Lorena Chinchilla RN
Health First Palm Bay Hospital
Palm Bay
2
Languages
1
Certification
15
years of professional experience
Experienced RN relocating from Florida to New York; seeking a clinical position that will challenge me and allow me to leverage my experience in clinical care to ensure excellent clinical outcomes, a patient-centered approach, and a superior patient experience.
Work History
CST/CSFA/RN
3 Years 3 Months- Experience in orthopedic surgery such as total joints, arthroscopy, sports medicine, and trauma.
- Assesses patients before, during, and after surgery.
- Develops and implements the perioperative nursing care plan.
- Verifies patient identity, surgical procedure, consent, allergies, and operative site.
- Prepares the operating room, sterile field, instruments, equipment, and supplies.
- Performs surgical counts and follows infection-prevention and sterile-technique standards.
- Scrubs for procedures and passes instruments, sutures, medications, and supplies.
- Anticipates the surgeon’s needs and responds appropriately during emergencies.
- Assists with patient positioning, skin preparation, draping, and pressure-injury prevention.
- Provides surgical exposure through retraction, suctioning, and sponging.
- Assists with tissue handling, dissection, hemostasis, suturing, and wound closure within the approved scope of practice.
- Applies dressings, drains, and other postoperative devices as directed.
- Documents medications, implants, specimens, counts, and intraoperative care accurately.
- Coordinates care with surgeons, anesthesia providers, nurses, and other surgical team members.
- Maintains patient safety, confidentiality, and compliance with facility policies and regulatory standards.
- Participates in quality improvement, staff education, and emergency response activities.esponsibilities
RN/CST/CSFA
10 Years 3 Months- Experience in general, davinci, urology, gynecology, orthopedic, ENT, eyes, ect.
- Assesses patients before, during, and after surgery.
- Develops and implements the perioperative nursing care plan.
- Verifies patient identity, surgical procedure, consent, allergies, and operative site.
- Prepares the operating room, sterile field, instruments, equipment, and supplies.
- Performs surgical counts and follows infection-prevention and sterile-technique standards.
- Scrubs for procedures and passes instruments, sutures, medications, and supplies.
- Anticipates the surgeon’s needs and responds appropriately during emergencies.
- Assists with patient positioning, skin preparation, draping, and pressure-injury prevention.
- Provides surgical exposure through retraction, suctioning, and sponging.
- Assists with tissue handling, dissection, hemostasis, suturing, and wound closure within the approved scope of practice.
- Applies dressings, drains, and other postoperative devices as directed.
- Documents medications, implants, specimens, counts, and intraoperative care accurately.
- Coordinates care with surgeons, anesthesia providers, nurses, and other surgical team members.
- Maintains patient safety, confidentiality, and compliance with facility policies and regulatory standards.
- Participates in quality improvement, staff education, and emergency response activities.
Certified Surgical First Assistant
1 Year- Experience in orthopedic surgery such as total joints, arthroscopy, sports medicine, and trauma.
- Prepare and maintain the sterile field.
- Assist with patient positioning, skin preparation, and surgical draping.
- Anticipate the surgeon’s needs throughout the procedure.
- Provide surgical exposure using retractors and other instruments.
- Perform suctioning, sponging, and irrigation to keep the operative field visible.
- Handle tissues carefully under the surgeon’s direction.
- Assist with dissection and mobilization of tissues within the approved scope of practice.
- Support hemostasis by clamping vessels, applying pressure, using electrosurgical devices, or placing ligatures as authorized.
- Cut and manage sutures.
- Perform suturing and wound closure under the surgeon’s supervision.
- Assist with the placement of drains and application of dressings.
- Help transfer the patient safely at the end of the procedure.
- Follow sterile technique, infection-prevention standards, and facility policies.
- Inspect and maintain instruments and equipment used during the procedure.
- Collaborate with the surgeon, anesthesia provider, circulating nurse, and surgical technologist.
- Respond appropriately to intraoperative emergencies.
- Participate in continuing education, competency validation, and quality-improvement activities.
CST
11 Months- Experience in general, davinci, urology, gynecology, orthopedic, ENT, eyes, trauma, vascular, etc.
- Prepare the operating room with instruments, equipment, supplies, and medications.
- Open sterile supplies and establish and maintain the sterile field.
- Perform the surgical hand scrub, gown, and glove.
- Assist other sterile team members with gowning and gloving.
- Organize and count instruments, needles, blades, and sponges with the circulating nurse.
- Verify equipment function and report problems before surgery begins.
- Assist with patient positioning, skin preparation, and surgical draping as permitted.
- Anticipate the surgeon’s needs and pass instruments and supplies efficiently.
- Handle specimens safely and identify them with the circulating nurse.
- Prepare and manage medications and solutions on the sterile field according to facility policy.
- Maintain aseptic technique and immediately identify contamination or breaks in sterility.
- Operate surgical equipment within training and facility policies.
- Assist with suctioning, irrigation, retraction, and cutting sutures as permitted.
- Apply dressings at the end of the procedure.
- Complete final counts and help secure instruments and sharps.
- Break down the sterile field and dispose of contaminated materials safely.
- Send instruments for cleaning and sterilization and assist with room turnover.
- Follow infection-prevention, patient-safety, confidentiality, and regulatory standards.
- Communicate effectively with surgeons, nurses, anesthesia providers, and other team members.
- Participate in continuing education, competency validation, and quality-improvement activities.
CST
1 Year- Experience in general, davinci, urology, gynecology, orthopedic, ENT, eyes, ect.
- Prepare the operating room with instruments, equipment, supplies, and medications.
- Open sterile supplies and establish and maintain the sterile field.
- Perform the surgical hand scrub, gown, and glove.
- Assist other sterile team members with gowning and gloving.
- Organize and count instruments, needles, blades, and sponges with the circulating nurse.
- Verify equipment function and report problems before surgery begins.
- Assist with patient positioning, skin preparation, and surgical draping as permitted.
- Anticipate the surgeon’s needs and pass instruments and supplies efficiently.
- Handle specimens safely and identify them with the circulating nurse.
- Prepare and manage medications and solutions on the sterile field according to facility policy.
- Maintain aseptic technique and immediately identify contamination or breaks in sterility.
- Operate surgical equipment within training and facility policies.
- Assist with suctioning, irrigation, retraction, and cutting sutures as permitted.
- Apply dressings at the end of the procedure.
- Complete final counts and help secure instruments and sharps.
- Break down the sterile field and dispose of contaminated materials safely.
- Send instruments for cleaning and sterilization and assist with room turnover.
- Follow infection-prevention, patient-safety, confidentiality, and regulatory standards.
- Communicate effectively with surgeons, nurses, anesthesia providers, and other team members.
- Participate in continuing education, competency validation, and quality-improvement activities.
CST
3 Years- Eye surgery experience such as cataract, retina, and glaucoma surgery.
- Prepare the operating room with instruments, equipment, supplies, and medications.
- Open sterile supplies and establish and maintain the sterile field.
- Perform the surgical hand scrub, gown, and glove.
- Assist other sterile team members with gowning and gloving.
- Organize and count needles and blades with the circulating nurse.
- Verify equipment function and report problems before surgery begins.
- Assist with patient positioning, skin preparation, and surgical draping as permitted.
- Anticipate the surgeon’s needs and pass instruments and supplies efficiently.
- Prepare and manage medications and solutions on the sterile field according to facility policy.
- Maintain aseptic technique and immediately identify contamination or breaks in sterility.
- Operate surgical equipment within training and facility policies.
- Assist with loading eye lenses for insertion.
- Complete final counts and help secure instruments and sharps.
- Break down the sterile field and dispose of contaminated materials safely.
- Send instruments for cleaning and sterilization and assist with room turnover.
- Follow infection-prevention, patient-safety, confidentiality, and regulatory standards.
- Communicate effectively with surgeons, nurses, anesthesia providers, and other team members.
- Participate in continuing education, competency validation, and quality-improvement activities.
Education
Bachelor’s - Healthcare Management
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Associate of Science - Nursing
Associate of Science - Certified Surgical First Assistant
Associate - Surgical Technologist
Skills
Patient education
Collaboration
Microsoft Word
Excel
Access and PowerPoint proficient
Customer care
Perioperative nursing care
Operating-room preparation and surgical setup
Instrument
sponge
needle
and sharps counts
Surgical procedures knowledge
Anticipation of surgeons’ needs
Tissue handling
retraction
suctioning
and irrigation
Hemostasis and electrosurgical safety
Suturing
wound closure
drain placement
and dressing application
Patient positioning and pressure-injury prevention
Tissue handling skills
Specimen handling and implant documentation
Wound closure techniques
Medication administration
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)
Infection prevention
Recognition and management of cardiac and respiratory emergencies
Critical thinking
clinical judgment
and problem-solving
Time management
organization
and attention to detail
CPR and AED
Emergency management
Interdisciplinary collaboration
Critical thinking
Organizational skills
Staff training
EHR documentation
Patient advocacy
Epic experience
Accomplishments
- More than 20 years of progressive perioperative and operating-room experience.
- Earned RN, CST, and CSFA credentials.
- Maintained current BLS and ACLS certifications.
- Developed expertise in scrubbing, circulating, and surgical first assisting.
- Assisted with complex orthopedic, general, and specialty surgical procedures.
- Demonstrated proficiency in total joint replacements, arthroscopy, and advanced orthopedic procedures.
- Served in leadership and charge responsibilities within the operating room.
- Trained, precepted, and supported nurses, surgical technologists, and new team members.
- Promoted patient safety by consistently applying sterile technique and infection-prevention practices.
- Improved surgical workflow by anticipating procedural needs and supporting efficient room turnover.
- Collaborated effectively with surgeons, anesthesia providers, nurses, and interdisciplinary teams.
- Helped maintain accurate surgical counts, medication safety, specimen management, and implant documentation.
- Participated in quality-improvement initiatives and staff education.
- Responded effectively to intraoperative emergencies using BLS and ACLS skills.
- Demonstrated adaptability by working across different facilities, surgical specialties, and multidisciplinary teams.
- Completed a Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Management and pursued continued professional development in perioperative nursing.
Certification
- RN
- LPN
- Certified Surgical First Assistant
- CPR certification
- ACLS certification
- Certified Surgical Technologist
- HIPPA Compliant
Languages
Spanish
Native or Bilingual
English
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
CST/CSFA/RN
Jewett Orthopedic Institute
05.2023 - CurrentRead More
Certified Surgical First Assistant
The Orthopedic Center
01.2021 - 01.2022Read More
RN/CST/CSFA
Health First Palm Bay Hospital
05.2016 - CurrentRead More
CST
Health First Holmes Regional Medical Center
06.2015 - 05.2016Read More
CST
Northwell John T Mather Memorial Hospital
05.2014 - 05.2015Read More
CST
Garden City Surgcenter
05.2011 - 05.2014Read More
Nassau Community College
Associate from Surgical Technologist
Read More
Eastern Florida State College
Bachelor’s from Healthcare Management
Read More
Eastern Florida State College
Bachelor of Science from Nursing
Read More
Eastern Florida State College
Associate of Science from Nursing
Read More
Gulf Coast State College
Associate of Science from Certified Surgical First Assistant
Read More
Other
Ten years’ experience in surgical eye missions in South America, Organization is called “Sights on Health”. www.sightsonhealth.org