Tawanda Small
Norwood,MA
Summary
Passionate Nurse with demonstrated experience in outpatient/hospital settings. Proven ability to build strong relationships with patients and families while providing compassionate care. Offers strong task prioritization and organizational skills. Bringing new ideas, a willingness to learn, team spirit, and a professional, calm, and encouraging demeanor.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
LPN/TCT/Alternate Control Substance Coordinator
VA Medical Center
09.2023 - Current
- Performs telehealth imaging, including Store and Forward care and imaging and other telehealth programming as identified and referred by the primary care provider, other providers, and the imager.
- Provides staff, Veterans, families, caregivers' education related to virtual care tools/technology, telehealth care processes, disease processes, disease management and preventative health care.
- Completes and initiates appropriate clinical reminders, consults, and alerts.
- Utilizes CPRS Vista Imaging to document telehealth images
- Utilizes CPRS to document all clinical observations/information/patient education
- Appropriately seeks assistance and guidance from Registered Nurse or medical provider regarding changes in the patient's condition requiring higher-level intervention.
- Promptly recognizes urgent or emergent patient care situations, seeks assistance and effectively intervenes as directed when appropriate.
- Perform auxiliary testing such as visual acuity, papillary function, estimation of anterior chamber angle depth, intraocular pressure, dilation and visual field
- Serves as a telepresenter within scope of practice during clinical video telehealth (CVT) and VA Video Connect (VVC) encounters including tasks such as establishing and maintaining video conferencing connections, making introductions between patient site and provider site, following instructions of a clinician to facilitate an effective clinical encounter
- Schedules, confirms and coordinates and provides technical support for telehealth services.
- Reviews planned telehealth encounters to ensure appropriate resources are available (i.e. clinical peripherals, video conferencing) and appropriate mode and circumstance for telehealth modalities have been ordered based on patient's needs.
- Prepares the telehealth patient room including equipment for examination, training, education, access, and establishing the online, video conferencing or other connections.
- Provides "hands on" assistance to the provider and patient as part of the encounter, training or interaction as needed.
- Serves as a liaison and coordinates information between image readers, primary care providers, specialty care providers, patients and other VA personnel Initiates any indicated follow-up services based upon findings of readers (including scheduling patients with VA clinics) and communicates need for follow-up to the patient.
- Installs, maintains, inventories and trains staff on all video conferencing technologies, telehealth peripherals (i.e. stethoscopes, otoscopes), and scheduling software.
- Participates in performance improvement activities to improve patient care and telehealth care processes.
- Conducts quality control procedures on equipment/products and maintains quality control reports and workload reports.
- Assist with development of policies and procedures related to telehealth to ensure compliance with directives and regulatory guidelines.
- Acts as a coach to clinical teams integrating virtual health tools/technology into their workflow.
- Acts as a coach to Veterans, families, and caregivers to integrate virtual health tools/technology into their life journey.
- Uses standard data collection instruments to gather qualitative feedback from end users.
- Engages in outreach planning and activities to improve access to healthcare services via mobile/telehealth initiatives and programming.
- Facilitates sharing of lessons learned and best practices within facility and among colleagues.
- Acts as mobile/virtual application subject matter expert.
- Performs, reports and records assigned nursing care in the Primary Care or Specialty Clinics including but not limited to Initiate and monitor oxygen therapy as ordered.
- Administration of medication to include IV medication if certified (except 1st dose of IV medication as per policy)
- Adheres to standards of practice and safe technique in preparation and administration of medications
- Check expiration dates of medications and supplies
- Perform delegated procedures and treatments
- Assist with minor procedures, including obtaining and arranging necessary equipment, positioning patient, ensuring comfort and privacy, monitoring patient during procedure
- Demonstrates understanding of age and population specific characteristics that affect health care needs of the Veteran.
- Interacts and communicates appropriately with patients and family members.
- Demonstrates professional behavior (i.e . respects others, collegiality, ability to accept constructive criticism), effective communication and interpersonal skills.
- Adheres to principles of infection control, safety and universal precautions. Possesses knowledge of and complies with proper handling and cleaning of reusable medical equipment regulations and requirements.
- Demonstrates competence related to equipment and procedures required by position.
- Adheres to policies/procedures related to safety and security.
- Assist in orientation and competency validation of clinical staff.
- Maintains patient confidentiality (electronic, written and/or verbal).
- Maintains a work environment that honors diversity.
LPN
Harbor House Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
05.2023 - Current
- Performed routine evaluations of each patient's status, needs, and preferences
- Evaluate patients to identify and address wounds, behavioral concerns, and medically relevant symptoms
- Care for wounds, provided treatments, and assisted with procedures
- Administered medications and injections to patients
- Obtained patient vital signs and input/output measurements from inpatients
- Perform admissions, appointments, transfers, and discharges
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary team of healthcare, dieticians and social service providers to address patients' needs through effective intervention and care planning
- Managed patient care through closely monitoring respiration, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels
- Knowledgeable of practices and procedures as well as laws, regulations, and guidelines governing functions in post-acute/ long term care facility.
PCA
Tempus Unlimited
10.2021 - Current
- Responds to patient emergencies with immediate care and notifies clinicians to provide comprehensive assistance
- Assists with feeding and monitors intake to help patients achieve nutritional objectives
- Determines specific needs and provides most appropriate level of services for patient well-being
- Assists with medications, mobility and passive range of motion exercises
- Bathing and grooming
- Infection Control and Aseptic Dressing Procedures
- Toileting
- Schedules clients' appointments and transport for errands and doctor visits
- Provides mental and social support
- Remains alert to problems or health issues of clients and competently responds
- Helps patients maintain healthy skin by checking wounds, assessing integrity, and bathing bedbound individuals.
Health Technician/ Alternate Control Substance Coordinator
VA Boston Healthcare System
12.2010 - 09.2023
- Interviews patients to obtain medical information, weight, height measurements and vital signs
- Performs phlebotomy and bladder scans
- Scrubs patients charts prior to preop visits
- Reviews charts for updated surgery consents, History & Physical exams and preop orders, if not present communicating with Providers to ensure smooth clinic flow
- Teaches patients about ON Q-Pump pain management system, ICOUGH/Incentive Spirometry, Prehab Preoperative Care and Postoperative urinary Retention
- Provides front desk coverage
- Completes nursing notes
- Schedules and cancel appointments
- Verifies and updates patient's demographics and insurance information
- Schedules and sets up virtual video calls between providers and patients
- Triage patient consults, screening for high priority patients
- Train new LPNs on phlebotomy and performing EKGs
- Assures that inventory and supplies are maintained in a clean and safe manner
- Schedule and prepares the telehealth patient room including equipment for examination
- Lead clinical support for the development of a new telehealth program within the PATC clinic during COVID and was a pivotal champion with implementation of the program
- Maintained policies and procedures to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements related to patient care via telehealth
- Resource officer for new staff on use of the telehealth system including troubleshooting issues that may arise during use
- Participated in quality improvement activities such as data collection, analysis, reporting, etc., to improve processes or outcomes within assigned areas of responsibility
- Served as a resource for other departments regarding information technology (IT) systems used by the organization and participated in cross-functional teams focused on improving organizational performance across all functions/departments.
Contact Tracer
NORC At The University Of Chicago
02.2021 - 06.2022
- Called newly diagnosed patients to inform them of their COVID results
- Called contacts of the newly diagnosed patients to gather information and inform contacts of potential exposure
- Communicated with contacts in a professional, empathetic, and culturally sensitive manner while maintaining confidentiality
- Demonstrated basic skills of crisis counseling, and the ability to confidently refer patients and contacts for further care if needed
- Collected and recorded information on demographics, current symptoms, current health status, and possible high-risk settings into Contact Tracing/Contact Information Management System
- Provided contacts with approved information about state quarantine procedures, and if appropriate, refers them to testing according to NORC guidelines
- Followed established procedures and/or script to inform contacts about the importance of quarantine and what to do if symptoms develop.
Education
Practical Nurse Certificate - Nursing
Blackstone Valley Technical High School
Upton, MA01.2023
Skills
- Decision-Making
- Patient education
- Culturally-competent care
- Inpatient/outpatient care
- Patient assessment
- Inventory management
- Quality Control
- Medical billing
- Records management
- Knowledgeable in JCAHO/OIG and HIPPA regulations
- System Troubleshooting
- Equipment Maintenance
Certification
Certified in First Aid/CPR and EKG/Phlebotomy
Timeline
LPN/TCT/Alternate Control Substance Coordinator
VA Medical Center
09.2023 - Current
LPN
Harbor House Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
05.2023 - Current
PCA
Tempus Unlimited
10.2021 - Current
Contact Tracer
NORC At The University Of Chicago
02.2021 - 06.2022
Health Technician/ Alternate Control Substance Coordinator
VA Boston Healthcare System
12.2010 - 09.2023
Practical Nurse Certificate - Nursing
Blackstone Valley Technical High School
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