Mackenzie Rhodes

This twenty-four bed unit at a Level II Trauma Center specializes in Cardiovascular and Medical-Surgical patients and I am responsible for up to two critical care patients at a time.

The common patient acuity includes:

• Open heart surgery, acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, anoxic brain injury, respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, gastrointestinal hemorrhage

My skills include managing:

• Invasive lines including arterial lines, central lines, dialysis catheters, pulmonary artery catheters, and chest tubes
• Airways with endotracheal tubes and tracheostomies
• Support machines such as ventilators, temporary pacemakers, Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy, Impella, Intra-aortic Balloon Pumps, Artic Sun
• Mixing/calculating/titrating medication drips for sedation, paralytics, positive and negative inotropes, vasopressors, antiarrhythmics, insulin
• Emergent resuscitation efforts for cardiac/respiratory arrest and shock (cardiogenic, septic, hypovolemic)
• Quality of life and palliative care measures when resuscitation attempts are no longer effective

On this thirty-six bed unit at a level I trauma center, I was responsible for up to four surgical patients at a time of varying surgical specialties. This travel nurse opportunity allowed for me to care for a new patient population and learn different methods that are used across the country so that I can bring new ideas and perspectives to my work to improve patient experience and outcomes.

This unit contained multiple sections that I rotated through, being responsible for one to two patients at a time. My main responsibilities included assessing and managing airways and acute pain control. I cared for patients ranging from minor outpatient procedures to critical care surgical patients. In addition to providing immediate post-operative care, I was able assist with moderation sedation procedures such as transesophageal echocardiograms, cardioversions, peripheral nerve blocks, and endoscopies. I worked closely with surgeons and anesthesiologists and their teams to coordinate quality care.

This unit consisted of fifty-seven beds and I typically cared for up to six patients at a time. As my first nursing job, I completed a four month long residency program for new graduate nurses to facilitate the transition from nursing school to independent practice. This unit was able to provide a good base for my nursing career because I was able to care for such a variety of patients, perfect my time management skills, and learn leadership skills as a charge nurse. I performed nursing care such as medication administration, assessments, blood transfusions, wound care, and procedures including insertions of foley catheters, intravenous catheters, and nasogastric tubes. I gained plentiful experience taking care of surgical patients and facilitating their recovery during their hospital stay and preparing them for success after discharge as a part of the interdisciplinary team.