Kayla Balstad

Director of nursing at a 40 bed SNF.

• Led nursing staff in implementing evidence-based practices to enhance patient care quality.
• Developed and executed strategic initiatives to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs.
• Mentored nursing team members to foster professional development and enhance clinical skills.
• Oversaw compliance with state and federal regulations, ensuring high standards of patient safety.
• Established policies that streamlined workflows and enhanced collaboration among departments.
• 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.
• Built and maintained positive working relationships with physicians and staff to support seamless healthcare operations.
• Streamlined nursing operations by optimizing staffing schedules, resource allocation, and workflow processes.
• Developed positive employee relations, incentives, and recognition programs to promote teamwork and mutual respect.
• Collaborated with staff, management, and external groups to coordinate patient care.

Managed a 40 bed SNF unit.

• Led staff training programs, fostering professional development and improving team performance.
• Developed and implemented resident assessments to enhance individualized care strategies and improve satisfaction.
• Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to optimize care delivery and address resident needs effectively.
• Mentored junior staff on best practices in resident care coordination, improving team performance and service quality.
• Advocated for residents' rights and preferences, fostering a supportive environment that encourages autonomy and dignity.
• Led training sessions on regulatory compliance and care standards, strengthening team knowledge and adherence to best practices.
• Evaluated staff performance regularly through observation, providing constructive feedback for professional growth.

Worked as a charge nurse on a 31 bed transitional care unit. Responsibilities include training new nurses in proper techniques, care standards, operational procedures and safety protocols, collaborate with physicians to quickly assess patients and deliver appropriate treatment while managing rapidly changing conditions, implemented quality patient care techniques to align with safety, health and organizational regulations, monitored nursing care, patient assessment processes and treatment implementations, documented medications administered, treatments and patient procedures performed in appropriate records according to privacy requirements, patient admissions and discharges from hospital or community to rehabilitative facility, coordinate nursing care on unit through staff assignments, assisting and rounding with physicians, monitoring patient orders and communicating with ancillary departments.

Worked as a registered nurse on the resource (float) team and rescue nurse team between three hospital campuses on a variety of nursing units including cardiac, neurology, oncology, med/surg, observation, palliative care, rehab, ortho, and surgical floors. In the resource nurse role some job duties include assessing patients, administering medications and treatment, collaborating with patient's interdisciplinary teams, providing a safe environment for my patients, advocating for my patients, providing educational, psychological and emotional support for my patients and family members, and initiating and modifying patient care plans as necessary. In the rescue nurse role some duties include assisting staff members with IV insertion, IV and PICC line troubleshooting, Foley placements, port accesses, inserting NG tubes, sterile dressings, performing drug screens and EKGs, and being a part of the rapid response team, code team, fall team and behavioral response team.

Worked as a registered nurse at a 50 bed skilled nursing facility. Duties includes charge nurse, overseeing and leading staff, performing patient assessments and adjusted care plans accordingly, administering wound care, medications, and any necessary treatments, assisting residents with bathing, dressing, feeding, lifting and transferring, routinely collaborating with department managers to correct problems and improve services, authorize drug refills and provide detailed prescription information to pharmacies, and ensuring top-level care by focusing on patient safety and dignity.