KRISTA DOTSON
Pikeville,KY
Summary
Family Nurse Practitioner Student with over 11 years of high-acuity CVICU nursing experience and current leadership as a Shift Supervisor. Recognized for advanced clinical judgment, rapid assessment, and effective decision-making in complex and evolving patient situations. Brings extensive experience with perioperative and post-operative management, advanced respiratory and hemodynamic support, procedural assistance, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Clinically versatile, detail-oriented, dependable, reliable, and highly adaptable with a proven ability to integrate quickly into new practice settings while maintaining a patient-centered, evidence-based approach to care.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Shift Supervisor- CVICU
Pikeville Medical Center
Pikeville, KY
01.2023 - Current
- Provide shift-level leadership for a high-acuity CVICU, coordinating staffing, patient flow, and acuity-based assignments
- Serve as a clinical resource during emergencies and complex patient situations
- Support physician rounds by monitoring patient status, facilitating communication, and ensuring timely execution of orders
- Collaborate with physicians and advanced practice providers to support evidence-based care planning and optimize patient outcomes
- Coordinated patient care activities among multidisciplinary teams.
- Resolved conflicts and facilitated communication within the team.
- Communicated clearly with employees regarding job duties, expectations, and policies.
- Assigned tasks to team members based on their strengths and skill sets.
- Assisted upper management with daily operations to meet standards of service and quality.
Staff Registered Nurse-CVICU
Pikeville Medical Center
Pikeville, KY
08.2014 - 01.2023
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams for patient care planning and execution.
- Documented patient assessments and interventions accurately in electronic health records.
- Trained new nursing staff on CVICU protocols and best practices consistently.
- Managed complex therapies and equipment including mechanical ventilation, arterial and central lines, chest tubes, CRRT, and advanced cardiac support devices (IABP, Impella)
- Performed comprehensive patient assessments, rapidly identifying changes in condition and initiating appropriate interventions
- Delivered perioperative and post-operative care with emphasis on hemodynamic stability, infection prevention, and organ function monitoring, including genitourinary status
- Performed urinary catheter management and bladder irrigation, with close monitoring of intake/output and early identification of complications
- Responded to codes and emergent situations, providing timely, life-saving care
- Educated patients and families on post-operative recovery, treatment plans, and discharge expectations
- Managed time efficiently through prioritization and delegation of tasks as needed.
- Monitored vital signs and responded appropriately to changes in patient's condition.
- Administered medications and treatments per physician orders in a fast-paced CVICU.
- Provided direct patient care during urological procedures and assessments.
Education
Master of Science in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner
Walden University
Minneapolis, MN08.2026
Associate Degree in Nursing -
Big Sandy Community & Technical College
Prestonsburg, KY05-2014
Skills
- Advanced hemodynamic monitoring (arterial lines, CVP, Swan-Ganz)
- Mechanical ventilation management
- Advanced cardiac device management (IABP, Impella, ECMO)
- Advanced oxygen delivery systems (Vapotherm, high-flow nasal cannula)
- Noninvasive ventilation (BiPAP, CPAP)
- Chest tube management, including monitoring, troubleshooting, and removal assistance
- Post-procedural respiratory monitoring and complication recognition
- Assistance with bedside procedures, including chest tube insertion/removal and bronchoscopy
- Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT)
- Open-heart surgery
- Cardiothoracic post-operative care
- Rapid recognition of patient deterioration
- Emergency response
- Patient assessments
- Compassionate care
- Urinary catheter management
- Bladder irrigation
- Post-operative monitoring
- Complication recognition
- Patient education
- Family education
- Interdisciplinary collaboration
- Communication skills
- EPIC electronic medical record
- Microsoft Office
Certification
- Registered Nurse (RN)
- BLS
- ACLS
- NIHSS
- TNCC
- Ultrasound-Guided IV
Nurse Practitioner Practicum Experience
- Family Practice / Primary Care, Nichol Burchfield, PA-C, Russell Fork Clinic, Elkhorn City, KY
- Pediatrics, Cassie Ratliff, FNP-C, Pikeville Medical Center Pediatric Care, Pikeville, KY
- Women’s Health / Reproductive Health / Obstetrics, Whitney Rowe, FNP-C, Pikeville Medical Center Advanced Women’s Health Center, Pikeville, KY
- Family Practice / Primary Care (Expected), Luke Kiser, FNP-C, Vitality Wellness Institute, Jenkins, KY
Timeline
Shift Supervisor- CVICU
Pikeville Medical Center
01.2023 - Current
Staff Registered Nurse-CVICU
Pikeville Medical Center
08.2014 - 01.2023
Master of Science in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner
Walden University
Associate Degree in Nursing -
Big Sandy Community & Technical College