Michelle Gay

Fresenius Medical Care is contracted with Essentia and St. Lukes in Duluth, MN. I am responsible for dialysis treatment in the ICU, ER, and multi bed suites in both hospitals. Patients are closely monitored for cardiac arrhythmias, low blood pressures, and possible seizures during fluid removal and removing toxins from the body. I also set up and performed trouble shooting of the CRRT machines which are used for critically ill patients in the ICU. Provided plasmapheresis treatments to patients with auto immune and other various diseases in the hospital setting in Duluth.

I own a local food trailer, Michelle’s Lefse, that serves homemade lefse desserts, sandwiches and Italian sodas. I run and manage the business along with three employees. We pride ourselves on good customer service and that everything is homemade.

Work with the acute care needs of patients with respiratory failure, cardiac abnormalities, substance abuse and a wide variety of diseases. Manage drips, monitor telemetry and watch for abnormal physical and lab finding. Float to Med-Surg, Day Surgery and PACU.

Worked closely watching airways, recognizing and managing obstructions, monitoring vital signs and heart rhythms of patients waking from anesthesia. Administered pain medications as needed while monitoring for complications from narcotics. Responsible for being on call for after hour surgeries two days a week and one weekend a month. Gained experience with the special needs of patients recovering from anesthesia with a medical diagnosis of mental illnesses and substance abuse.

Able to work as a staff nurse and transplant coordinator in a forty patient unit. Assisted with the workup process for our patients while working closely with four different transplant centers. Responsible for accessing fistulas, permcaths and the creation of buttonhole site. Performed health assessments to figure dry weights and machine setup for prescribed treatments.

Gained experience in a rural hospital with stabilizing and managing acute illness, codes and traumas under the supervision of a doctor. Responsible for covering ER, CCU and the general medical floor. This work setting gave me experiences in NG tubes, suctioning airways, cardioversion, managing IV drips, PICC and central lines along with assisting with procedures in the ER such as chest tube placement, thoracentesis, and suturing.

Responsible for overseeing the care of all patients, three nurses and three aids on a twenty-four bed unit. Able to care for surgical patients who underwent surgery for thoracic, orthopedic and ear nose throat, in addition to patients with chronic and acute illnesses. Relayed abnormal findings and lab values to the physicians and performed health assessments for new admission.

Worked with the banker for financing ewes and rams. Sold lambs, assisted with the birthing process and administered vaccines. Performed all care of newborn lambs including tube feeding, eye care and lancing abscesses. Managed and assisted with the shearing process. Built and repaired fence.