Katherine Morrison

As a Charge Nurse, I coordinate patient care activities with multidisciplinary teams for optimal outcomes in the surgical setting. I supervise all department staff to ensure compliance with best practices, and facility policy and procedure. On the evening shift, I independently manage assignments, scheduling, and staffing to maintain adequate coverage at all times. I maintain the department environmental safety and emergency preparedness. I work in interdisciplinary and interdepartmental collaboration to facilitate life-saving, life-affirming, necessary, elective, planned and emergent surgical service to all patients at the highest possible standard. I take care of people the way I would hope to be taken care of.

As a circulator, I provided nursing care for intra-operative pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients from an initial pre-operative assessment and interview, through hand-off to post-anesthesia care. I prepared, maintained, and responsively managed a safe and thoroughly equipped operating room to facilitate sterile, safe, and effective surgical service delivery by interdisciplinary team members with varied and unique needs of their own. I communicated effectively with the team throughout each case to ensure cohesive and well-coordinated patient care adapted in real-time to evolving patient needs. I was responsible for ensuring respectful treatment of the patient and adherence to their wishes while under our collective care. I made great effort to provide the best possible nursing care tailored to each patient's individualized medical and psychosocial needs and with respect for their personal, cultural, and spiritual beliefs and values.

I provided skilled, compassionate, and highly specialized nursing care to peri-partum and neonate patients with inclusion of their support persons per patient needs and stated desires. I educated and coached patients through triage assessment and antepartum, peri-partum, perioperative, and post-partum treatment and care in the LDRP unit setting. I administered routine care for newborns as well as emergency stabilization and transfer to higher acuity care facilities. I strived to ensure a medically, physically, psychologically and socially safe labor, delivery, birth and post-partum care experience tailored to each patient's specific medically identified and stated needs and desires. I obtained specialized national certification to better facilitate these goals. I worked collaboratively with an interdisciplinary care team to meet the complex and varied needs of the patients seeking care at our Critical Access Hospital at all times.

I provided nurse case management services outlined by the California HIV/AIDS Medi-Cal Waiver Program to clients in Butte, Colusa, Tehama, Sutter, and Yuba Counties. I conducted home visits, annual nursing assessments, quarterly case review, and monthly needs assessments for a caseload between 40 and 60 patients. I coordinated care and facilitated community-based referrals as well as healthcare navigation services to vulnerable clients on a needs-based and state-mandated schedule. I collaborated with community health centers, specialty medical institutions, and public health agencies to ensure adherence to antiretroviral medication therapy, access to harm-reduction resources, and social supports necessary to achieve and maintain stable health and undetectable viral load. I met with clients in the community, an office setting, accompanied them to clinic visits, and met in their homes to provide education, flexible and dynamic supportive advocacy, and encouragment in their goal of both medically stable and fulfilling lives as individually defined.