Michelle Pegel

• Plan, execute, direct and evaluate nursing care given to surgical patient through perioperative experience to promote highest quality and patient safety.
• Assist with or initiate emergency measures for sudden adverse development in patients with cardiac arrest, respiratory distress and shock.
• Supply education regarding nutrition, medication, pain and wound management and expected response to operative or invasive procedure and assessed knowledge level of patient or designated support person.
• Perform interventions to assist patient in returning to normothermia at conclusion of immediate postoperative period.
• Ensure documentation compliance as chart auditor, improving adherence to documentation standards for both nursing staff and physicians.
• Serve as pharmacy nurse for center, including ordering medications, ensuring formulary medications kept in stock, auditing charts for medication discrepancies, managing code cart, and monitoring for expired medications.

• Oversaw delivery of care for 24 patients on medical-surgical unit, providing direct care, delegating nursing assignments, and supervising team comprised of 4-6 nurses and 1-3 technicians.
• Coordinated nursing care on unit through staff assignments, assisting and rounding with physicians, monitoring patient orders and communicating with ancillary departments.
• Supervised patient admissions and discharges.
• Worked with patients diagnosed with brain tumors, cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) and seizure disorders, as well as other chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart failure and COPD, to asses needs and determine best options for care.

• Obtained case history and gathered triage information for 8-12 patients per shift to determine appropriate avenue for care.
• Performed additional clinic and non-triage nurse duties such as instructing patients in general and specific medical care and health issues.
• Counseled patients via telephone according to established guidelines and protocols, advising on provider-established plans of care.
• Evaluated patient histories, complaints and current symptoms.
• Advocated for and strived to protect health, safety and rights of patient.
• Communicated with healthcare team members to plan, implement and enhance treatment strategies.

Travel Nurse on Med/Surg Cardiac Unit

• Worked within interdisciplinary health care team to develop, implement and make adjustments to patient care plans, individualizing strategies and methods to improve health and meet recovery goals.
• Managed elements of patient care from admission to discharge or transfer to other units.

Travel Nurse for 13 week contract in ICU/PCU. Primary role was as a PCU nurse, however, happily received assignments for ICU patients regularly.

• Provided exceptional care to critical patients needing complex care such as ventilator management and hemodynamic drip titration.
• Conferred with multidisciplinary team to discuss diagnoses and devise well-coordinated treatment approaches.
• Documented all elements of care and updated patient charts and confidential files to reflect changes in care plans, interventions applied and observations.

• Staff Nurse on 22 bed Progressive Care Unit
• Delivered outstanding interdisciplinary driven care to step-down level patients with various diagnoses and managed care from treatment initiation through to completion.

• Staff nurse on 34 bed telemetry unit
• Focused on patient education, patient advocacy and discharge planning.
• Performed patient assessments/interventions, medication administration and documented care given.

• Procedural nurse in breast oncology clinic
• Assisted with 3-5 breast biopsies daily using ultrasound, stereotaxis, and MRI
• Educated patients on procedural and post-procedural care/expectations. Provided peri-procedural patient and physician support.

Oct-Apr: Staff nurse in Medical and Surgical ICU.

• Delivered exceptional care to 2-3 critical patients on ventilators, sedation and hemodynamic drips.
• Early recognition and intervention for sepsis symptoms.
• Assisted with multiple bedside procedures including cardioversion, TEE, central/arterial line placement, and Tracheostomy/PEG tube placement.

May-Aug: Cared for surgical oncology patients, primarily post colectomy/partial colectomy/gastrectomy/hysterectomy.

Charge Nurse/Staff Nurse of 24 bed inpatient med/surg unit.

• Documentation subject matter expert for unit.
• Mock Code and Defibrillator subject matter expert.
• Charge nurse 50% of shifts or greater.
• Served 16 weeks as interim assistant nurse manager and 1 year on unit practice council.