Sandra Arana

Charge nurse for 14 years on a busy 25-bed unit. Managed 5-6 nurses in the unit, plus a CNA and a unit clerk. Give meal breaks to the nurses in my department. Called off staff, and called in nurses. Chart audits and reviewing the patient discharge plan. Keeping the unit and the flow of the unit in a safe, quiet manner. I conducted a lot of education with patients and staff. Evaluations of their performance were conducted with the staff. Did some utilization management for our department and worked alongside Quality Assurance for about four months. Educated nurses on time management. Dissolve conflicts with either patients, staff, or physicians.

• Coordinated communication between physicians and other healthcare professionals regarding patient care.

• Performed physical assessments, collected specimens and performed laboratory tests to diagnose diseases.
• Provided support services for families affected by contagious illnesses such as HIV and AIDS or tuberculosis.
• Educated health professionals on best practices for preventing the spread of infections within a clinical setting.
• Participated in interdisciplinary team meetings regarding patient care plans for infectious disease patients.
• Screened incoming travelers from abroad for symptoms indicative of contagious infections such as malaria or cholera.
• Maintained up-to-date knowledge about current trends in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases.
• I did a lot of collaboration with the public health nurses in patient compliance. Did TARs and many pre-authorizations for patients' procedures and medications? Worked with the alliance, Medicare, and the Ryan White Program to get procedures authorized.

Coordinate staffing for the next 12 hours, and do rounds every 4 hours through all departments. Keep the flow of the ED clear and ready for the next patients.

• The 211-bed hospital was the supervisor for the hospital as it became the trauma center. Keeping our hospital safe and in lockdown when needed.

• 35 bed medical-surgical and step-down unit charge nurse. We had 8 to 9 nurses per shift, along with 5 CNAs, a monitor tech, and our secretary. I made sure to keep the flow of the department going in a timely manner for discharges and admits. Making sure patients were safe for our department and rounding on patients three times per shift.

Assess and report any clinically different findings. Monitor lab patients' vitals. Pass medications, and discuss with the family and doctor the patient's progress.