Melanie Copeland

The Nurse Residency Professional Development and Retention Specialist serves as a resource person and role model for New Grad Nurses.

*promotes evidence based practice in patient care practice and principles in line with Wellstar.

*Coordinates and Facilitates monthly residency classes, small groups and the EBP project.

*Acts as a clinical resource for the New Grad and helps them navigate through orientation with resources and support with weekly and monthly rounding on all residents.

*Uses creative ways to help engage and retain residents by always finding new class activities, tshirt raffles and handing out encouraging and funny stickers to help elevate their day.

*Uses Vizient Data to assess the residents needs and design and develop appropriate tools to facilitate learning and support.

*Encourage and engage in Shared Leadership Councils.

• Currently work on Green 5 South Surgery/Bariatric Unit as staff nurse and preceptor. Manage care from admission to discharge including assessments, care plans, education and discharge support.

• Educator for Inpatient Unit at Hughes Spalding. Responsible for onboarding nurses to inpatient unit, implementing annual competencies, keeping records for employee education, creating education for updates and new processes. Participated in shared leadership including clinical practice council. Trained to be Charge Nurse on inpatient unit to help with staffing.

• Managed care from admission to discharge, including patient assessments, care planning, health education and discharge support on busy inpatient unit. Patient population included inpatient medical/surgical pediatric patients. Crossed trained to help with Special Care Nursery and Mother/Baby. Experience with Unit-based education of nurses on Pediatric Unit. Became resource/educator nurse from 2017-2019.

• Staff RN on large, busy medical/surgical floor. Managed care from admission to discharge, including assessments, care plans and health education support to provide comprehensive care on adult medical/surgical floor.

• Staff RN on a busy pre-op/observation unit. Admitted, prepared and sent patients to surgery. Received back observation patients from surgery that were observation status. Helped as second person in recovery room on night shift.

• Staff RN to large, busy, teaching hospital. Managed care from admission to discharge on Medical/Surgical Unit specializing in Urology and GI. Care included patient assessments, care plans, and health education to provide comprehensive care.