Michelle L Smith

Air medical team member specializing in critical care transport. Assisting with navigation, flight physiology, skills instruction, critical scene response, and incident command. Knowledge of advanced medical skills, specializing in pediatric and adult trauma. Ability to work autonomously, following medical policies with minimal supervision. Precepting new flight nurses and flight medics, holding public relation events and multiple training classes for outside agencies. Proficient in QA/QI process, supervisory responsibilities, ordering base and medical supplies Communicates professionally with other responding agencies as well as external customers.

Perioperative/PACU – Assisted in preparing a diverse patient population for surgery by providing pre and post-operative instructions/care. Admitting, assessing and monitoring patients prior to surgery. Facilitating post operative care and emersion from anesthesia. Maintaining airway, pain control, wound assessment, drainage systems, and multiple other advancements, to return patient to preoperative physiology.

CVICU – Assessment and comprehensive care of the pre and postoperative open-heart patients. Direct recovery of patients; close relationships with Anesthesia and Surgeons. Fostering autonomy, detail oriented, accompanied by the ability to function in an emergency or crisis situation having astute critical thinking skills. Demonstrated the understanding of vasoactive, inotropic, and emergency medications. Charge nurse on majority of shifts worked; preceptor to new employees; liaison to nursing supervisors to assist other units with critical thinking and trouble shoot and educate on high acuity patients and/or equipment. Mentor to peers. Educator on adult induced hypothermia protocol.

Assessment of Cardiovascular and Critical Care patients. Demonstrates the ability to care for patients suffering from serious, acute, and complex ailments or injuries. Expertise in handling sophisticated medical equipment and adhere to complex medications and/or therapies. Capacity to lead a code team, with the capability to remain calm and calculated in emergent situations. Code team leader throughout facility when assigned. Receptive to learning new up and coming treatments and challenges, while excelling at the recovery of post op open heart patients. Trained and coached new employees on protocols and best practices to promote ideal patient outcomes.

Directed a 35 bed cardiopulmonary unit, focusing on rehabilitation, and directing twenty-four hour care of unit. Accountable for coordinating schedules, supervising, hiring, and developing policies and procedures. Analyzing and developing annual budget and strategic plan. Exercised weekly meetings with charge nurses. Monthly staff meetings and open forum with staff to provide motivation and conflict resolution. Expedited emergency evacuation of patients during hurricane preparations. Orchestrated transport of patients and available staff to travel across state to sister hospital. Represent Health South to promote positive relations with outside customers/vendors.

Delegated and participated in the care of an eighteen bed ICU/CCU. Collaborated in preceptor committee and excelled as a preceptor for new staff and mentor to peers. Assisted in opening and planning of a new Intensive Care Unit. Strategized with the committee for computer charting and care plans. Taking on challenging patients such as organ procurement, end of life decisions, and unstable patient acuities, while maintaining dedicated, compassionate, and knowledgeable care of the ICU patient. Supervised and mentored staff for improving nursing satisfaction, retention and morale.

Staff nurse of six bed ICU/CCU and cross-trained as the charge nurse for Medical/Surgical/Telemetry unit. Learning all the aspects of an Intensive Care Unit, recovering after hour surgical patients, and collecting an increased knowledge of nursing. Cross-trained to perform most ancillary department duties on the medical/surgical/telemetry unit.

Staff RN of two units including Surgical/Orthopedic and the Medical/Oncology unit. Learning all aspects to nursing care and the prioritization of patient care. Overseen and delegated to LPN's and CNA's responsibilities within their scope of practice.