Kathy Vardoulis, BSN
Eugene,United States
Summary
Dynamic nursing leader with extensive experience in several fields of nursing including Cardiology, Surgery, Leadership, Corrections, Telemetry, Care Coordination and Management, Nurse Navigator, and Heart Transplant Cardiology. Excels in providing exceptional patient care, effective communication, and strong organizational and leadership skills. Proven track record in quality improvement and clinical operations management, fostering strong relationships and enhancing team performance. Adept at mentoring staff and optimizing patient care through critical thinking and effective communication.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
1
1
Certificate
1
1
Daisy Award for Exceptional Nursing Care
Work History
Director of Nursing
Centurion
03.2024 - Current
- Managed team of 15 staff members
- Participated in management team meetings to discuss resident status, census changes, and resident complaints or concerns.
- Oversaw and approved recruitment, hiring and orientation of new nursing staff.
- Ensured regulatory compliance by staying current on industry standards and updating policies accordingly.
- Monitored and evaluated nursing staff performance, providing feedback and guidance to support standards of care.
- Streamlined nursing operations by optimizing staffing schedules, resource allocation, and workflow processes.
- Collaborated with staff, management, and external groups to coordinate patient care.
- Established and monitored infection control programs to provide safe, sanitary environment to prevent transmission of disease and infection.
- Facilitated continuing education and training programs to drive staff competency and professional development.
- Enhanced staff performance by conducting regular evaluations, providing constructive feedback, and offering tailored professional development opportunities.
- Identified department issues to recommend corrective actions.
- Established new policies and updated existing policies to improve standard of care for patients.
- Recruited, hired and trained all staff, providing direct supervision, ongoing staff development and continuing education to employees
Heart Failure Clinic Nurse Navigator
Intermountain Healthcare
07.2022 - 12.2023
- Enrolled over 300 patients in 8 month period
- Educated patients, families and caregivers about conditions and treatments.
- Maintained detailed documentation of patient records, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
- Coordinated referrals to specialists or external healthcare providers when necessary for specialized care.
- Educated patients on disease prevention and management, promoting healthy lifestyle choices.
- Developed strong rapport with patients, fostering trust and open communication for better understanding of their concerns.
- Monitored vital signs regularly to track patient progress and respond promptly to any changes or abnormalities.
- Observed and assessed patients to identify concerning symptoms.
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams for comprehensive patient care, ensuring optimal health outcomes.
- Contributed to a positive work environment by collaborating effectively with colleagues and supporting team goals.
- Partnered with support technicians, nursing staff and social workers to coordinate services.
- Provided emotional support to patients and families during difficult medical situations or diagnoses, demonstrating empathy and compassion throughout the process.
- Enhanced clinic efficiency by streamlining processes and implementing best practices in nursing care.
- Facilitated patient education on disease management and prevention, promoting healthier lifestyle choices.
- Explained course of care and medication side effects to patients and caregivers in easy-to-understand terms.
- Performed triage on incoming patients and determined severity of injuries and illnesses.
- Conducted ongoing monitoring and evaluations of behaviors and conditions, and updated clinical supervisors with current information.
- Delivered high level of quality care to diverse populations while overseeing patient admission and triaging based on acuity and appropriate department admission.
- Collaborated with medical staff to develop individualized care plans for each transplant candidate.
- Managed complex transplant cases, ensuring timely and accurate completion of all required documentation.
- Optimized patient outcomes through meticulous pre-transplant evaluations and assessments.
- Enhanced transplant coordination by streamlining communication among multidisciplinary teams.
Clinic Staff RN
Intermountain Healthcare
05.2020 - 07.2022
- Kept work areas clean, organized, and safe to promote efficiency and team safety.
- Responded sensitively and competently to service customers with diverse cultural backgrounds.
- Developed strong relationships with clients through consistent communication and attentive customer service, resulting in increased overall satisfaction.
- Assisted with onboarding new staff members, providing orientation and support.
- Conducted cardiac testing including stress tests and assisting with echo's
Clinical Supervisor
Centennial Hills Hospital
11.2019 - 05.2020
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to coordinate care for clients with complex needs, ensuring comprehensive support was provided across all domains of life functioning.
- Assessed patients, determined needs, and managed care.
- Enhanced team collaboration through regular staff meetings, case conferences, and training sessions.
- Responded to crisis situations with calm and professional approach to optimize support.
- Monitored, analyzed, and corrected staff performance and worked with nurse manager to raise standards of practice.
- Improved patient outcomes by implementing evidence-based treatment plans and clinical interventions.
- Served as a liaison between clinical staff and administration to address concerns and optimize workflows.
- Lead and directed team of 36 clinical personnel and support staff.
- Mentored junior staff members in clinical best practices, contributing to a culture of continuous learning and professional growth.
- Conducted performance evaluations for clinical staff, identifying areas for development and implementing targeted training programs.
- Communicated with patients, ensuring that medical information was kept private.
Patient Flow Coordinator /Clinical Charge Nurse
Huntington Hospital
01.2016 - 11.2019
- Managed team of 40 staff members
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to develop comprehensive care plans for complex patients.
- Evaluated current processes regularly, identifying opportunities for improvement in efficiency and effectiveness of coordination efforts.
- Improved patient flow by efficiently coordinating room assignments and patient transfers.
- Created clear documentation of all activities related to patient flow coordination, promoting transparency among care providers and administrators.
- Demonstrated a commitment to ongoing professional development by attending workshops, conferences, and other learning opportunities related to patient flow coordination.
- Established strong relationships with clinical staff members across disciplines by providing reliable support and fostering a collaborative work environment.
- Served as an advocate for patients'' needs within the health system, liaising between various departments to ensure timely access to services.
- Monitored patient progress, updating care team members on changing needs or concerns promptly.
- Ensured continuity of care through thorough hand-offs between shifts, minimizing delays or gaps in service delivery.
- Increased patient satisfaction with timely updates on appointment schedules and wait times.
- Managed bed availability by monitoring capacity levels daily, adjusting resources as needed to accommodate fluctuations in demand.
- Delivered excellent patient experiences and direct care.
- Resolved issues through active listening and open-ended questioning, escalating major problems to manager.
- Delegated tasks to administrative support staff to organize and improve office efficiency.
- Provided backup to front desk to step in to assist with various tasks whenever employee was absent or at lunch.
Staff Nurse /Staff Relief Charge Nurse
Huntington Hospital
08.2005 - 01.2016
- Kept work areas clean, organized, and safe to promote efficiency and team safety.
- Established positive relationships with customers and other staff members.
- Responded sensitively and competently to service customers with diverse cultural backgrounds.
- Developed strong relationships with clients through consistent communication and attentive customer service, resulting in increased overall satisfaction.
- Assisted with onboarding new staff members, providing orientation and support.
- Collaborated with colleagues on various projects, sharing knowledge and expertise while working together towards common objectives.
- Optimized customer experience by delivering superior services and effectively troubleshooting issues.
- Administered medications via oral, IV, and intramuscular injections and monitored responses.
- Performed various nursing interventions such as wound dressing, vital sign monitoring, and specimen collection.
- Assessed physical, psychological, physiologic, and cognitive status of patients.
- Monitored patients' conditions and reported changes in physical presentation, appearance, and behavior to discuss treatment with physicians.
- Developed strong rapport with patients and families, fostering trust and open communication during challenging times.
- Collaborated with physicians, pharmacists and therapists to deliver quality, evidence-based care.
- Educated patients, families and caregivers on diagnosis and prognosis, treatment options, disease process, and management and lifestyle options.
- Demonstrated excellent time management skills while juggling multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Educated patients on self-care management, empowering them to take an active role in their overall health and wellbeing.
- Directed patient care by initiating and following through with plan of care, continuing care, and discharge instructions.
Pre-op and PACU Registered Nurse
Peninsula Plastic Surgery Center
02.2006 - 11.2015
- Enhanced patient safety by diligently monitoring vital signs and administering medications post surgery.
- Reduced recovery times through effective pain management and close collaboration with the surgical team.
- Maintained accurate records of medication administration, vital signs monitoring, and other critical data points for proper evaluation of patients'' progress during recovery.
- Mentored new PACU nurses, sharing best practices for efficient patient turnover and discharge processes.
- Improved patient satisfaction by providing compassionate care and maintaining open communication with patients and families.
- Supported successful implementation of newly adopted protocols within the PACU department through active involvement in training sessions and policy updates.
- Increased patient comfort during recovery by addressing anxiety and concerns about surgery results.
- Provided emotional support to patients during their postoperative experience, creating a positive atmosphere that facilitated smooth recoveries.
- Assisted surgeons in post-operative procedures, ensuring optimal wound healing and preventing complications.
- Assessed and identified individual patient educational needs, removing barriers to learning and supporting comprehensive progress.
- Monitored patient reactions after administering medications and IV therapies.
- Used first-hand knowledge and clinical expertise to advocate for patients under care and enacted prescribed treatment strategies.
- Educated family members and caregivers on patient care instructions.
- Provided skilled, timely and level-headed emergency response to critically-ill patients.
- Performed frequent checks on life support equipment and made necessary adjustments to preserve optimal patient conditions.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Western Governor's University
Salt Lake City, UT08-2017
Associate of Science - Nursing
Los Angeles County College of Nursing And Allied H
Los Angeles, CA12-2004
Skills
- Nurse education and training
- Coaching, Leadership and guidance
- Quality improvement
- Case Management and Discharge Planning
- Critical Thinking
- Remote Triage Nursing
- Documentation and Reporting
- Clinical resources management
- Staff scheduling
- Cerner, Meditech, Allscripts, Word, Excel, Powerpoint
- Healthcare regulations compliance
- Clinical operations management
Accomplishments
- Supervised team of 36 staff members.
- Documented and resolved patient complaints which led to 40% improvement in patient satisfaction results.
- Daisy Award Winner for Exceptional Nursing Care
Certification
- Basic Life Support Certification (BLS)
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support Certification (ACLS)
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Director of Nursing
Centurion
03.2024 - Current
Heart Failure Clinic Nurse Navigator
Intermountain Healthcare
07.2022 - 12.2023
Clinic Staff RN
Intermountain Healthcare
05.2020 - 07.2022
Clinical Supervisor
Centennial Hills Hospital
11.2019 - 05.2020
Patient Flow Coordinator /Clinical Charge Nurse
Huntington Hospital
01.2016 - 11.2019
Pre-op and PACU Registered Nurse
Peninsula Plastic Surgery Center
02.2006 - 11.2015
Staff Nurse /Staff Relief Charge Nurse
Huntington Hospital
08.2005 - 01.2016
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Western Governor's University
Associate of Science - Nursing
Los Angeles County College of Nursing And Allied H
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