBMB Skin Champion education, and real time education for staff when needed or requested.
• Ordered supplies necessary for wound care treatments as needed.
• Educated patients and families on proper wound care techniques.
• Developed policies and procedures for the Wound Care program.
• Managed inventory of supplies used for wound care treatments.
• Evaluated new products or techniques used in wound care management.
• Assisted in developing budgets related to the Wound Care program.
• Educated family members on proper wound care techniques for home management.
• Utilized specialized equipment such as negative pressure therapy systems, pulsed lavage devices., for optimal wound healing outcomes.
• Participated in interdisciplinary team meetings related to development of effective treatment plans.
• Treated complex wounds, including diabetic ulcers, vascular wounds and trauma-related wounds, fistulas.
• Classified wounds using staging system based on visual evaluation of affected tissue, Braden Scale use.
• Viewed electronic health system records to evaluate patient wound care history, other relevant medical information and prescription medications.
• Bedside education for patients with new diagnosed diabetes discharging on insulin or poorly controlled diabetes. Resources obtained for safe discharge.
• Collaborated with health groups to plan or implement programs designed to improve overall health of communities.

• Provided direct nursing care to patients, including administering medications, wound care, and IV therapy.
• Relief charge nurse. Relief Wound Care and Ostomy nurse. Lead Wound Care Campion on unit, other units.
• Performed physical examinations and assessments of patients' medical histories.
• Collaborated with physicians in developing patient-specific treatment plans.
• Assisted doctors during medical procedures.
• Responded quickly to life-threatening situations by providing appropriate interventions.
• Ensured compliance with infection control policies and procedures. Worked with Wound Care RN and Quality to monitor clinical PI data, participated in CALNOC
• Managed complex cases involving multiple diagnoses or treatments.
• Provided emotional support to families facing difficult decisions about a loved one's care.
• Worked closely with other healthcare professionals to coordinate patient care.
• Attended continuing education courses to stay up-to-date on current trends in nursing practice.
• Trained and mentored new RNs on best practices, hospital policies and standards of care.

Co-Lead Registered Nurse collaborating aspects of outpatient wound care at Orange County's largest OP wound care and HBO clinic. Responsibilities included running daily clinics as a clinician and case manager, performing administrative duties, conducting inpatient consulting at attached acute hospital (including ostomy care), and managing multidisciplinary teams of general surgeons, podiatrists, vascular surgeons, infectious disease consults, LVN, CHBOTs, CNA,and clinic support staff.

• Assessed patient health and developed individualized care plans accordingly. Care plans included ensuring needs met, rides to return to appointments, ordering wound care supplies to ensure goals were attainable, seeking out social service support when barriers to goals arose.
• Collaborated with physicians in developing patient-specific treatment plans. Care collaboration included methods for debridement, sharp, selective, surgical, topical selection, local wound care intervention, identifying when wounds presented as heavily colonized, cultures and infectious disease physician consults were obtained, referrals to vascular centers to assist in circulation, identifying patient that would benefit from HBOT, obtaining orders and performing TCPO2s, ABIs, imaging as needed.
• Assisted doctors during medical procedures. Outpatient procedures included baseline assessment, wound imaging and measurements, pain assessment and interventions, including topical lidocaine, preparing tools for physicians to do sharp, selective debridements, obtain biologics and assist in preparation for placement, document level of debridement, wound base, hemostasis achievement, and performed ordered interventions for wound care. Patient billing done post visit.
• Worked closely with other healthcare professionals to coordinate patient care, including obtaining orders for wound cultures, CT, MRI, and getting orders for needed modalities,specialists if additional care was needed, referrals to vascular surgeons for vascular needs, IV antibiotics per infectious disease specialist, accessing and infusing antibiotics per orders, assessing patient as they received results and interventions.
• Demonstrated knowledge of current trends in nursing practices by attending continuing education classes or seminars.