Rosa M. Torres-Westphal

• Ensured that all equipment and supplies are available for surgeon to perform complicated surgical procedures.
• Collaborated with surgical teams to ensure optimal patient outcomes during procedures
• Administered medications and managed anesthesia under physician supervision
• Monitored vital signs and provided immediate interventions as needed
• Educated patients and families about post-operative care and recovery plans
• Circulated on complicated surgeries from Neurosurgery to Robotic procedures Including traumas.

-Reason for leaving-looking for an OR position close to home.

• Supervising staff, assisting, and direct patient care.
• Addressing staffing needs to be able to provide better patient care.
• Conduct assessments of new admitted and re-admit patients.
• Communicating with patients and family members of any change about their loved ones.
• Conduct and obtain admissions, transfers, and discharge of patients as ordered.
• Perform education and training of staff as needed and required in accordance with policies and procedures.

• Review and prepare patient's medical charts to make sure that they are completed before their appointment.
• Assist the surgeon with procedures in the office setting; such as cystoscopies, ultrasounds, and testosterone implant placement.
• Intake of vital measurements, and provide patient care according to the results.
• Remove or change catheters as needed or instructed by the physician.
• Documented all provided care in the electronic health medical records.
• Contacted and performed telehealth screenings prior to appointments with physicians.

• Organized and scheduled cranial and spine surgeries, any special equipment or instruments.
• Facilitated with complex and research cranial patient surgeries utilizing Stealth Navigation.
• Provided trauma spine patient direct care at same time-maintained spine precautions and positioned in the intraoperative suite.
• Assessed patient's history, labs, allergies, weight, radiology, (if pertinent to patient's history) to know any problems that were not present before the surgery.
• Managed the Neurosurgery service by evaluating instrumentation and equipment for utilization or replacement required.
• Organized purchasing orders based on need, budget, usage, and how fast would be the delivery of the item requested.
• Ordered special equipment and instrumentation, organized surgeon's preference cards, maintained open communication with surgeons, and ensured proper representatives were available for each requested surgery.
• Assessed trauma patient's nursing condition to prioritize and provide optimal care and to best assist the surgeon and perioperative team.
• Continually evaluated patients and maintained the safety of the operating room team.
• Assisted with surgical cases circulating in a variety of neuro cases ranging from Spine to Craniotomy surgeries, many were emergency cases.
• Education training provided to staff and surgeon on surgical site infection prevention, and how to set up crani room for different cases.
• Implemented surgical site infection prevention preoperatively with the collaboration of surgeons, hospital units, and the clinics; providing preop CHG wash and instructions (bundle kit), vacuumed clipped if needed outside of O.R., and CHG wipes day of surgery.
• Coordinated and implemented the reduction of Surgical Site Infection in the Pre-op and clinics by the utilization of the perioperative patient care bundle kit.
• Provided navigation assistance during craniotomy tumor resection surgeries by utilizing the Stealth Navigation System to guide the surgeon into the tumor using a minimal approach.
• Provided preoperative education to patients and family that were undergoing surgical procedures.

• Managed the Urology service by ordering and organizing new instruments and products required in collaboration with the surgical team.
• Updated surgeon's preference cards, maintained open communication with surgeons to organize and request special equipment and ensured proper representatives were available for each requested surgery.
• Assessed trauma patient's nursing condition to prioritize and provide optimal care and to best assist the surgeon and perioperative team.
• Continually evaluated patients and maintained the safety of the operating room team.
• Assisted with surgical cases circulating in a variety of neuro cases ranging from Spine to Craniotomy surgeries.
• Staff Advisory Council serves to represent the voices of peers by establishing two-way communication between direct care staff and executive leadership in a safe, collaborative environment.
• Organized and managed schedule, equipment and materials between the hospital and the Surgery Center to relocate more outpatient Urology same day surgeries.
• First operating room nurse chosen for fellowship in 2017. Conducted research, and prepared evidenced-based change of practice proposal project to decrease surgical site infections in colorectal surgical patients.

• Managed perioperative area and provided patient care as the circulating nurse for Cesarean, ENT, General, Neurosurgery/Spine, OB-GYN, Ophthalmology, Oral-Maxillofacial, Orthopedics, Plastics, and Vascular cases.
• Assessed, planned, implemented, and evaluated nursing care using interdisciplinary process improvement and risk management approaches across patient care.
• Supervised the activities of three junior nurses.
• Planned, coordinated, and directed the orientation program for all new nursing personnel.
• Monitored progress, conducted feedback sessions with new nurses, maintained competency and training records, and evaluated training needs for unit personnel in coordination with the OR Technician Supervisor and in accordance with Joint Commission and AORN standards.
• Provided and recorded education and training to all nurses and technicians based on perioperative and military needs.
• Tracked and monitored required life support certification and ensured all mandatory annual training was completed and documented for all nursing personnel.
• Planned, coordinated, and directed all training day activities for a twenty-four hour perioperative department.

• Provided perioperative care in military medical center for veterans, active duty and their families.
• Assisted with surgical cases circulating in a wide variety of cases ranging in specialties from Cesarean, ENT, General, OB-GYN, Ophthalmology, and Orthopedics surgeries.
• Assessed, planned, implemented, and evaluated nursing care using interdisciplinary, process improvement and risk management approaches.
• Supervised and organized the GYN service, reorganized GYN sterile supply area.
• Collaborated in conjunction with team leader and 6 GYN surgeons working together to provide the best care for the female patients in the OR suite.
• Provided patient education and verification of medical documentation required for surgery.
• Proposed budget for OB-GYN perioperative service monitored and tracked budget in purchasing required medical equipment and supplies to ensure proper stewardship and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.
• Provided pre-operative education to patients scheduled for surgery for the hospital.
• Reviewed their paperwork, labs, history and physical, consent, and medication reconciliation.
• Ordered any post-operative medical equipment necessary based on surgeon preference and type of surgery.
• Provided day before surgery education and paperwork to patient and family.
• Organized and initiated alongside surgeons, Veterans Affairs, and base Commanders, the Joint Venture Orthopedic Surgery Department.

• Provided care to patients in the preoperative, intraoperative, and post-operative area in a Level I trauma center.
• Trauma Center experience. Ensured the safety of the patient in the operating room, and ensured the operative site was the correct site, and that the procedure was the correct procedure according to the surgeon, patient, and anesthesia personnel.
• Setup and maintained the sterile field and provided medications to the sterile field.
• Maintained awareness of surroundings and assisted the surgeon and anesthesia teams in providing patient care.
• Administered blood products to patients, performed assessments, and maintained documentation of the entire operative case.
• Charge nurse duties, maintaining the operating room working fully staffed and ensured that cases moved along, and prepared and directed emergency cases, booked cases.
• Scrubbed orthopedic cases, and small open cases.

• Provided care for critically ill veterans, providing skin and personal care, administering medications, and caring for patients in mechanical ventilators, tracheal masks, and other respiratory and cardiac illnesses on telemetry monitoring.
• Provided teaching to veterans and their families regarding their illness process.
• Performed phlebotomy, and blood draws from different central lines, initiated peripheral IV lines, and also worked with PCA pumps.
• Performed complete assessments and documentation, and assistance with the patient's daily living activities while in the hospital.
• Provided care for patients with parenteral tube feedings and wound care for patients with pressure wounds ranging from stage 1-4.