Tamara Engrahm

Provide strategic leadership and oversight for surgical services, including perioperative operations and sterile processing, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and regulatory standards.

Support and motivate core leadership in the implementation of new processes.

Mentor and guide managers, clinical supervisors, and charge nurses in operational excellence.

Staff engagement and patient-centered care delivery.

Develop and execute strategic initiatives to expand surgical capabilities, improve case throughput, and strengthen the service line's financial performance.

Partner with the Vice President of Patient Services, managers, and service line leads in capital planning while ensuring reasonable stewardship.

Oversight of resource allocation to optimize surgical suite utilization and support growth initiatives in high-acuity and specialty procedures. Engagement in future state planning.

Partners with surgical leadership, anesthesia services, and physician teams to drive innovative process improvements that enhance efficiency, safety, and quality outcomes. Improvement initiatives, metrics, and patient safety programs.

Motivate managers and supervisors to drive change when the need is identified.

Policy and procedure review and oversight.

Participate in several committees and meetings, including the SSI Taskforce, SI Triad, Quality & Safety, Supply Chain, Financial Improvement, PGC, and more.

· Drury Go Program

• Managing day-to-day operations of a 22-room Surgical Services department.
• Overseeing patient flow, patient safety, and surgical schedules.
• Managing schedules of > 100 coworkers.
• Assisting in the maintenance and implementation of policies and procedures, ensuring that best practice standards are met according to AORN, CMS, and Joint Commission.
• Engaging TJC and State site visits.
• Working in collaboration with coworkers, surgeons, and administrative bodies for best patient outcomes.
• Working in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team to improve hospital practices, while serving on the SSI Prevention Task Force and SSI Triad.
• Oversight of Peri-op educators and assisting in developing the Drury Go ST program.

• Working within the scope of the Registered Nurse, utilizing forward-thinking critical care skills while collaborating with team members, such as CM, SW, and physicians in the Emergency setting.
• Performing direct patient care for adults and pediatrics (in the Pediatric ED) suffering from minor illnesses to major trauma, cardiac illness, stroke, and other serious illness and injury, while providing emotional support to patients and families in their time of crisis.
• Emergency care from triage to transfer, admit or discharge.

• Overseeing the workflow of the Pre and Post Anesthesia Care Units, in the full-time Charge Nurse role, while working closely with management to ensure the safest and most efficient care of our patients and employees.
• Providing guidance, education, and support to nurses and ancillary staff.
• Responsible for staff schedules and assignments and directing flow of surgeons and patients.

• Managing day to day operations of the Surgical Unit.
• Overseeing patient flow, patient safety, surgical schedule, prior authorizations, employee assignments, maintenance & implementation of policies & procedures, performance improvement, departmental budget, and employee education.
• Working in collaboration with surgeons for best patient outcomes.
• Maintained AORN membership for continuing education and guidance.
• Held Interim position as Director of Nursing for 3 month period.
• Received written recognition by the Administration for good works.

• Performed direct patient care within the scope of practice for the registered Nurse in the Operating Room and Post Anesthesia Recovery Unit.
• Including circulating for OB/GYN, Ortho, General, Urology, Laparoscopic and Endoscopic procedures, monitoring patients in the PACU setting, and collaborating with surgeons for best patient experience and outcomes.

• Performed direct patient care within the scope of practice for the Registered Nurse in the emergency room while collaborating with other team members and physicians.
• Included caring for patients suffering from significant trauma, cardiac illness, stroke, and other serious illnesses.
• Before graduating from the nursing program, I worked as an RN Intern under the scope of an ED Technician.

• Performed Setup, Scrub, Assist, and breakdown of all surgical procedures.
• Cleaning, decontamination, and sterile processing of surgical instruments.
• Cases include OB/GYN, Ortho, General, Urology, Laparoscopic and Endoscopic procedures.

• United States Soldier, providing state side military support during Desert Storm.
• Trained and practiced in the role of the Surgical Technologist.
• Performed Setup, Scrub, Assist, and breakdown of all surgical procedures.
• Cleaning, decontamination, and sterile processing of surgical instruments.
• Cases include OB/GYN, Ortho, Neuro, General, Urology, ENT, Laparoscopic and Endoscopic procedures.