Mary Santos RN, CCRN
Melbourne,FL
Summary
Compassionate registered nurse with more than 21 years of critical care experience providing exceptional bedside care to patients and families facing serious illness, complex medical conditions, and end-of-life transitions. Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) certified clinician recognized for advanced clinical judgement, compassionate communication, patient advocacy, and family centered care. Seeking to transition into hospice nursing to provide comfort-focused, holistic care.
Overview
1
1
Certification
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
Clinical Practice Instructor
Center for Learning and Innovations
03.2024 - 05.2026
- Developed lesson plans aligned with curriculum and American Heart Association (AHA) standards for physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and all other members of the acute care clinical teams seeking Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) training and certifications enhancing student engagement and comprehension.
- Facilitated interactive workshops fostering collaborative learning environments among participants for all programs listed above for advanced clinical emergency response training.
- Was lead instructor for the didactic portion of Cardiac Monitor Technician (CMT) training. Responsible for the program design, classroom instruction, and student evaluations. Assisted in assessing candidates for aptitude, and participated in interviewing process.
- Assessed student performance in both hands-on- skill demonstrations and testing and didactic classroom training regularly, providing constructive feedback to support academic growth.
- Mentored new instructors, sharing best practices for effective teaching strategies and classroom management.
- Boosted student performance by providing individualized support and targeted feedback.
Clinical Nurse Educator Intensive Care Units
Center for Learning and Innovations
02.2022 - 03.2024
- Provided direct patient care and supported ICU staff and new-to-practice RNs through live clinical experiences, didactic education, mentorship, and evidence-based practice initiatives.
- Collaborated with ICU leadership teams and interdisciplinary teams to improve patient outcomes, experiences, and quality of care.
- Developed and implemented educational programs for nursing staff to enhance clinical competencies.
Staff Nurse Medical Intensive Care Unit
Holmes Regional Medical Center
10.2020 - 02.2022
- Provided comprehensive care to critically ill adult patients with complex and end-stage medical conditions.
- Supported patients and families during serious illness and end-of-life transitions.
- Managed ventilators, vasoactive medications, invasive monitoring, emergency situations
- Extensive experience managing pain and discomfort during serious illness and providing comfort care.
- Participated in family meetings with palliative care and hospice teams and supported family and patients through difficult decisions.
- Advocated for patient dignity, comfort, and individualized care plans.
Nursing Practice Coach/Clinical Instructor
Health First Intensive Care Units
10.2016 - 10.2020
- Provided direct patient care and managed a team of critically ill and patients in various end-stage disease processes alongside new-to-practice ICU nurses.
- Utilized emotional intelligence to deescalate conflicts and stressful emotional situations related to severe illness and end of life outcomes.
- Managed pain and discomfort related to disease and injuries and educated patients, families, and staff on pain and comfort assessments, interventions, and possible complications of interventions.
- Role modeled and demonstrated how to care for and to communicate to patients and families with respect honesty and understanding.
Critical Care Registered Nurse
Holmes Regional Medical Center
06.2012 - 10.2017
- Administered comprehensive patient assessments to determine care needs and preferences.
- Developed individualized care plans in collaboration with interdisciplinary teams.
- Coordinated medication management to ensure adherence and optimize patient comfort.
- Educated families on end-of-life care options, fostering informed decision-making.
- Mentored junior nursing staff, enhancing team skill sets and patient care quality.
- Implemented best practices in pain management, improving patient satisfaction scores.
Critical Care Registered Nurse
Wuesthoff Health System
05.2005 - 06.2012
- Administered critical care medications and therapies to optimize patient outcomes.
- Coordinated with physicians to adjust medications as needed for optimal palliative care outcomes.
- Promoted a peaceful and supportive environment for patients and their families during the end-of-life transition.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to develop and implement individualized care plans.
- Led code blue scenarios, providing advanced life support and crisis management expertise.
- Advocated for patients' rights and preferences, ensuring compassionate end-of-life experiences.
- Managed pain effectively by closely monitoring symptoms and adjusting medications accordingly.
Education
Associate of Science - Registered Nurse
Brevard Community College
Cocoa, FL05.2005
Bachelor of Science - Registered Nursing
Eastern Florida State College
Melbourne, FL12.2026
Skills
- End-of-Life Care
- Hospice & Palliative Care Principles
- Pain & Symptom Management
- Patient, Family and Staff Education
- Patient Advocacy
- Therapeutic Communication
- Critical Care Nursing
- Complex Clinical Assessment
- Problem-solving and clinical decision making
- Interdisciplinary Collaboration
- Evidence-Based Practice
- Quality Improvement
Certification
- Critical Care Registered Nurse- June 2008- Present
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support Instructor-October 2018-Present
- Basic Life Support Instructor-October 2018-Present
- Pediatric Life Support Instructor-March 2024-Present
Timeline
Clinical Practice Instructor
Center for Learning and Innovations
03.2024 - 05.2026
Clinical Nurse Educator Intensive Care Units
Center for Learning and Innovations
02.2022 - 03.2024
Staff Nurse Medical Intensive Care Unit
Holmes Regional Medical Center
10.2020 - 02.2022
Nursing Practice Coach/Clinical Instructor
Health First Intensive Care Units
10.2016 - 10.2020
Critical Care Registered Nurse
Holmes Regional Medical Center
06.2012 - 10.2017
Critical Care Registered Nurse
Wuesthoff Health System
05.2005 - 06.2012
Bachelor of Science - Registered Nursing
Eastern Florida State College
Associate of Science - Registered Nurse
Brevard Community College
Professional Recognition
Featured nursing professional- Health-First "It's a Nurse" Campaign. Selected by family member who authored content to represent Health-First nurses in a community campaign highlighting compassionate, patient-centered nursing care. Featured in YouTube video with more than 1.6 million views and interviewed for accompanying article in The Florida Today.