Renee Whitley
Denver,CO
Summary
Registered Nurse with over 18 years of experience in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and mental health, focusing on Veteran-centered care and trauma-informed practices. Demonstrates expertise in system-level quality improvement initiatives and evidence-based symptom management. Strong ability to enhance patient outcomes through targeted interventions and collaborative care strategies.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
GRECC Quality Improvement Nurse
Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center
Aurora, Colorado
10.2025 - Current
- Facilitated Age Friendly Health Systems Level 1 accreditation renewal using IHI 4Ms Framework for 2026.
- Developed CPRS templates and data dictionary for effective geriatric identification.
- Contributed to Power BI dashboard development, enhancing metric reporting capabilities.
Registered Nurse – Inpatient Mental Health (H2)
Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center
Aurora, CO
06.2025 - Current
- Trauma‑informed psychiatric care for Veterans in crisis.
- Provide BAA with DVPRS tracking for pain, anxiety, and sleep.
- Participate in interdisciplinary rounds and recovery-oriented care.
Critical Care RN – ICU
Rocky Mountain Regional VA
Aurora, CO
02.2007 - 06.2025
- Delivered critical care across cardiovascular, trauma, and surgical ICUs, ensuring optimal patient outcomes.
- Specialized in stabilization techniques and management of ventilators and vasoactive agents.
- Contributed to root cause analyses (RCAs) for quality improvement initiatives.
- Developed an ICU complications guide to support team education and training.
Perioperative RN – Pre-Op / PACU
Surgery Center of Dry Creek
Englewood, CO
08.2010 - 11.2014
- Performed pre-op assessments and post-anesthesia recovery.
- Provided patient teaching and postoperative triage follow-up.
Education
Master of Science - Nursing, Veteran & Military Healthcare
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Aurora12-2025
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Regis University
Denver12-2006
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration
Montclair State University
Montclair05-2003
Skills
- Critical care nursing
- Psychiatric nursing
- Trauma-informed care
- Crisis stabilization
- Battlefield acupuncture
- Quality improvement
- Systems redesign
- Clinical documentation systems
- Data management tools
- Business intelligence analysis
- Microsoft Office suite
Certification
- CCRN
- BLS
- ACLS
- Battlefield Acupuncture / Battlefield Auricular Acupressure trained
Credentials
- MSN
- RN
- CCRN
Professional Memberships
- NOVA – Nurses Organization of Veteran Affairs, 2025–Present
- American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
Quality Improvement Projects
• Battlefield Auricular Acupressure (BAA) Quality Improvement Project - Nurse competency pathway, RN-to-RN referrals, DVPRS tracking, workflow tools, and implementation evaluation.
• Age-Friendly Health System (AFHS Level 1) Accreditation Project — Implemented IHI 4Ms framework, developed CPRS templates, constructed data dictionary, and contributed to Power BI dashboard development.
• Improving Postoperative Outcomes: The Surgical Pause / Frailty Screening — Evidence-based perioperative risk reduction.
Scholarly Work and Graduate Level Projects
- Policy Brief: The Blast Overpressure Act (H.R. 8025)
- Disability Evaluation & Toxic Exposures
- Caring for Veterans with Toxic Exposure
- Revolutionizing PTSD Treatment: Psychedelic Therapy vs Traditional Methods
- PTSD in Women Veterans – Narrative Analysis
- Military Sexual Trauma – Maternal Mental Health & Infant Bonding
- Women in Combat – Myth-Busting & Sociocultural Evolution
- Women and War – Midterm Presentation
- Beyond the Battlefield - exploring moral injury, PTSD, and Reintegration of Veterans
Timeline
GRECC Quality Improvement Nurse
Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center
10.2025 - Current
Registered Nurse – Inpatient Mental Health (H2)
Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center
06.2025 - Current
Perioperative RN – Pre-Op / PACU
Surgery Center of Dry Creek
08.2010 - 11.2014
Critical Care RN – ICU
Rocky Mountain Regional VA
02.2007 - 06.2025
Master of Science - Nursing, Veteran & Military Healthcare
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Regis University
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration
Montclair State University