Karla Saffer

Part time/full time Staff RN Surgery Department (July 2008 – April 2016): preop, circulate, scrub and recover for a variety of surgical cases including c-section, orthopedic cases, general surgery, gynecology, urology, ENT, ophthalmology etc. Directed the diabetes education program and achieved Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES) credentialing. April 2016 – present: Full time RN Care Manager and Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialist (2017). Earned graduate certificate in Diabetes Nursing from Capella University. Provide staff education for 16 bed critical access, rural facility specifically related to inpatient diabetes care. Initiated and maintain rural, outpatient diabetes education program including insulin pump and cgm support. Integrated Lifestyle Medicine Program and health coaching into family practice clinic. Coordinated and managed pediatric Type 1 diabetes telemedicine clinic with the Barbara Davis Center in Denver, CO.

• Managed complex cases involving multiple diagnoses or treatments.
• Educates patients and families on health maintenance, disease prevention, and treatment options.
• Responds quickly to life-threatening situations by providing appropriate interventions.
• Remote patient monitoring through variety of platforms for diabetes technologies.

Per-diem/full-time staff RN in a level three trauma center. Emergency Department (9 bed) ICU (6 bed): Obtained Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) certification. Cross trained to med-surg/ICU/ house supervisor. Presented various staff education topics (drug overdose emergencies, OB emergencies, cardiac emergencies etc.) related to caring for emergency/trauma patients.

Full time health coordinator for a community, non-profit health initiative. Established, maintained, and coordinated grant funded, community-based health program emphasizing prevention, healthy lifestyles and health awareness for people of all ages. Grant funded by Robert Woods Johnson Foundation.

Per-diem staff RN for 56-bed, level two trauma center. Provided primary care to all levels of emergency room patients. Taught staff in-service on establishment and maintenance of chest tubes. Attended Advanced Trauma Nurse Course (ATNC). Cross trained to relief charge nurse in main trauma section of the ED.

Staff RN for 8 bed, level three trauma center. Cross trained to ICU (5 beds). Cross trained to cardiac rehab. Obtained Pediatric Advance Life Support (PALS) certification. Obtained Trauma Nurse Core Course (TNCC) and Emergency Nurse Pediatric Course (ENPC) certification. Participated in staff in-service on interpretation of arterial blood gases.

Full time, staff RN for 37 bed telemetry unit. Obtained Advanced Cardiac Life Support Certification (ACLS). Participated in delivering practice scenarios related to cardiac arrest. Briefly cross trained to cardiovascular intensive care and medial intensive care units.