Open To Work
Verified
This profile is verified using an email address.
Rachel Eshom
Monaca,PA
Summary
Family nurse practitioner with 15 years of experience in behavioral health, specializing in addiction medicine and psychopharmacology. Proven ability to manage complex patients with co-occurring disorders through effective communication and collaboration. Expertise in developing evidence-based treatment plans and working with interdisciplinary teams to enhance patient outcomes in substance use disorders.
Overview
1
1
Certification
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Family Nurse Practitioner
Milton Jefferson Recovery
Steubenville, OH
06.2026 - Current
- Provided comprehensive evaluation and management of patients with opioid use disorder, alcohol use disorder, and other substance use disorders using evidence-based medication-assisted treatment.
- Initiated, prescribed, and managed buprenorphine and other MAT medications while monitoring efficacy, adherence, and withdrawal symptoms.
- Performed extensive psychiatric and medical assessments to identify co-occurring mental health disorders impacting recovery.
- Integrated 15 years of behavioral health nursing experience into advanced practice for trauma-informed addiction treatment.
- Assessed psychiatric instability, suicide risk, and substance-related crises, implementing appropriate interventions.
- Evaluated complex psychopharmacologic regimens for drug interactions and therapeutic effectiveness in MAT patients.
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to ensure coordinated behavioral healthcare for patients with co-occurring disorders.
- Educated patients on MAT, medication safety, overdose prevention, and recovery resources.
Registered Nurse, Behavioral Health
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
11.2017 - 06.2026
- Performed comprehensive psychiatric and medical assessments, including mental status examinations, suicide risk evaluations, and substance use assessments for patients with complex behavioral health and co-occurring disorders.
- Managed patients receiving medication-assisted treatment (MAT), including buprenorphine (Suboxone), extended-release buprenorphine (Brixadi), and naltrexone (Vivitrol), utilizing evidence-based withdrawal assessment tools (COWS, CIWA-Ar) to guide treatment and monitor clinical response.
- Applied extensive knowledge of psychopharmacology to evaluate medication efficacy, monitor for adverse effects and drug interactions, and support safe medication management across diverse psychiatric populations.
- Provided care for patients with severe and persistent mental illness, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, treatment-resistant depression, personality disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Military Sexual Trauma (MST), and co-occurring substance use disorders, including veterans with combat- and service-related trauma requiring state psychiatric hospital-level behavioral health care.
- Collaborated with psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, addiction specialists, and interdisciplinary healthcare teams to develop individualized treatment plans and ensure continuity of care.
- Educated patients and families on psychiatric conditions, recovery-oriented care, medication adherence, relapse prevention, and long-term treatment planning.
- Supported advanced psychiatric interventions, including Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), while leveraging extensive experience caring for patients requiring state psychiatric hospital-level behavioral health services.
Registered Nurse, OUD/AUD
Gateway Rehabilitation Center
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
10.2018 - 03.2019
- Performed comprehensive medical and psychiatric assessments, including physical examinations, mental status evaluations, suicide risk screening, substance use assessments, withdrawal evaluations, and identification of co-occurring psychiatric and complex medical conditions.
- Managed medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid and alcohol use disorders, including buprenorphine (Suboxone), extended-release buprenorphine (Brixadi), and naltrexone (Vivitrol), utilizing evidence-based withdrawal assessment tools (COWS, CIWA-Ar) and monitoring treatment response.
- Applied advanced knowledge of addiction medicine and psychopharmacology to ensure safe medication management, evaluate treatment efficacy, identify adverse drug reactions and drug interactions, and interpret laboratory and diagnostic findings affecting clinical care.
- Recognized and responded to medical and psychiatric emergencies, including withdrawal complications, behavioral crises, and suicide risk, ensuring timely intervention and patient stabilization.
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to develop individualized, evidence-based treatment plans for patients with co-occurring psychiatric disorders, substance use disorders, and medically complex conditions.
- Utilized motivational interviewing, therapeutic communication, trauma-informed care, harm reduction, and recovery-oriented practices to promote patient engagement, treatment adherence, and sustained recovery.
- Educated patients and families on addiction, relapse prevention, medication adherence, behavioral health treatment, and coordinated continuity of care through referrals to outpatient MAT, behavioral health, primary care, and community recovery resources.
Registered Nurse, Medical-Surgical Unit
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
Pittsburgh, PA
11.2015 - 11.2017
- Performed comprehensive medical assessments and ongoing evaluation of adult patients with complex acute and chronic medical conditions in a high-acuity medical-surgical setting.
- Managed the care of medically complex patients with advanced liver disease, including cirrhosis, hepatitis B and C, end-stage liver disease, and post-liver transplantation, while monitoring for graft dysfunction, rejection, infection, medication-related complications, and hemodynamic instability.
- Provided comprehensive care for patients with multiple comorbidities, including HIV/AIDS, sepsis, infective endocarditis, osteomyelitis, cellulitis, oncology diagnoses, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, renal impairment, and other chronic medical conditions.
- Applied advanced knowledge of pharmacology to manage complex medication regimens, including immunosuppressants, antivirals, intravenous antibiotics, anticoagulants, and high-risk medications, while monitoring therapeutic response, adverse effects, drug interactions, and hepatic and renal dose adjustments.
- Interpreted laboratory studies, microbiology results, diagnostic imaging, electrocardiograms, and vital sign trends to recognize clinical deterioration and facilitate timely intervention for life-threatening conditions, including sepsis, acute kidney injury, and multisystem complications.
- Collaborated with hepatology, transplant surgery, infectious disease, hospital medicine, pharmacy, and multidisciplinary healthcare teams to develop and implement evidence-based plans of care for medically complex patients.
- Provided patient and family education on chronic disease management, medication adherence, transplant care, infectious disease prevention, diabetes management, and lifestyle modification while coordinating safe discharge planning and continuity of care.
Registered Nurse, Inpatient Behavioral Health
Heritage Valley Sewickley
Sewickley, PA
10.2015 - 12.2016
- Conducted comprehensive psychiatric assessments in the emergency department and inpatient behavioral health unit, collaborating with emergency physicians to determine medical necessity and appropriateness for acute psychiatric hospitalization.
- Performed behavioral health utilization reviews and obtained inpatient and continued-stay preauthorizations through Managed Behavioral Health Organizations (MBHOs), utilizing evidence-based medical necessity criteria and comprehensive clinical documentation.
- Provided care for adults requiring acute psychiatric stabilization, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, treatment-resistant depression, psychotic disorders, severe suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders.
- Applied advanced knowledge of psychopharmacology to monitor medication safety, treatment response, adverse effects, and psychiatric decompensation while supporting evidence-based psychiatric care.
- Recognized and responded to psychiatric emergencies, including acute psychosis, suicidal crises, mania, aggression, and severe behavioral disturbances, prioritizing patient safety and stabilization.
- Collaborated with psychiatrists, nurses, therapists, social workers, case managers, and interdisciplinary treatment teams to develop individualized treatment plans, coordinate continuity of care, and facilitate safe discharge planning.
Registered Nurse, Inpatient Rehabilitation
HealthSouth-Sewickley
Sewickley, Pennsylvania
06.2015 - 11.2015
- Provided comprehensive care for medically complex rehabilitation patients recovering from stroke, surgical procedures, acute illnesses, and neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis exacerbations, with a focus on functional recovery, mobility, and patient independence.
- Performed advanced physical, neurological, cognitive, and psychiatric assessments for patients with complex medical and behavioral presentations, including dementia, delirium, acute psychosis, suicidal ideation, and mental status changes requiring further evaluation.
- Collaborated with emergency departments, county behavioral health delegates, and mobile crisis teams to assess psychiatric stability, safety concerns, and appropriateness for emergency psychiatric evaluation for potential inpatient behavioral health admission.
- Managed acute and chronic medical conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, infection, postoperative complications, and neurological disorders while monitoring clinical status, medication response, and potential complications.
- Managed complex medication regimens, including anticoagulation and pain management therapies, with emphasis on medication safety, opioid administration, drug interactions, and appropriate analgesic use during recovery.
- Collaborated with physicians, rehabilitation specialists, psychiatrists, pharmacists, and interdisciplinary teams to develop individualized treatment plans, coordinate transitions of care, and support safe discharge planning.
Registered Nurse, Behavioral Health
Monongahela Valley Hospital
Monongahela, Pennsylvania
01.2011 - 06.2015
- Provided comprehensive psychiatric nursing care for adults with severe and persistent mental illness, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, treatment-resistant depression, psychotic disorders, personality disorders, and co-occurring substance use disorders requiring acute and long-term psychiatric stabilization.
- Performed ongoing psychiatric assessments, including mental status examinations, suicide and violence risk assessments, behavioral evaluations, and monitoring of treatment response, psychiatric stability, and functional progress.
- Managed care for patients with chronic psychiatric conditions requiring complex treatment planning, including coordination of referrals and transitions to higher levels of psychiatric care, including Torrance State Hospital, when clinically indicated.
- Monitored psychotropic medication therapies, recognizing therapeutic response, adverse effects, drug interactions, and psychiatric medication complications including extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), tardive dyskinesia, serotonin syndrome, and Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS).
- Served as the dedicated Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Registered Nurse, providing comprehensive peri-procedural care including patient assessment, medication reconciliation, treatment monitoring, recovery assessment, neurological evaluation, and patient education.
- Utilized therapeutic communication, trauma-informed care, crisis intervention, and behavioral de-escalation techniques to promote safety, therapeutic relationships, and recovery-oriented care.
- Collaborated with psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, therapists, pharmacists, case managers, and community agencies to support individualized treatment plans, discharge planning, and continuity of psychiatric care.
- Reviewed laboratory results, diagnostic studies, and clinical trends to identify medical concerns affecting psychiatric treatment and promote safe medication management.
- Responded to psychiatric and medical emergencies, including behavioral crises, Rapid Response events, and Code Blue situations, while maintaining accurate documentation and compliance with evidence-based behavioral health standards.
Education
Master of Science - Family Nurse Practitioner
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Steubenville08-2025
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA05-2015
Associate of Science - Nursing
Community College of Allegheny County
Pittsburgh, PA01-2011
Skills
- Comprehensive Assessment & Clinical Decision-Making
- Evidence-Based Diagnosis & Treatment Planning
- Chronic Disease Management & Preventive Care
- Pharmacologic Management & Medication Safety
- Behavioral Health Assessment & Psychiatric Care
- Interdisciplinary Care Coordination & Patient Advocacy
- Clinical Documentation, Compliance & Quality Improvement
Accomplishments
- Daisy Award Nominee - 2019, 2021, 2025
Certification
- SMART Recovery Facilitator
Timeline
Family Nurse Practitioner
Milton Jefferson Recovery
06.2026 - Current
Registered Nurse, OUD/AUD
Gateway Rehabilitation Center
10.2018 - 03.2019
Registered Nurse, Behavioral Health
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
11.2017 - 06.2026
Registered Nurse, Medical-Surgical Unit
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
11.2015 - 11.2017
Registered Nurse, Inpatient Behavioral Health
Heritage Valley Sewickley
10.2015 - 12.2016
Registered Nurse, Inpatient Rehabilitation
HealthSouth-Sewickley
06.2015 - 11.2015
Registered Nurse, Behavioral Health
Monongahela Valley Hospital
01.2011 - 06.2015
Master of Science - Family Nurse Practitioner
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
California University of Pennsylvania
Associate of Science - Nursing
Community College of Allegheny County