Maire Schirf
Holy Family Medical Center
Winnetka,IL
1
Certification
23
years of professional experience
Experienced Intensive Care Nurse with over ten years in diverse clinical settings. Delivered high-quality patient care in critical situations and collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to develop effective care plans. Skilled in patient assessment, medication administration, and patient education, with a focus on enhancing patient outcomes and safety in fast-paced environments.
Work History
Registered Nurse, Intensive Care Unit
5 Months- Conducted comprehensive assessments and documented patient progress accurately and efficiently.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to develop and implement individualized care plans.
- Trained and mentored junior nurses on ICU protocols and best practices for patient safety.
- Evaluated critical care equipment functionality, ensuring optimal performance during procedures.
- Advocated for patients' needs, facilitating effective communication between families and healthcare teams.
- Handled ventilator support, feeding tubes and central lines.
- Reduced patient complications by promptly identifying changes in condition and initiating appropriate interventions.
- Administered medications accurately and effectively, preventing adverse reactions through careful monitoring of drug interactions.
- Managed patient flow effectively through timely placements upon admission as well as coordinating smooth transfers and discharges.
Registered Nurse, ICU Float
1 Year 5 Months- Provides comprehensive care as an ICU Float Pool Nurse to a diverse population of critically ill patients across five Ascension hospitals. Clinical areas include SICU, MICU, and CCU.
- Adapted to diverse, high-pressure medical environments, delivering exceptional care tailored to each setting.
- Collaborated on rounds with intensivist and multidisciplinary team to create and implement care plans.
- Adapts to diverse, high pressure medical environments, ensuring exceptional care delivery in each setting.
- Educated families about care processes and treatment options during critical situations. to provide education and emotional support during critical situations. Assists in conflict resolution in tense situations. Train and mentor new Nurses, ensuring adherence to evidence-based protocols and hospital standards.
- Participates in quality improvement initiatives to prevent skin breakdown across all Ascension ICUs, leading to a 15% improvement.
Registered Nurse, SICU
1 Year 7 Months- MSH is a safety net hospital with 319 beds, and a Level 1 trauma center that sees over 2000 traumas per year; with a high acuity 9 bed Trauma/SICU.
- Provided acute post-surgical care for 1-2 patients following abdominal, multiple gunshot wound, general, ENT, orthopedic, vascular, neurosurgery, and overflow cardiac ICU procedures.
- Communicates effectively with physicians, and all interdisciplinary care team members, regarding changes or concerns in patient status or safety issues that may arise during the shift.
- Manages and prioritizes care of acutely ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation, both endotracheal and tracheal.
- Frequent assessment, monitoring, and titration of vasoconstrictive, cardiac, and sedative drips. Assess patients’ pain levels and sedation requirements.
- Assessed, monitored, and titrated vasoconstrictive, cardiac, and sedative drips while evaluating patients' pain levels and sedation needs to optimize comfort and recovery.
- Care and maintenance of invasive hemodynamic lines and monitors including primarily central venous and arterial, and occasional pulmonary artery catheter (Swan-Ganz Catheter).
- Assist Trauma Surgeons with emergency bedside interventions.
- Provided assistance during medical emergencies by following established protocols. utilizing current ACLS algorithms/recommendations. ROSC protocol when implicated.
- Educated patients, families, and caregivers on diagnosis, prognosis, disease processes, treatment options, and lifestyle management to enhance understanding and engagement in care.
Registered Nurse, MICU
1 Year 11 Months- Non-profit, faith based hospital on southwest side of Chicago that has 151 beds. Cared for 1-3 critically ill patients in a 15-bed, stroke-certified ICU.
- Provide exceptional care and continuous monitoring of patients with DKA, Covid 19, stroke, GI bleeds, pneumonia, acute/chronic renal failure, require mechanical ventilation or critical care drips.
- Updated MD regarding patient status. Collaborated with an interdisciplinary team to ensure optimal patient care.
- Assisted physicians with treatment protocols and bedside procedures, including arterial/central line placements, peg/trach placements, and bronchoscopy.
- Assist/manage endotracheal intubation/ventilator, with paralytics and sedation. BIS and PNS(TOF) monitoring, chest tubes, NG/OG.
- Manage central lines, arterial lines, Flotrac, CVP, and temporary pacemaker.
- Interpreted arterial blood gas results to assess patient oxygenation and acid-base balance.
- Safely administer IV fluids, medication, and maintain critical care drips such as antiarrhythmic, pressers, sedatives, tPA, heparin, benzodiazepines, intropic agents, insulin drips, epidural, and PCA infusions.
- ICU delirium and CIWA management.
- Provide CPR and ACLS per protocol. Management of cardiac arrest and ACS, CHF, HTN, MOF, ARDS, and stroke. ROSC protocol when implicated.
- Maintained therapeutic communication with patients and families to support informed medical care choices.
- Explain health care issues and ramifications to patients and family to promote informed medical care choices.
- Manage care from admission to discharge including assessments, care planning, education, and discharge support.
- Functioned as charge nurse and preceptor.
Registered Nurse, Covid -19 Unit
4 Months- Complied with infectious disease measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19 between patients, families, and medical personnel.
- Collaborated with team members during emergency situations and critical codes to ensure effective patient care. Followed ACLS protocol.
- Educated patients and families about Covid-19 related illnesses, recommended protective measures, and treatments.
- Managed, cared for, and supported needs of 3 to 5 patients with Covid-19 continuously using clinical expertise and sound judgement.
- Conducted regular re-evaluations to address changes in patient needs and conditions. Introduced revisions to care plans, assuring interventions met patient goals.
- Effective in teamwork, emergency situations, and critical codes. Followed ACLS protocol.
- Assessed and managed various treatments for acute respiratory distress.
- Assessed and monitored patients for pain, provided appropriate therapy, concise documentation.
- Educated patients and families on Covid-19 illnesses, providing recommendations for protective measures and treatments to enhance understanding and compliance.
Director of Nursing
9 Months- Coordinated patient care by collaborating with staff, therapists, physicians, and management.
- Improved standard of care for patients by establishing new policies and updating existing ones.
- Recruited, hired, and trained all staff while providing direct supervision and ongoing development through continuing education.
- Encouraged and guided RN and CNA staff to maintain exceptional patient care quality.
- Created customized care plans, working with staff and families to assess and meet individual needs.
- Motivated and supervised RNs and CNAs in delivering quality patient care.
- Generated and reviewed incident reports, including employee write-ups, actualizing appropriate corrective action plans to mitigate ongoing and potential situations.
- Conducted patient health teaching and counseling on disease processes and self-care techniques.
- Recruited and developed over 25 quality individuals to develop accountable staff.
Registered Nurse, Neuro ICU
3 Years 7 Months- Applied Nursing expertise to meet needs of neurological patients in challenging intensive care environment, within a physician owned hospital with 18 ICU beds.
- Experience with glioblastoma multiforme, meningioma, metastatic brain cancer/tumors, astrocytoma, Chiari Malformation, transsphenoidal surgery, craniotomy, craniectomy, and cervical spine surgery.
- Assisted with bedside burr holes, EVD placement and monitoring, EGD, and central line insertion.
- Provided skilled, timely and level headed emergency response to critically ill patients.
- Conducted ongoing monitoring and evaluations of behaviors and conditions, and updated clinical supervisors with current information.
- Adhered to strict safety measures by carefully determining proper dosages before administering medications such as phenobarbital, mannitol, pentobarbital, anticonvulsants, sedatives, antihypertensives, and paralytics.
- Provided exceptional care and support to individuals recovering from acute or chronic incidents, particularly glioblastoma, addressing the physical and emotional challenges faced by patients and families.
- Assessed mental health needs while working with multidisciplinary team to initiate, manage, and modify individualized care plans.
- Facilitated therapeutic communication and crisis intervention, redirecting negative behaviors and assisting patients in regaining or improving coping abilities.
- Communicated effectively with physicians and interdisciplinary care team members regarding patient status changes and safety concerns, ensuring timely interventions and care adjustments.
- Provide open communication through educating patients, families, and caregivers on diagnosis/prognosis, disease process, treatment options, and lifestyle management options.
Registered Nurse, Medical Surgical
1 Year 3 Months- Delivered high quality care to diverse populations while overseeing patient admission and triaging based on acuity and appropriate department admission.
- Managed recovery for patients after medical or surgical procedures, facilitating wound care, ostomy care, pressure ulcer prevention, and pain management while developing comprehensive care plans through assessments and evaluations.
- Managed patients recovering from medical or surgical procedures, including facilitating wound care, ostomy care, pressure ulcer prevention and pain management. Developed care plans including assessments, evaluations and Nursing diagnosis.
- Cared for post-operative thoracic surgery patients with ventricular assist devices (VADS), CABG, valve replacements, and thoracotomies, demonstrating proficiency in chest tube management.
- Obtained telemetry certification in 2003 to enhance skills in patient cardiac care.
- Administered therapies and medications according to physician orders, ensuring alignment with treatment plans to promote optimal patient outcomes.
- Offered exceptional care and support to individuals recovering from acute incidents and dealing with chronic conditions such as diabetes, COPD, HTN, cardiac disease, pneumonia, MI and arrythmias.
- Provided diabetes education to patients and families, improving understanding of management strategies.
- Accurately documented all elements of Nursing assessment including treatment, medications and IV’s administered, discharge instructions and follow up care.
Education
Associates Degree - Nursing
Skills
Charge nurse experience
Experienced preceptor
BLS/ACLS Certified
Telemetry Certified
Stroke Scale Certified (NIHSS)
Medication administration
Patient assessments
Crisis management
Proficient with EPIC
Cerner
Microsoft Office
Omnicell
Pyxis
McKesson
Allscripts
and Paragon
Patient advocacy
Patient care awards
AACN membership
ANA membership
Certification
BLS-Basic Life Support
ACLS-Advanced Cardiac Life Support
Timeline
Registered Nurse, Intensive Care Unit
Holy Family Medical Center
03.2026 - CurrentRead More
Registered Nurse, ICU Float
Ascension Hospitals
03.2023 - 08.2024Read More
Registered Nurse, SICU
Mount Sinai Hospital
09.2021 - 04.2023Read More
Registered Nurse, MICU
St. Anthony Hospital
07.2020 - 06.2022Read More
Registered Nurse, Covid -19 Unit
Endeavor Health, Swedish
03.2020 - 07.2020Read More
Director of Nursing
Brightstar Care
05.2019 - 02.2020Read More
Registered Nurse, Neuro ICU
The Neuro Ortho Institute of Chicago
09.2004 - 04.2008Read More
Registered Nurse, Medical Surgical
Endeavor Health, Evanston Hospital
04.2003 - 07.2004Read More
Harry S Truman College of Nursing
Associates Degree from Nursing
Read More