Marissa Backus BSN, RN
Milwaukee
Summary
Registered Nurse with extensive experience in post-operative care management and interdisciplinary collaboration. Proficient in pain management and EHR documentation while ensuring patient comfort and safety during recovery. Committed to providing compassionate care and driving impactful outcomes to enhance and improve quality of life.
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
Work History
Registered Nurse
Aurora St Lukes Medical Center
Milwaukee, WI
06.2022 - Current
- Provide individualized care to complex pre- and post-surgical patients, enhancing recovery outcomes for abdominal and vascular procedures.
- Administer medications and treatments as per physician's orders.
- Manage and control pain by utilizing appropriate policy-based pain scale systems.
- Monitor vital signs, lab values, infusions, equipment, and appliances such as a variety of drains, would VACs, braces, traction, GI/GU collections devices, and more.
- Maintain accurate and detailed documentation in the EHR (Epic) while adhering to the laws and standards of HIPAA.
- Provide emotional support, comfort, and empathy to patients and families during recovery processes and/or time of illness and advocating for those in need by respecting their values and beliefs.
- Educate patients and families on preventative measures for post-op complications, risks, and effective health management, and improving post-discharge adherence.
- Utilize critical thinking skills to assess clinical situations quickly and accurately while escalating in needed situations.
- Precept and mentor new RNs and students on best practices, hospital policies and standards of care.
Nurse Extern
Aurora St Lukes Medical Center
Milwaukee, WI
07.2021 - 06.2022
- Prepare and administer medications under the supervision of the RN.
- Maintain clean, safe patient environments to support optimal care.
- Observe nursing staff during patient care to learn best practices and techniques. to better understand care approaches and learn proper procedures.
- Document patient information in electronic health records to ensure accurate patient care.
- Perform comprehensive assessments and monitored vital signs and glucose levels and escalated any changes in status to the RN.
- Observe robotic and laparoscopic surgeries in the operating room to understand surgical techniques and equipment use. and shadowed the in-patient wound care team.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI12-2021
Skills
- Patient assessment & direct, individualized patient-care
- Medication administration via various routes: IV, PO, SQ, IM, rectal, PEG, NGT, and more
- Maintain wide-ranging IV infusions, drips, and spinal epidurals
- Insert and/or removal of different lines, tubes, drains, and collection devices
- Pain management
- Surgical recovery support
- EHR documentation
- Post-op measures
- Wound care
- Infection control and protective measures
- Interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork
- Time management
- Education (patient and family)
- Clinical preceptor
Accomplishments
Charge RN, 2022-current: To guide others while using unit-based policies & procedures and taking initiative to assist with work flow, management, staffing, shift huddles, and conflict resolution. Being available as a resource while upholding a position that represents and overlooks the unit as a whole.
Skin Champion, 2024-current: A committee that builds professional development and enhances self involvement on unit-specific goals. The committee focuses on implementing preventative measures to improve future patient outcomes against hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPI). The committee uses evidence-based research and realtime data derived by in-person audits to highlight areas of success and those in need of intervention.
Nursing Excellence Awards: Nurse of the Year Nominee, 2025 - For exemplifying the Nursing Professional Practice Model Essentials throughout daily care delivery.
Nursing Essence Award Honoree (2 consecutive years), 2025 - Department specific nomination for acting as a role model for teammates and aligning practice with core values that bolster the profession of nursing. 2024 - Department specific nomination for consistently exhibiting nursing leadership and advocacy.
Area Nursing Professional Governance Council (ANPGC), 2025-current: Contributing ideas, efforts, and aid in decision making to strengthen the area and delivery of care. ANPGC focuses on performance and quality improvement, practice changes, professional growth, recognition, and partners with nursing leadership with unit education and competencies.
Patient Experience Team, 2025-current: Conduct structured patient feedback audits, gather and analyze patient satisfaction data to support improved care delivery, contributing to the unit earning the "Top Dog Patient Experience" recognition hospital-wide.
Timeline
Registered Nurse
Aurora St Lukes Medical Center
06.2022 - Current
Nurse Extern
Aurora St Lukes Medical Center
07.2021 - 06.2022
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee