Karla Zilinski
Waterford,WI
Summary
Highly skilled and passionate Advanced Practice Nurse known for high productivity and efficient task completion. Specialize in patient assessment, evidence-based practice, and health promotion. Excel in communication, leadership, and critical thinking skills to deliver exceptional patient care and collaborate effectively with healthcare teams.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner – Neurosurgery
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, WI
09.2017 - Current
- Evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients requiring Neurosurgical care
- Patient population includes those with acute and chronic vascular, cranial, spine and functional Neurosurgical needs within the inpatient and outpatient setting
- Responsible for obtaining patient’s medical history and conducting physical examinations
- Identify pertinent differential diagnoses
- Manage and coordinate care for patients in accordance with State and Federal rules and regulations and the Nursing Standards of Care
- Prescribe medication safely, interpret and evaluate effectiveness, modifying treatment plans accordingly based on patient response and/or lab results
- Ensure the ordering and interpreting of pertinent diagnostic studies
- Consulting with the physician on site as appropriate to manage patient care in a collaborative manner
- Counsel and educate patient regarding diagnosis, disease, preventative health measures and behaviors, and treatment options, facilitating patient and family decision-making
- Collaboration with multidisciplinary team members by making appropriate referrals and/or transfer to higher level of care if required
- Responsible for appropriate and applicable documentation of patient care record in accordance with established standards and guidelines
- Direct nursing and medical assistant staff to ensure patient receives appropriate and recommended care.
Clinical Adjunct Faculty
Herzing University
Brookfield, WI
01.2017 - 05.2022
- Effectively utilizes written and verbal communication to provide direction and feedback to students
- Serves as professional role model to students
- Inspires student confidence in school, faculty, and self
- Facilitates diverse learning experiences that render the content meaningful and relevant to students
- Creates a learning environment that promotes active engagement between student and content, between the student and faculty, and among students
- Utilizes a variety of instructional methodologies to accommodate diversity in student learning style preferences
- Continually promotes the development and effective use of higher cognitive level/critical thinking skills in students
- Utilizes effective delivery skills (e.g., eye contact, voice intonation, and various questioning techniques)
- Draws on personal experiences to introduce and clarify concepts
- Employs the use of formative assessment activities as a means of determining student understanding to inform targeted intervention and student support
- Offers assistance to students who demonstrate a lack of engagement or lack of mastery of the course content
- Demonstrates consistent evaluation of student work
- Participates in the curriculum development and monitoring process
- Demonstrates a desire to improve instructional practice through reflection on and refinement of expertise and knowledge
- Actively engages in professional development opportunities to maintain and refine competence as a subject matter expert.
Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner – Urgent Care
Aurora Health Care
Oak Creek, WI
09.2017 - 11.2019
- Evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients throughout the lifespan with acute and chronic illnesses, accidents, and injuries within the outpatient setting
- Responsible for obtaining patient’s medical history and conducting physical examinations
- Identify pertinent differential diagnoses
- Manage and coordinate care for patients in accordance with State and Federal rules and regulations and the Nursing Standards of Care
- Prescribe medication safely, interpret and evaluate effectiveness, modifying treatment plans accordingly based on patient response and/or lab results
- Ensure the ordering and interpreting of pertinent diagnostic studies
- Consulting with the physician on site as appropriate to manage patient care in a collaborative manner
- Counsel and educate patient regarding diagnosis, disease, preventative health measures and behaviors, and treatment options, facilitating patient and family decision-making
- Collaboration with multidisciplinary team members by making appropriate referrals and/or transfer to higher level of care if required
- Responsible for appropriate and applicable documentation of patient care record in accordance with established standards and guidelines
- Direct nursing and medical assistant staff to ensure patient receives appropriate and recommended care
- Procedures: Splinting, Wound care, Slit Lamp examinations, Nasal packing, Gynecological exams
Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner – Aurora Comprehensive Pain Management
Aurora Health Care
Milwaukee, WI
06.2015 - 09.2017
- Evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients with acute and chronic illnesses within the outpatient setting
- Responsible for obtaining patient’s medical history and conducting physical examinations
- Identify pertinent differential diagnoses
- Manage and coordinate care for patients in accordance with State and Federal rules and regulations and the Nursing Standards of Care
- Prescribe medication safely, interpret and evaluate effectiveness, modifying treatment plans accordingly based on patient response
- Regulation of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapies, including controlled substances
- Ensure the ordering and interpreting of pertinent diagnostic studies
- Consulting with the physician as appropriate to manage patient care in a collaborative manner
- Counsel and educate patient regarding diagnosis, disease, preventative health measures and behaviors, and treatment options, facilitating patient and family decision-making
- Collaboration with multidisciplinary team members by making appropriate referrals
- Responsible for maintaining an independent patient population at an off-site location, serving as an expert in filed of practice
- Responsible for appropriate and applicable documentation of patient care record in accordance with established standards and guidelines
- Direct nursing and medical assistant staff to ensure patient receives appropriate and recommended care
- Special training in injections including glenohumeral joint, subacromial bursa, AC joint, medial/lateral epicondyle, trochanteric bursa, knee joint, and trigger point injections
Registered Nurse – Proficient – Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit
Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center
Milwaukee, WI
12.2008 - 06.2015
- Collaborating with the healthcare team in establishing a patient’s plan of care, evaluating patient responses to interventions and effectively communicating observations and patient needs to the physician and other members of healthcare team, developing delegation skills, administering medication as prescribed, completing activities of daily living, taking vital signs, and monitoring blood glucose level in the critical care setting
- Responsible for managing care in those patients experiencing life-threatening problems, using high intensity interventions and therapies.
Registered Nurse – Cardiothoracic Nurse Clinician
Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, WI
04.2012 - 05.2015
- Identifies specific patient incoming needs and organizes appropriate team members to develop/ revise an upcoming case plan, reviews patterns for referring physician admissions, identifies and communicates potential solutions to variances, and implements identified solutions
- Provides consistent & thorough communication to entire team including: anesthesiologists, PA’s, surgeons, perfusionists, cardiologists, OR staff, ICU attending physicians, and bedside RN’s
- Facilitates and delegates timing/scheduling of same day add-on surgeries, urgent cases, and cancellations
- Coordination of Transplants
- Working with families in the pre-natal period to develop a treatment plan for neonates with complex congenital heart disease
- Assists with development of clinic protocol and program development
- Teaching: Provides information to patient and families
- Acts as a support and resource prior to, during, and following the surgical/catheterization procedure
- Serves as a resource to physicians and staff
- Assumes responsibility for facilitation of surgeon’s clinic including providing educational materials to families, explaining procedures and the process regarding pre-op, day of surgery, and the recovery period
- Community Outreach: Supports community education efforts and assesses needs
- Participates in and evaluates community education for cardiac population
- Performs regularly scheduled visits to referring physicians to obtain information regarding service received
- Identifies any issues requiring resolution and provides solutions and/or resources to decrease the service gaps and concerns
- Provides updates on Herma Heart Center care process and any educational material developed for patients or physicians involved in care through the Herma Heart Center.
Nurse Extern II – Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit
Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center
Milwaukee, WI
01.2008 - 12.2008
- Collaborating with the registered nurse in establishing a patient’s plan of care, evaluating patient responses to interventions and effectively communicating observations and patient needs to the registered nurse, developing delegation skills, administering medication as delegated by the registered nurse, completing activities of daily living, taking vital signs, and monitoring blood glucose levels.
Student Tutor
Alverno College
Milwaukee, WI
01.2006 - 01.2008
- Provide student instructional services, specifically working one-on-one and in groups, tutoring in Biochemistry, Pathophysiology, and Nursing
- Volunteer to attend student instructional services seminars to discuss strategies for tutoring with peer tutors from other colleges.
Education
Master’s of Science, Nursing – FNP -
Concordia University of Wisconsin
Mequon, WI05.2014
Skills
- Quality Improvement
- Evidence-Based Practice
- Chronic Disease Management
- Health Promotion
- Diagnostic test interpretation
- Medical Documentation
- Medication Prescribing
- Acute and chronic health issues
- Diagnosis and treatment
- Health plan creation
Certification
- Advanced Practice Nurse Prescriber - Wisconsin
- ANCC Certification – Family Nurse Practitioner
- Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Registration
- Registered Nurse – Wisconsin
- BLS – Basic Life Support
Academic Leadership
2008, Committee member for the “Candelite” Nurse’s Pinning Ceremony
Professional Leadership
- 2022 - Present, Member of the 5NW/5SW ACT Committee
- 2018 - Present, Member of the APP Education Series Planning Committee
- 2016 – 2017, Member of the Patient Experience Committee to improve patient experience.
- 2010 – 2012, Committee member of Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit NCC for shared governance.
- 2010 – 2012, Participation in Quality Care Committee responsibilities to ensure quality care
- 2008 – 2012, Transfer and Mobility/Safe-lifting Coach
Bachelors degree
Bachelors of Science, Nursing, 12/2008, Alverno College, Milwaukee, WI, Nursing, Elective Studies, Pathophysiology, N260: Health Assessment: Individual, Family, & Community, N350, N355: Pharmacology, N365, N370: Nursing Theory of Acutely and Chronically Ill Population, N375: Nursing Practice of Acutely and Chronically Ill Populations, IN383: Nursing Internship, N450: Nursing Theory of Vulnerable Populations, N460: Leadership for Change in Healthcare, N465: Nursing Practice with Vulnerable Populations, N475: Professional Nursing Portfolio 830
Volunteer Experience
2002-2003, Big Buddy Program – Pius XI - Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Peer Mentor, Volunteered at Sojourner Truth House, a shelter for battered women and children. Completed training to properly respond in stressful situations, ensure confidentiality, and establish a rapport. Cared for children. Mentored a group of five freshman students as part of the ‘Big Buddy’ program. Discussed issues facing them to include drugs, peer pressure, issues with teachers, as well as promoting involvement in sports and school activities. Volunteered for food and clothing drives, as well as fundraisers.
References
Available upon request.
Timeline
Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner – Neurosurgery
Medical College of Wisconsin
09.2017 - Current
Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner – Urgent Care
Aurora Health Care
09.2017 - 11.2019
Clinical Adjunct Faculty
Herzing University
01.2017 - 05.2022
Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner – Aurora Comprehensive Pain Management
Aurora Health Care
06.2015 - 09.2017
Registered Nurse – Cardiothoracic Nurse Clinician
Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
04.2012 - 05.2015
Registered Nurse – Proficient – Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit
Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center
12.2008 - 06.2015
Nurse Extern II – Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit
Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center
01.2008 - 12.2008
Student Tutor
Alverno College
01.2006 - 01.2008
Master’s of Science, Nursing – FNP -
Concordia University of Wisconsin
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