Margaret Dahlke RN

• Prepare and administer prescribed medications following the patient's rights of medications administration
• Triage and assess students for medical complaints, treating them according to a set of standing orders and protocols.
• Responsible for responding to situations within the facility, and provide emergency care to the students as needed to stabilize and prepare them for transport to the nearest ER or acute care setting as necessary

Responsible for the primary care, case management and medication management of every inmate entering the Carbon County Jail. I was responsible for the development and maintenance of all quality care systems and standards, including but not limited to, creating and improving medical protocols/guidelines in accordance to NCCHC standards.

In my previous position as Nursing Supervisor at MHCC, I was responsible for organizing and directing all functions and activities within the hospital including, but not limited to the following;

• Displaying role model qualities by encouraging fellow staff to demonstrate professional behavior and positive attitudes
• Encouraging staff to "be a part of the solution" when they present a problem or concern
• Enforce established policies and procedures of the hospital of nursing division
• Provides effective and efficient utilization of personnel based on the hospital census and the overall patient care aquity
• Establishes and promotes open communication and working relationships with staff members, administration, unit leaders, physicians and individual hospital departments
• Follows and enforces established infection control guidelines
• Obtains needed supplies and medications from materials and pharmacy after hours.
• Assures the needs and desires of our patients are met within the scope of their illness.

As the Director of Nursing with PHS at the Wyoming State Penitentiary, I lead a team of dynamic and multi-talented Nurses and CNA's in providing top quality correctional nursing care to the approximately 700 inmates housed there. Duties included

• Served as a liaison between nursing, PHS administration, security staff and the Wyoming Department of Corrections
• Assuring the inmates medications were properly ordered, administered and recorded according to national standards
• Assessing inmates with illnesses or injuries, and making the proper referral to a provider for additional treatment
• Compiling monthly statistics and reporting them to PHS corporate office and to NCCHC, the national accrediting agency for correctional health care
• Facilitate multi-disciplinary team meetings between nursing, mental health staff and security staff to ensure the overall needs of each inmate were met within the confines of the correctional environment
• Developed, implemented and reviewed policies and procedures to meet with national standards for correctional health facilities

As charge nurse in the eight bed ER, I worked along side the physician and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) to provide care to both critical and non-critical patients in a caring and compassionate manner consistent with current evidence based practice. My duties within the emergency room include;

• Maintain patient monitoring equipment
• Administer critical care medications according to physician orders in a safe and efficient manner
• Delegating tasks and duties to the EMT's appropriately as defined their scope of practice
• Coordinating the nursing care provided to all patients throughout their stay in the emergency department
• Ensure that each patient receives the proper discharge instructions and necessary education regarding their conditions or course of treatment
• Collaborate with other patient care units to facilitate the transfer between units to ensure continuity of care

As a per diem RN at the Wyoming State Penitentiary, I assisted other nurses to provide daily nursing care to the inmates housed within the facility

• dispensed prescribed medications as scheduled according to the patients rights of medication administration
• triaging and assessing inmates in nursing sick call and providing them with education regarding their complaint and/or condition
• Referring inmates to the on-site medical provider according to established nursing protocols
• Respond to emergencies within the facility, and provide emergency care to the inmates as needed to stabilize and prepare them for transport to the nearest ER or acute care setting as necessary

As an RN in the obstetrical department at MHCC, I provided care to both mothers and their newborns through all phases of their hospitalization according to MHCC policy and procedures as well as AWHON standards.

• Assess for, and provide, necessary education regarding infant care, importance of infant car seats, and CPR prior to their discharge home.

While working to complete my associates degree in nursing, I worked with other nurses in the labor and delivery department at MHCC to provide nursing care to Mothers and their newborns.

As an advanced EMT at MHCC, I worked with other EMT's, nurses and physicians in the emergency room to provide emergency care to both critical and non-critical patients. 

• Responded to emergencies within the community by ambulance to treat, stabilize and transport patients needing rapid medical treatment
• Collaborate with tertiary facilities to coordinate air transports for patients requiring a higher level of care.
• Served as class coordinator and instructed multiple EMT classes in conjunction with the Wyoming EMS office.