Valerie McCarthy
Foxborough,MA
Summary
Experienced Nurse Practitioner with over 6 years of advanced practice experience in acute care medicine and 3 years specializing in obesity medicine. Skilled in managing medically complex patients with multiple chronic conditions across inpatient and outpatient settings. Strong clinical background in acute care provides a comprehensive understanding of cardiometabolic disease, hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, heart failure, and other obesity-related complications, allowing for safe, evidence-based management of high-risk patients. Experienced in developing individualized treatment plans that integrate lifestyle intervention, pharmacologic management, chronic disease prevention, and longitudinal patient support. Recognized for collaborative interdisciplinary care, patient education, and a compassionate approach focused on improving long-term health outcomes, quality of life, and sustainable weight management for patients with complex medical needs.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Certified Nurse Practitioner
Massachusetts General Hospital-MGH Weight Center
09.2023 - Current
Certified Nurse Practitioner
Massachusetts General Hospital- Hospital Medicine Unit
05.2020 - Current
- Providing direct inpatient care for general medicine and subspecialty patients
- Performing patient admissions, daily assessments, and discharge planning
- Obtaining detailed medical histories and conducting physical examinations
- Ordering, interpreting, and evaluating laboratory and diagnostic tests
- Developing and implementing treatment and care plans
- Managing acute and chronic medical conditions in hospitalized patients
- Writing admission notes, progress notes, discharge summaries, and procedure documentation
- Performing bedside procedures when credentialed
- Prescribing medications and treatments according to hospital protocols
- Collaborating closely with attending hospitalists, consulting teams, nurses, pharmacists, case managers, and other interdisciplinary staff
- Participating in cross-coverage models for inpatient services
- Counseling and educating patients and families about diagnoses, treatments, and discharge instructions
- Monitoring patient progress and adjusting management plans as needed
- Participating in quality improvement, safety initiatives, and care coordination activities
- Supporting continuity of care and efficient resource utilization
- Assisting with transitions of care and post-discharge follow-up planning
- Participating in rounds and interdisciplinary care meetings
Simulation Instructor
MGH Institute of Health Professions
Boston, MA
01.2017 - Current
- Design, develop, and facilitate high-fidelity nursing simulation experiences
- Create simulation scenarios aligned with course objectives and clinical competencies
- Operate and integrate simulation technologies, mannequins, EMR systems, and audiovisual tools
- Lead pre-briefing, simulation facilitation, and post-simulation debriefing sessions
- Evaluate student clinical reasoning, communication, teamwork, and technical skills
- Provide formative and summative feedback to nursing students
- Collaborate with course faculty to align simulations with curriculum standards and accreditation requirements
- Maintain psychological safety and supportive learning environments during simulations
- Assess learner performance using competency-based evaluation methods
- Participate in curriculum development and instructional design activities
- Ensure simulation labs comply with safety, infection control, and operational standards
- Mentor students in evidence-based practice and patient-centered care
- Support interprofessional education and collaborative simulation activities
- Assist with simulation program quality improvement and outcome evaluation
- Participate in faculty meetings, scholarship, and professional development activities
Clinical Education/Role Immersion
MGH Institute of Health Professions
Boston, MA
01.2015 - Current
- Leader and clinical mentor site instructors
- Oversee clinical component of course
- Support students in the Immersion process
- Guide site clinicians in mentoring and engaging students in online discussion of course work
Advance Clinician, Staff Nurse, Resource Nurse and Preceptor
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA
01.2007 - Current
- Treat and manage complex medical patients
- Manage patients' pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions, monitoring patients' responses, and changing care plans accordingly.
- Document data related to patients' care including assessment results, interventions, medications, patient responses, or treatment changes.
- Diagnose acute or chronic conditions that could result in rapid physiological deterioration or life-threatening instability.
- Administer blood and blood product transfusions or intravenous infusions, monitoring patients for adverse reactions.
- Collaboration and coordination of patient care; wound care, phlebotomy and unit resource nurse.
- Resource nurse, lead and support staff: determining patient care assignments, delegation of assistive resources and troubleshooting staffing and patient concerns.
- Preceptor to new hire nurses formal instruction by overseeing the care of the patients
Staff nurse
Massachusetts General Hospital
06.2007 - 03.2020
- Provide direct, evidence-based patient care in inpatient or outpatient clinical settings
- Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate individualized patient care plans
- Perform comprehensive nursing assessments and ongoing patient monitoring
- Administer medications, treatments, and intravenous therapies safely and accurately
- Monitor patient responses to interventions and communicate changes in condition promptly
- Collaborate with physicians, APPs, therapists, pharmacists, and interdisciplinary care teams
- Educate patients and families regarding diagnoses, treatments, medications, and discharge planning
- Maintain accurate and timely electronic medical record (EMR) documentation
- Adhere to hospital policies, infection prevention standards, and patient safety protocols
- Respond to urgent and emergent clinical situations using critical thinking and clinical judgment
- Participate in bedside shift reports, multidisciplinary rounds, and care coordination activities
- Advocate for patient safety, comfort, dignity, and quality of care
- Utilize evidence-based practice and clinical standards to improve patient outcomes
- Delegate and supervise care provided by nursing assistants and support staff when appropriate
- Support patient transitions of care, including admissions, transfers, and discharges
- Participate in quality improvement, continuing education, and professional development initiatives
- Maintain compliance with regulatory, accreditation, and licensure requirements
- Precept and mentor new nurses, students, or orienting staff as assigned
Nursing Faculty
Roxbury Community College
Roxbury, MA
01.2017 - 04.2018
- Classroom Educator
- Prepare and Deliver Lectures
- Strengthen the nursing workforce through education and mentoring
- Provide leadership and guidance necessary for a sound educational experience
Clinical Instructor
MGH Institute of Health Professions
Boston, MA
01.2014 - 01.2018
- Supervise nursing students during clinical rotations in healthcare settings
- Ensure students provide safe, ethical, and evidence-based patient care
- Evaluate student clinical performance, professionalism, and competency attainment
- Serve as liaison between academic faculty and clinical site staff
- Guide students in applying classroom knowledge to real patient care situations
- Monitor adherence to hospital policies, HIPAA, infection control, and regulatory standards
- Provide real-time coaching, teaching, and corrective feedback
- Facilitate clinical post-conference discussions and reflective learning
- Review and validate clinical documentation and assignments
- Support development of clinical judgment, prioritization, and communication skills
- Address student learning needs, performance concerns, and remediation plans
- Coordinate clinical learning experiences with unit leadership and preceptors
- Maintain accurate student evaluations and compliance records
- Promote professional behavior, accountability, and patient advocacy
- Participate in student competency assessments and progression decisions
Clinical Instructor
Curry College
Milton, MA
01.2015 - 01.2016
- Supervise students' laboratory and clinical work
- Evaluate and grade students' laboratory and clinic work assignments, and presentations.
- Plan, evaluate, and write curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction
- Prepare and deliver fundamental lab instruction to undergraduate students on topics such as pharmacology, and care of hospitalized patient
Education
Masters of Science - Nursing, Nurse Practitioner
Regis College
Wellesley, MA05-2019
Masters of Science - Nursing, Education Concentration
Framingham State University
Framingham, MA05-2017
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Curry College
Milton, MA05-2007
Bachelor of Science - Criminal Justice, Minor in Politics and History
Curry College
Milton, MA05-2004
Skills
- Interprofessional collaboration
- Infectious disease management
- Acute care management
- Immunization administration
- Health promotion
- Quality improvement
- Diagnostic reasoning
- Ethical practice
- Palliative care
- Self-management
- Legal compliance
- Research utilization
- Chronic disease management
- Psychiatric care
- Advanced pharmacology
- Cardiology care
- Clinical decision making
- Emergency medicine
- Gastroenterology care
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Problem-solving
- Attention to detail
- Multitasking
Affiliations
- PHI KAPPA PHI, Honors Society of Higher Education 2017
- Sigma Theta Tau Rho Phi Chapter 2017
- MARLIN-Massachusetts Rhode Island League for Nursing 2015
Certification
- Certified Nurse Practitioner, Adult Gerontology, AANP Present
- Registered Nurse
- Basic Cardiac Life Support (BLS)- American Heart Association Present
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)-American Heart Association Present
Timeline
Certified Nurse Practitioner
Massachusetts General Hospital-MGH Weight Center
09.2023 - Current
Certified Nurse Practitioner
Massachusetts General Hospital- Hospital Medicine Unit
05.2020 - Current
Simulation Instructor
MGH Institute of Health Professions
01.2017 - Current
Nursing Faculty
Roxbury Community College
01.2017 - 04.2018
Clinical Education/Role Immersion
MGH Institute of Health Professions
01.2015 - Current
Clinical Instructor
Curry College
01.2015 - 01.2016
Clinical Instructor
MGH Institute of Health Professions
01.2014 - 01.2018
Staff nurse
Massachusetts General Hospital
06.2007 - 03.2020
Advance Clinician, Staff Nurse, Resource Nurse and Preceptor
Massachusetts General Hospital
01.2007 - Current
Masters of Science - Nursing, Education Concentration
Framingham State University
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
Curry College
Bachelor of Science - Criminal Justice, Minor in Politics and History
Curry College
Masters of Science - Nursing, Nurse Practitioner
Regis College
Honors
Magna Cum Laude 2007, Dean’s List 2007
Presentations
- Introduction to Weight Center. Live Seminar Series (Quarterly Public Seminars), 2024–Present.
- McCarthy, V. Simulation 26th Annual Conference for Nurse Educators Cape Code 2018
- McCarthy, V. Osmosis, Framingham State University
- McCarthy, V. Carpel Tunnel, Framingham State University 2016
- McCarthy, V. Ethical Concerns of Recruiting Foreign Nurses 2016
- McCarthy, V. Magnet Recognition, Framingham State University 2016
- McCarthy, V. Health Policy H.R 933 Head Start on Vaccine Act 2016
- McCarthy, V. American Nurses Association, Framingham State University 2016
- McCarthy, V. Learning Disabilities, Framingham State University 2016
- McCarthy, V. Curriculum Analysis, Framingham State University 2015
- McCarthy, V. SoapBox, Framingham State University 2015
- McCarthy, V. Simulation in Nurse Orientation, Framingham State University 2015
- McCarthy, V. Resource Nurse Orientation. Massachusetts General Hospital 2015
- McCarthy, V. Patient Health Literacy, Massachusetts General Hospital 2014
- McCarthy, V. Night Rounding, Massachusetts General Hospital 2014
- McCarthy, V. Transitioning Care at the Bedside. San Francisco California 2008
Hospital Committee
- Epic Super User 2015
- Patient Education Committee 2014-2015
- Staff Nurse Advisory 2010-2012
Activities
White 10 Unit-Based Council 2013
Continuing Education
- Marlin Oermann, Fall Conference-best practices in clinical teaching 2015
- Framingham State University Simulation 2015
- Why Can’t They Just Stop? Understanding Substance Use Treatment Strategies 2015
- Addiction Nurse Certification Course 2015
- Pain Management 2015
- Pressure Ulcer Assessment 2013
- Complex Issues in Heart and Vascular and Stroke Patients 2013
- Cancer-Related Medical Emergencies 2013
- Oncology Symposium for Nurses 2013
Research
- Technology as a Teaching Methodology: An Integrative Review Framingham State Research Project 2017
- Participant, Massachusetts General Hospital study of safe handoff, IPASS 2014
- Participant, Transforming Care at the Bedside, Institute Healthcare Improvement 2008
Mentoring
- Preceptor for Institute of Health Professionals Student 2014
- Preceptor for New Graduate Nurse, Massachusetts General Hospital 2010
- Preceptor for Curry College Student 2009