Tara M. Jensen
Los Angeles
Summary
Highly accomplished nursing professional with 25+ years of experience in transplant coordination, ambulatory care, urology, care management, quality improvement, and clinical leadership. Certified Clinical Transplant Coordinator with expertise in multidisciplinary care coordination, patient education, staff development, workflow optimization, and regulatory compliance. Proven ability to lead quality initiatives, support research activities, improve patient outcomes, and collaborate with physicians and interdisciplinary teams to deliver exceptional patient-centered care.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Clinical Program Coordinator
CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER
Los Angeles, CA
09.2016 - Current
- Coordinate care for more than 200 new kidney and pancreas transplant recipients annually while managing long-term follow-up care for established transplant patients.
- Serve as primary liaison between patients, physicians, pharmacists, social workers, educators, and nursing staff to ensure continuity of care throughout the transplant journey.
- Deliver comprehensive patient and family education regarding transplant procedures, medications, post-transplant care, and long-term health management.
- Maintain compliance with transplant program standards, regulatory requirements, and evidence-based clinical practices.
- Chair the Kidney Research and Quality Improvement Committee, leading initiatives focused on patient outcomes, workflow efficiency, and patient education.
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to identify and implement process improvements that enhance care delivery and patient satisfaction.
- Served as secondary author on two transplant-related abstracts and contributed to an Institutional Review Board (IRB) submission supporting clinical process improvement initiatives.
Clinical Nurse III
KECK MEDICAL CENTER OF USC
Los Angeles, CA
09.2014 - 09.2016
- Served as clinic lead for a high-volume outpatient urology practice specializing in kidney stone treatment, urologic oncology, female urology, and men’s health.
- Coordinated patient care, office-based procedures, surgical scheduling, and treatment planning for a diverse patient population.
- Developed and implemented a new outpatient billing workflow and documentation template system to improve operational efficiency.
- Revised outpatient chemotherapy administration policies and developed competency validation tools for nursing staff.
- Collaborated with physicians and administrative leadership to improve clinic operations and patient access.
Clinical Nurse III
CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER
Los Angeles, CA
08.2009 - 09.2014
- Served as clinic lead in a fast-paced ambulatory care environment providing comprehensive patient assessments and education.
- Delivered culturally sensitive care and advocacy for diverse patient populations.
- Precepted newly hired registered nurses, travel nurses, and float staff to support onboarding and clinical competency development.
- Participated in Ambulatory Care Practice Council initiatives and multiple organizational task force committees.
- Served as Magnet Ambassador supporting nursing excellence and professional practice initiatives.
- Acted as Super User during enterprise-wide CS-Link EMR implementation, providing staff education and workflow support.
Registry, Per Diem, and Private Duty Nursing
01.1999 - 01.2011
- Delivered patient care through per diem and private-duty nursing assignments in hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, long-term care settings, emergency departments, telemetry units, orthopedic services, and medical-surgical environments.
- Demonstrated flexibility, adaptability, and strong clinical judgment while supporting diverse healthcare organizations throughout California and Michigan.
- Additional Clinical Experience
Travel Registered Nurse
AMERICAN MOBILE HEALTHCARE
06.2001 - 07.2009
- Provided comprehensive nursing care across multiple healthcare systems and specialty units including trauma, orthopedics, rehabilitation, bariatric surgery, and medical-surgical nursing.
- Assessed, implemented, and evaluated individualized patient care plans in diverse clinical settings.
- Delivered preoperative and postoperative care for high-acuity patient populations.
- Coordinated discharge planning and patient education to support safe transitions of care.
- Demonstrated adaptability and clinical excellence while serving in high-demand travel nursing assignments.
- Various Assignments
Registered Nurse
IONIA COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Ionia, MI
09.1997 - 10.2002
- Provided nursing care across multiple departments including emergency services, obstetrics, step-down care, and medical-surgical units.
- Served as a member of the hospital Code Team utilizing Advanced Cardiac Life Support knowledge and emergency response skills.
- Supported hospital-wide staffing needs through cross-functional clinical practice.
Education
Master of Science in Nursing - Nursing Leadership & Management, Capstone Focus: Nursing Competencies
WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY
01-2016
Bachelor of Science in Nursing - undefined
WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY
01-2015
Associate Degree in Nursing - undefined
MONTCALM COMMUNITY COLLEGE
01-1998
Licensed Practical Nurse Certificate - undefined
MONTCALM COMMUNITY COLLEGE
01-1997
Undergraduate Studies - undefined
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
01-1996
Skills
- Kidney & Pancreas Transplant Coordination
- Clinical Program Management
- Ambulatory Care Nursing
- Care Coordination & Case Management
- Quality Improvement & Process Improvement
- Research & IRB Development
- Multidisciplinary Team Leadership
- Patient & Family Education
- Staff Development & Mentorship
- Regulatory Compliance
- Workflow Optimization
- EMR Implementation & Training
- Clinical Operations
- Performance Improvement
- Evidence-Based Practice
Certification
- Certified Clinical Transplant Coordinator (CCTC)
- Certified Urology Registered Nurse (CURN)
- Board Certified Ambulatory Care Nurse (RN-BC)
- Basic Life Support (BLS), American Heart Association
Timeline
Clinical Program Coordinator
CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER
09.2016 - Current
Clinical Nurse III
KECK MEDICAL CENTER OF USC
09.2014 - 09.2016
Clinical Nurse III
CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER
08.2009 - 09.2014
Travel Registered Nurse
AMERICAN MOBILE HEALTHCARE
06.2001 - 07.2009
Registry, Per Diem, and Private Duty Nursing
01.1999 - 01.2011
Registered Nurse
IONIA COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
09.1997 - 10.2002
Bachelor of Science in Nursing - undefined
WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY
Associate Degree in Nursing - undefined
MONTCALM COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Licensed Practical Nurse Certificate - undefined
MONTCALM COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Undergraduate Studies - undefined
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Master of Science in Nursing - Nursing Leadership & Management, Capstone Focus: Nursing Competencies
WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY
HONORS & AWARDS
Cedars-Sinai Standing Ovation Award 2017, 2018, Keck Medical Center of USC Nursing Scholarship Award Recipient 2015, Cedars-Sinai President’s Award for Outstanding Quality Performance 2013
RESEARCH, LEADERSHIP & PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS
- Chair, Kidney Research and Quality Improvement Committee
- Secondary Author, Transplant Quality Improvement Abstracts
- Contributor to IRB Submission and Process Improvement Initiatives
- Magnet Ambassador
- Ambulatory Care Practice Council Member
- Clinical Preceptor and Mentor for Registered Nurses