Maria Paula Wilson

Worked in all units in the hospital but not limited to the OR, ER, Out Patient Wound Care Clinic, NICU, MICU, SICU, CVICU, CVOR, PACU, Orthopedic, Oncology, Surgical step-down, Med-Surge -floor and where ever I was paged or needed at ST. Vincent's Hospital.

Assess, treat, and monitor patients with wounds and injuries.

Evaluate wounds and other injuries for infections and other complications.

Debride, disinfect, and bandage wounds.

Obtain cultures to assess wounds and other injuries properly.

Work with others in the interdisciplinary healthcare team to see if hyperbaric oxygen therapy, surgery, or a course of antibiotics is needed.

Ensure the area of wound care is sanitized, neat, and hygienic.

Educate and counsel patients and their loved ones on wound care, infection prevention, and pressure ulcer care/prevention for individuals with limited mobility.

Demonstrate wound care protocol to other kinds of caregivers and healthcare

professionals.

Work in a specialized capacity to care for diabetic foot care and ostomies.

Coordinate with rehab, nutritional, and traumatic nurses to treat patients with wounds effectively.

Working closely with the hospital supply chain to review wound and ostomy product selection, data analysis, providing inpatient quality testing, and product review.

I worked with the risk analyst team, Hospital CEOs, and Unit Managers to create protocols and procedures through the hospital and patient education material to provide quality control and safe patient care.

I created educational material, pamphlets, and forms for the hospital board and the hospital care team leaders at St Vincent's for patient and nurse education.

I provided the hospital with a yearly and quarterly pressure injury prevalence survey. I was one of two leading coordinators for the hospital, lead educator, and lead analyst during the survey day.

I spent several hours a week in the OR assisting in surgery in all facets of types, cases, and links in the OR.

Applied Wound Vacuum therapy and different types of wound care modalities and treatments for any wound care therapy plan or product available to the hospital to promote wound healing or wound prevention.

I completed yearly CEUs and competencies to maintain wound, ostomy continents, and education levels to maintain certification. Trained new nurses in proper techniques, care standards,

operational procedures, and safety protocols.

I provide intensive care to patients as they awaken from surgery and provide their care until discharge. I was responsible for identifying complications,post-surgically evaluating the patient's condition, and assessing when my patients were ready to move to the post-anesthesia care unit, ICU, or Step down the floor.

I oversaw 5-6 patients at one time, giving my patients my undivided attention and quickly noticing if anything went wrong.

I was primarily responsible for checking pulse and heart rate; through whole body 4-hour assessments and focused assessment, I could remain stable and calm for patients coming out of the anesthesia and throughout their post-surgical recovery.

I ensured my parents were comfortable, covering her with a blanket if she got cold, a common side effect of anesthesia.

In addition, they monitor the patient's IV line, which delivers pain medication and other necessary medications post-surgically. I was responsible for following up with the pain management plan, nutrition, post-surgical dietary needs, and ever-shifting and evolving surgical care plan until discharge.

I continued the momentum of care post-surgically and monitored patients with wounds and other surgical incisions or injuries for infections and other complications, disinfects, and or post-surgical complications including but not limited to: post-surgical wind incision dehiscence, post-surgical acute bleeding, post-surgical hematoma, post-surgical blood pressure, heart, and perfusion complications, and sepsis, and infection.

I provided patient and caregiver education for any surgery related to their post-operative care, their dietary needs, their body restrictions and needs, their new equipment, their new style of life, their new standard comment, or their

post-surgical care and follow-up.

I coordinated with the case management and the care plan team to provide an optimal and smooth transition post-surgically to home or their desired care unit, including home health, hospice care, nursing facility, or long-term care facility.

I routinely provided patient and unit

presentation education to smooth transitions and a teamwork approach.

I was given the opportunity by my unit manager to be the team shift lead and provided post-surgical unit schedule operations, all care team assignments including RNs and PCAs, customer service in any way possible, and team authority and RN shift leader that would report to our unit manager.

I precepted over seven nurses during my time there and was responsible for their upcoming nursing careers on the full west post-surgical unit. The preceptorship was anywhere between 9 and 12 weeks.

I provided professional and role model time as a BSN and RN as student nurses often visited our floor and shadowed us for weeks. I was highly recommended and chosen for this role by the Universities that attended our unit.

I provided love, care, respect, understanding, and presence when loved ones were deceased.

I provided emergency care management during crash cart situations, CPR, critical oversight, and intensive nurse management of my patients during a code blue or a Rapid Response protocol Started intravenous fluids, administered medications, and documented patient charts by recording food and fluid output and intake. Educated patients and families on medical surgical procedures, therapeutic regimens, and pain management techniques.