Kelly SPARKS

• Coordinated pre-liver transplant care, overseeing diagnostic testing, image requests, and multidisciplinary communication to ensure comprehensive patient management.
• Served as primary point of contact for patients, families, physicians and team members throughout the referral, evaluation, and waitlist process.
• Educated patients and caregivers on transplant process and pre and post-transplant expectations to enhance understanding and preparedness.
• Facilitated timely transplant listing decisions by attending multidisciplinary rounds, tumor board, and patient selection committee meetings.
• Participated in rotating on-call coverage which included evening, weekends, and holidays.

• Executed circulating duties in operating room for cardiac, vascular, heart/lung transplant, and endovascular service lines to support successful surgical outcomes.
• Ensured sterile environment in operating room by strictly following AORN principles, minimizing risk of infection.
• Collaborated with surgical teams to ensure patient safety during procedures.

• Provided direct nursing care to four to six medical/surgical patients per shift at a Magnet recognized facility.
• Experienced in caring for the liver, kidney, pancreas, and small bowel transplant recipients.
• Proficient in caring for the living liver and kidney donors.
• Cross-trained in Transplant Intensive Care Unit, supporting care for up to three acutely ill patients per shift.
• Managed care for ventilated patients, ensuring therapeutic infusion protocols were adhered to.
• Cross-trained in Transplant Ambulatory Clinic, ensuring patient support and care..
• Experienced with outpatient clinic procedures such as biopsies, paracentesis, and therapeutic infusion.

• Managed inpatient and outpatient total parenteral nutrition prescriptions for intestinal transplant and intestinal rehabilitation patients by adjusting macronutrients, micronutrients, and electrolytes.
• Assessed and treated the nutritional needs of inpatient and outpatient pediatric and adult patients under the care of the Intestinal Transplant and Intestinal Rehabilitation service.
• Provided therapeutic diet education and developed educational materials to enhance patient understanding and compliance.
• Monitored and tracked blood cultures for central line infections, ensuring timely treatment and improved patient outcomes.

• Assessed and treated nutritional needs of patients in medical oncology, thoracic surgery, kidney, lung, and liver transplant services, enhancing patient recovery and health outcomes.
• Provided inpatient and outpatient coverage for small intestine and multivisceral transplant patients and candidates, ensuring continuity of care and support throughout their treatment journey.
• Identified malnutrition and delivered targeted interventions for patients across all services during weekend and holiday shifts, addressing critical health issues in a timely manner.

Nutritionally screen and assessed all adult and pediatric pre- and post- kidney, liver, and pancreas transplant recipients.

• Assessed nutritional needs of hepatobiliary service patients to inform individualized care plans.
• Created parenteral and enteral nutrition support regimens to optimize patient recovery and outcomes.

Screened and assessed nutritional needs of ICU and medical/surgical and orthopedic patients to ensure appropriate dietary interventions.

• Delivered weekend call coverage to support continuous hospital operations and patient care.
• Collaborated with healthcare teams to optimize patient care strategies.