Laura Williams
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Acting Chief Nurse, Medicine Nursing Service
VA Sierra Nevada Healthcare System
07.2024 - 12.2024
- Provides executive oversight for daily clinical and administrative operations with supervision of the Nurse Managers over the following areas: Specialty Care Coordination, Medical and Surgical Specialty Clinics, Cath Lab, IR, PM&R, Endoscopy, Infusion Center and Surgical Nursing
- Provides senior leadership within nursing, as directed by the Deputy Associate Director for Patient Care Services (DADPCS)
- Ensures compliance with policies and procedures, standards of patient care, treatment, and services, nursing practice standards, staffing plans, functional statements, and standards to measure, assess, and improve patient outcomes
- Supports the integration and collaboration of nursing with other professional disciplines and functional areas in the mutual achievement of patient-centered and organizational goals, championing a High-Reliability Organization (HRO) with a culture of safety founded on a systems approach to developing evidence-based healthcare solutions
- Successful VCARE survey with zero findings in areas of responsibility
- Co-chair EPRP committee
Nurse Manager, Medicine Nursing Service
VA Sierra Nevada Healthcare System
10.2022 - Current
- Oversight of Specialty Care Programs including SCI/D, Transplant, Nephrology/Dialysis, Lung Cancer Screening, Cancer Nurse Navigation, Diabetes Education, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Multi-Specialty
- Improved Diabetes metrics including decreased number of veterans with HgbA1C>9 resulting in 1st Quintile SAIL
- Utilize collaborative leadership when working with multidisciplinary services to create operational efficiency and collegiality including integrating NFS and dietitians into GI, Hepatology and Diabetes Education Clinics
- Active member of EPRP committee responsible for diabetes and colorectal screening metrics with marked increase in SAIL metrics and decrease in fall outs for these categories
- Strategically evaluated and developed specialty care programs to align resource utilization with organizational goals
- Management of fast paced 14-specialty outpatient clinic with an average of 130 Veterans served a day
- Development of Heart Failure Clinic with resulting positive impacts to quality metrics
- Expanded Diabetes Education Clinic to CBOCs increasing Diabetes access to rural veterans
- Integration of Whole Health initiative to nurse driven clinics increasing Whole Health Metrics
- Implementation of Suicide Screening reminders in the specialty clinic to bring compliance for the facility to 100%
- Staffing Methodologies champion for Medicine Nursing Service
Registered Nurse- Special Procedures Unit/Cardiac Catheterization Lab
VA Sierra Nevada Healthcare System
12.2021 - 10.2022
- Effective team member functioning in roles of RN, Circulator and Monitor
Nurse Manager- Cardiac Catheterization Lab
Northern Nevada Medical Center
Sparks, NV
02.2021 - 12.2021
- Improved physician relations leading to increased staff retention and physician satisfaction as well as increased volumes
- Collaborated with Cardiology Medical Group to balance physician’s office schedule and procedure schedule, improving Lab utilization and productivity
- Strengthened relationship with Surgical Services with results of improved peri-operative care of patients, decreased delays, and improved patient, and physician satisfaction
- Maintained Cath Lab operations throughout the pandemic including the initial wave; used national resources to develop appropriate PPE standards to protect providers, staff, and patients
- Developed national Cath Lab Nurse Orientation program by collaborating with a small group of national UHS Cath Lab Directors
- Improved Cath Lab/Emergency Department relations and STEMI process by implementing the Post-STEMI debriefing process
- Ensured regulatory compliance and led the department through successful on-site, full book The Joint Commission Survey with zero findings
- Developed, implemented, and maintained department dashboard to identify opportunities for quality improvement
- Successful oversight of construction project for upgraded Cath Lab and installation project of an upgraded hemodynamics monitoring system, including the development of reports
- Subject matter expert for planning and building Cath Lab at new facility
- Active member of national High Reliability Organization Committee
Charge Nurse- ICU/Cath Lab
Northern Nevada Medical Center
Sparks, NV
03.2018 - 02.2021
- Led Critical Care nursing staff as Charge Nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Assisted in creating two additional ICU spaces during the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Responsible for daily unit staffing and productivity management
- Promoted a culture of safety and resiliency during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Active member of unit-based High Reliability Organization Committee
Case Manager- Worker’s Compensation
ALARIS
Reno, NV
09.2018 - 03.2019
- Successfully managed multiple worker’s comp claim cases throughout Northern Nevada from claim opening to claim closure
Case Manager- Nevada Medicaid
Axispoint Health
Reno, NV
06.2017 - 03.2018
- Decreased Emergency Room Visits by >25% through management of patient’s chronic disease states via evidence-based population health management strategies
- Successfully coordinated care for underserved patients by communicating and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team
Charge Nurse/Quality Nurse- Peri-operative and Procedure Rooms
Summit Surgery Center
Reno, NV
03.2015 - 06.2017
- Oversaw Performance Improvement Projects and Nationwide Benchmarking as Surgery Center’s Quality Improvement Nurse
- Successfully improved efficiency of procedure rooms by decreasing turnaround time and increasing daily case volumes by 50%
- Decreased number of same-day cancellations by 98 % by implementing pre-procedure phone calls
- Increased profitability through a streamlined supply management process
Registered Nurse/Charge Nurse- Medical Telemetry and Trauma ICU
Renown Health
Reno, NV
07.2011 - 03.2015
- Successfully led 27-bed Trauma unit by managing staffing, bed control and productivity
- Collaborated with all ICU Departments as a member of the Rapid Response/Code Team
- Mentored new staff by precepting new graduate nurses to Trauma ICU
- Decreased hospital-acquired pressure ulcers by active membership on Skin Committee
- Engaging and educating staff to decrease both hospital-acquired injuries (HAI) and infections to improve patient safety with the goal of maximizing hospital reimbursement
- Active member of Nursing Shared Governance Committee to facilitate unit-based process improvement and implementation
Unit Clerk/CNA- Medical Unit and Emergency Department
Renown Health
Reno, NV
03.2007 - 07.2011
- Successfully worked full-time while studying and completing the nursing program
- Collaborated with Physicians as Emergency Department Unit Clerk to implement Physician Order Entry in Electronic Medical Records
Timeline
Acting Chief Nurse, Medicine Nursing Service
VA Sierra Nevada Healthcare System
07.2024 - 12.2024
Nurse Manager, Medicine Nursing Service
VA Sierra Nevada Healthcare System
10.2022 - Current
Registered Nurse- Special Procedures Unit/Cardiac Catheterization Lab
VA Sierra Nevada Healthcare System
12.2021 - 10.2022
Nurse Manager- Cardiac Catheterization Lab
Northern Nevada Medical Center
02.2021 - 12.2021
Case Manager- Worker’s Compensation
ALARIS
09.2018 - 03.2019
Charge Nurse- ICU/Cath Lab
Northern Nevada Medical Center
03.2018 - 02.2021
Case Manager- Nevada Medicaid
Axispoint Health
06.2017 - 03.2018
Charge Nurse/Quality Nurse- Peri-operative and Procedure Rooms
Summit Surgery Center
03.2015 - 06.2017
Registered Nurse/Charge Nurse- Medical Telemetry and Trauma ICU
Renown Health
07.2011 - 03.2015
Unit Clerk/CNA- Medical Unit and Emergency Department
Renown Health
03.2007 - 07.2011
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