Nicole Slusser, MSN, RN
Wautoma,WI
Summary
Results-driven professional with extensive experience in systems management and operational leadership. Known for streamlining processes and fostering a collaborative environment to achieve organizational goals. Committed to driving excellence and adapting to dynamic challenges, with proficiency in strategic planning and team development.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
5
5
years of post-secondary education
Work History
System Director of Hospitalist, Intensivist, and Emergency Department Physicians
ThedaCare
03.2023 - 10.2024
- Providing operational leadership and support to acute care providers
- Emergency Service Line Physicians and Advanced Practice Clinicians: ThedaCare Wild Rose, Berlin, Waupaca, New London, and Shawano
- Intensivist Service Line Physicians and Advanced Practice Clinicians: ThedaCare Neenah and Appleton Regional Hospitals
- Hospitalist Service Line Physicians and Advanced Practice Clinicians: ThedaCare Neenah and Appleton Regional Hospitals, ThedaCare New London, and Orthopedic, Spine, and Pain Center
- Developing system-wide operational processes, practice standardizations, and policy
- Managing quality metrics, tracking, and reporting
- Analyzing data to drive performance improvement strategies, initiatives, and activities
- Working closely with Medical Director dyad partners, regional VPs, nursing leaders, and executive leadership
- Drafting strategic budgets and financial forecasting
- Working collaboratively in contract development, provider compensation, and strategic program development/expansion
- Interviewing, hiring, and participating in the credentialing processes of providers
- New provider onboarding
- Organizing staffing and schedules, as well as managing contracted shift tracking and provider timecard management
- Managing locum cost tracking and payments
Director of Nursing
ThedaCare
09.2021 - 03.2023
- Deliver oversight of a Critical Access Hospital
- Emergency Services- Level IV Trauma Care Program
- Medical/Surgical Inpatient Unit
- Swing-bed Services
- Respiratory Therapy
- Endoscopy/Surgical Services
- Outpatient therapies (IV, Wound Care)
- Act as a catalyst for best practice integration and innovative change to improve patient safety and outcomes
- Managing quality metrics, tracking, and reporting
- Analyzing data to drive performance improvement strategies, initiatives, and activities
- Drive system integration of policies, procedures, and practices
- Develop team members into leaders and engaged frontline caregivers to ensure quality outcomes and professional success
Clinical Operations Manager- ED, Trauma, Forensic Nursing, Emergency Management
Advocate Aurora Healthcare
07.2014 - 09.2021
- Manage a 23-bed Level III Emergency Department, Level III Trauma Care Program; Sexual Assault Treatment Center; Emergency Management
- Manage a multi-million-dollar budget
- Managing increasing ED volumes at 5-6% per year since 2014, capturing ~64% of the Market Share
- Act as a catalyst for best practice integration and innovative change
- Identify and drive nursing and physician quality improvement initiatives within the ED and across other departments through strategic planning and collaboration
- Integrate Studer concepts to help improve staff engagement, patient experience, safety, and clinical quality
- Apply Lean strategies to improve ED throughput, as well as quality patient outcomes throughout a continuum
- Participate in acquiring and maintaining multiple certifications and accreditations: TJC, DNV, HFAP, Level III Trauma Care Center, Certified Stroke Center, and Level III Geriatric ED (GEDA)
ED Charge RN; Forensic Nursing Program Coordinator
Advocate Aurora Healthcare
10.2007 - 07.2014
- Shift leadership and guidance of positive team dynamics, communication, collaboration, and safe nurse-to-patient ratios
- Development and coordination of the Sexual Assault Treatment Center (SATC)
- Working collaboratively with leaders
- Authoring strategic plans and proposals
- Creating and maintaining a department budget
- Hiring and training new nurses, managing call schedules, and education opportunities
- Oversight of forensic nurse practice
- Developing a quality metric-focused environment and initiating improvement through identified opportunities
- Participating in community outreach and stakeholder collaboration
- Delivery of patient care to pediatric, adolescent, and adult ED and SATC patients through the nursing process of assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation, and delegation
ED Charge RN; Forensic Nursing Program Coordinator
Community Health Network (now ThedaCare- Berlin)
07.2003 - 07.2014
- Caring for emergency department patients of all ages
- Shift leadership and guidance of positive team dynamics, communication, collaboration, and safe nurse-to-patient ratios
- Development and coordination of the Sexual Assault Nursing Program
- Working collaboratively with leaders
- Authoring strategic plans and proposals
- Creating and maintaining a department budget
- Hiring and training new nurses, managing call schedules and practice development opportunities
- Oversight of forensic nurse practice
- Developing a quality metric-focused environment and initiating improvement through identified opportunities
- Participating in community outreach and stakeholder collaboration
- Delivery of patient care to pediatric, adolescent, and adult ED and SATC patients through the nursing process of assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation, and delegation
- Participating in hospital foundation activities, community outreach, and stakeholder collaboration
- Involved in day-to-day hospital operations oversight, hospital department productivity, staffing, and safe patient bed placement upon admission
- Delivery of nursing care and management of OB/Gyn patients in the clinical setting
Peri-Operative Nurse
St Elizabeth Hospital
05.2001 - 07.2003
- OR RN Circulator
- Preparation of surgical cases
- OR Circulation for a variety of different surgeries
- Documentation of surgical data
- Surgical assist
- Specialty in Plastic and Ocular Plastic Surgery
- Pre-operative patient care
- Sterile processing
Outpatient Surgery Center RN
Cosmetic Surgery Center
06.1999 - 05.2001
- Clinical oversight of outpatient surgical services
- Preparation of surgical cases
- OR Circulator for a variety of cosmetic and oral/maxillofacial surgeries
- Supply ordering and vendor collaboration
- Pre/Post-operative patient care
- Sterile processing
Education
Master’s Degree - Management & Leadership
Western Governors University
12.2016 - 05.2018
Bachelor’s Degree - Nursing
American Sentinel University
11.2013 - 11.2014
Associate Degree - Nursing
Mid-State Technical College
01.1997 - 05.1999
Skills
- Strategic and Operational Leadership
- Budget Management
- Productivity Management
- Data and Trending Analysis
- Outcome Assessment
- Process Improvement
- Forecasting and Business Acumen
- Strategic Planning
- Change Management
- Lean Concepts
- Quality Improvement
- Safety Improvement
- Patient Experience Improvement
- Service Growth
- Community Health Needs Assessment
- Health Disparities Recognition
- Service Development
- Program Development
- Telehealth Implementation
- Consumer Satisfaction Strategies
- Marketing Strategy Development
- Collaborative Relationship Building
Accomplishments
- Supervised a team of 88 Physicians and Advanced Practice Clinicians between 3 service lines.
- Achieved reduction in Hospitalist Inpatient Length of Stay from 1.2 to 0.93 within 12 months by completing MD-RN rounding with accuracy and efficiency.
- Achieved reduction of Hospitalist Inpatient Mortality Rate from 0.5 to 0.14 and ICU Inpatient Mortality Rate from 2.6 to 1.3 within 6 months through collaborative work with clinicians and the Hospice Team.
- Achieved improvement in accurate Critical Care documentation and charges within 6 months through effectively implementing Medical Decision Making documentation templates, significantly reducing subsidized physician labor costs over 12 months.
- Achieved improvement in ED Physician scheduling by introducing QGenda software and automation
- Achieved Level III Geriatric Emergency Department (GEDA) designation through ACEP by introducing specific ED geriatric-focused initiatives to improve patient outcomes.
Certification
- Advisory Board: Raising the Value Bar Summit, New Orleans, 2024
- SHM Leadership Conference, Arizona, 2023
- HICS Training, 2018
- FEMA Training & Coursework, Alabama, 2018
- Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Training, 2017
- LSS Green Belt Certification, 2017
- Studer Group Conference, California, 2017
- SANE-A Board Certification, 2013 - 2019
- SANE-P Training, 2004
- SANE-A Training, 2003
Affiliations
- Advisory Board Member, 2023 - present
- American Nurses Association, 05233399
- American Organization of Nurse Leaders, 8023368399
- Emergency Nurses Association, 808607
- American College of Healthcare Executives, 1483474
Credentials
- MSN
- RN - WI License 133129-30
Personal Information
Title: Director
Projects
ThedaCare System Sepsis Committee Co-Chair, 03/01/22 - 03/01/23 ThedaCare Nursing Charge Nurse Initiative, 02/01/22 - 05/01/22 Waushara County Drug Endangered Children (DEC) Taskforce, 03/01/22 - 03/01/23 Aurora Workplace Violence Committee Chair, 09/01/20 - 09/01/21 Winnebago Co Drug & Alcohol Coalition, 04/01/18 - 06/01/19 Community Opioid Fatality Review- Winnebago Co, 04/01/18 - 06/01/20 Aurora Patient Experience Measurement Team Chair, 05/01/15 - 12/01/17 Board of Directors- Wisconsin Chapter of the International Association of Forensic Nurses, 01/01/13 - 12/01/17 Community Sexual Assault Response Team Member, Oshkosh, WI, 2009 - 2015 Community Sexual Assault Response Team Facilitator/Consultant, Green Lake, WI, 2011 - 2014
Awardsrecognitions
- Top Decile Team Member Engagement
- Patriotic Employer Award, 2018
- Nightingale Award Nominee, 2014
- Aurora CEO Service Excellence Award, 2013
- Voices of Courage Award- WCASA, 2011
Languages
English
Full Professional
Timeline
System Director of Hospitalist, Intensivist, and Emergency Department Physicians
ThedaCare
03.2023 - 10.2024
Director of Nursing
ThedaCare
09.2021 - 03.2023
Master’s Degree - Management & Leadership
Western Governors University
12.2016 - 05.2018
Clinical Operations Manager- ED, Trauma, Forensic Nursing, Emergency Management
Advocate Aurora Healthcare
07.2014 - 09.2021
Bachelor’s Degree - Nursing
American Sentinel University
11.2013 - 11.2014
ED Charge RN; Forensic Nursing Program Coordinator
Advocate Aurora Healthcare
10.2007 - 07.2014
ED Charge RN; Forensic Nursing Program Coordinator
Community Health Network (now ThedaCare- Berlin)
07.2003 - 07.2014
Peri-Operative Nurse
St Elizabeth Hospital
05.2001 - 07.2003
Outpatient Surgery Center RN
Cosmetic Surgery Center
06.1999 - 05.2001
Associate Degree - Nursing
Mid-State Technical College
01.1997 - 05.1999
Similar Profiles
Brooke AlgiersBrooke Algiers
Surgical Technologist at ThedacareSurgical Technologist at Thedacare
Jesseca HauserJesseca Hauser
Business Analyst III at ThedaCareBusiness Analyst III at ThedaCare
Hollie JohnsonHollie Johnson
Application Analyst 2 – Cadence/Mychart/Prelude/Grand Central at ThedaCareApplication Analyst 2 – Cadence/Mychart/Prelude/Grand Central at ThedaCare