Kelly Wolf
Waukesha
Summary
Graduate-prepared nursing leader with 10+ years of experience leading clinical operations, workforce strategy, workflow optimization, and technology-enabled practice improvement within complex critical care environments. Skilled in clinical informatics, onboarding and competency management, interdisciplinary collaboration, change management, evidence-based practice, and quality improvement initiatives. Contributed to enterprise EHR transformation efforts and nursing informatics education while supporting patient safety, operational excellence, clinician adoption, and standardized clinical workflows across high-acuity healthcare settings.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Nurse Manager, CVICU
Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital
11.2024 - Current
- Lead clinical operations, workforce strategy, and team performance initiatives within a high-acuity Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit
- Partner with organizational leaders and interdisciplinary stakeholders to implement onboarding, orientation, competency management, and professional growth strategies aligned with operational and patient care priorities
- Coach and develop nursing staff through mentorship, performance feedback, succession planning, and individualized growth planning
- Analyze quality, safety, staffing, and operational metrics to identify trends, improve workflow efficiency, strengthen team effectiveness, and support continuous improvement initiatives
- Foster a culture of accountability, engagement, collaboration, and lifelong learning across multidisciplinary teams
- Support change management initiatives and practice standardization efforts to improve patient outcomes and operational consistency
- Facilitate role transition and capability development for new and experienced staff through competency-based education and clinical leadership support
- Collaborate across interdisciplinary teams to align clinical operations, patient safety priorities, and workflow improvement initiatives
- Contribute to workforce retention and employee engagement efforts through relationship-building, professional support, and staff advocacy
Instructor – Nursing Informatics & Clinical Education
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Nursing
09.2023 - 01.2025
- Designed and facilitated clinical learning experiences using evidence-based teaching strategies, adult learning principles, and competency-based education models
- Integrated nursing informatics principles, healthcare technology applications, evidence-based practice, and clinical workflow concepts into nursing instruction and learner engagement activities
- Assessed learner performance and delivered individualized coaching to strengthen clinical reasoning, confidence, and professional growth
- Adapted educational approaches to support diverse learning needs, communication styles, and developmental readiness
- Evaluated student progress using direct observation, competency assessments, and performance feedback tools
- Fostered psychologically safe and inclusive learning environments that promoted engagement, growth, and learner success
- Reinforced patient safety standards, professional accountability, and evidence-based clinical decision-making throughout instruction
RN – Clinical Lead Specialty, ICU
Ascension St. Joseph's Hospital
08.2022 - 11.2024
- Provided frontline leadership and operational support within a complex critical care environment focused on patient safety, quality outcomes, and team effectiveness
- Led onboarding, mentorship, and professional growth efforts for nursing students, interns, graduate nurses, and newly hired staff during orientation and transition-to-practice experiences
- Supported competency assessment, clinical readiness, and workforce strategy initiatives to promote safe and effective patient care delivery
- Served as a trusted clinical resource and mentor, providing real-time coaching, education, and performance support to interdisciplinary team members
- Collaborated with nursing leadership and interdisciplinary stakeholders to identify practice gaps, improve workflows, strengthen team capability, and support operational excellence
- Participated in quality improvement, patient safety, and evidence-based practice initiatives aimed at improving operational and clinical outcomes
- Contributed to enterprise-wide transition from legacy McKesson documentation systems to Epic Hyperdrive, supporting clinician adaptation to new EHR workflows, documentation standards, and technology-enabled practice changes across critical care settings
- Supported clinical workflow integration and frontline technology adoption during EHR transition initiatives within high-acuity care environments
- Promoted a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning within a high-acuity care environment
Registered Nurse, ICU
Ascension St. Joseph's Hospital
01.2014 - 08.2022
- Delivered comprehensive critical care nursing care within a high-acuity intensive care environment
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to support quality patient outcomes, patient safety initiatives, and evidence-based clinical practice
- Developed strong clinical expertise in critical care workflows, patient assessment, clinical documentation, and multidisciplinary coordination
- Supported unit operations, peer collaboration, and patient-centered care delivery within a fast-paced healthcare environment
Education
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) - Nursing Education
Western Governors University
07-2024
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) -
Alverno College
12-2014
Skills
- Clinical Informatics
- Workflow Optimization
- Clinical Operations Leadership
- Technology Adoption & Integration
- EHR Workflow Integration
- Workforce Development
- Interdisciplinary Collaboration
- Quality & Patient Safety
- Process Improvement
- Executive Collaboration
- Communication & Facilitation
- Quality Improvement
Timeline
Nurse Manager, CVICU
Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital
11.2024 - Current
Instructor – Nursing Informatics & Clinical Education
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Nursing
09.2023 - 01.2025
RN – Clinical Lead Specialty, ICU
Ascension St. Joseph's Hospital
08.2022 - 11.2024
Registered Nurse, ICU
Ascension St. Joseph's Hospital
01.2014 - 08.2022
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) - Nursing Education
Western Governors University
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) -
Alverno College