Virginia Wharton

RN Circulator, RN Scrub Nurse, Infection Control

• Applied strong attention-to-detail when performing instrument counts before and after surgeries, reducing potential risks associated with retained foreign objects.
• Implemented evidence-based nursing interventions to optimize patient outcomes during the perioperative period.
• Provided compassionate preoperative care for patients, addressing their concerns and alleviating anxiety.
• Improved surgery efficiency with precise preparation and organization of surgical instruments and equipment.
• Mentored new OR nurses, sharing best practices and providing guidance on effective patient care strategies.
• Enhanced patient safety by meticulously following aseptic techniques and surgical protocols.
• Reduced risk of infection by maintaining a clean and organized operating room environment.
• Participated in continuous professional development opportunities to stay current with industry advancements and improve patient care quality.
• Prepped operating rooms to comply with environmental asepsis standards.
• Assisted physicians in operating room by providing necessary supplies and equipment.
• Trained new nurses in proper techniques, care standards, operational procedures, and safety protocols.
• Collected, labeled, and transported specimens and delivered to lab for testing.

• Circulated and Scrubbed all cases and specialties served at CSC.
• Participated in evidence-based practice project implementation, nursing competency development and nursing simulation activities.
• Developed strong rapport with surgeons, anesthesiologist, and other healthcare professionals to promote effective communication and collaboration within the operating room.
• Ensured proper documentation of all relevant information during each stage of the surgical process for accurate record-keeping purposes.
• Supported patients'' emotional well-being by offering compassionate care and empathetic communication throughout their surgical experience.
• Contributed to successful surgeries with efficient preparation, organization, and management of operating rooms.
• Urology Coordinator-optimized efficiency within the operating room by managing supplies inventory and maintaining appropriate stocking levels, additionally maintained all urology preference cards.
• Infection Control Nurse responsible for all tracking, investigating, and reporting of all surgical site infections.
• Central Supply coverage-responsible for generating purchase orders, ordering all supplies, stocking all supplies, and putting away freight when central supply coverage is needed.
• Maintaining the FDA Recall Log-reviewed the FDA recall reports weekly. Followed up on any supply or equipment recalls for the facility.
• Mentored and trained new staff members as Circulator and Scrub Nurses.

• Provided home health care to special needs clients including pediatric, adult, and elderly clients.
• Duties included medication administration, blood draws, specimen collection, feeding tube management, wound care, dressing changes, management of unlicensed assistive personnel and CNA's.
• Developed strong rapport with patients and families, fostering trust and open communication during challenging times.
• Educated patients and families on disease management, medication safety, and at-home healthcare strategies to promote selfcare.
• Documented patient vitals, behaviors and conditions to communicate concerns to supervising nurse.
• Contributed to the overall success of the home health agency by maintaining high levels of patient satisfaction and positive outcomes.
• Provided physical assessments, medication, and chronic disease management to home health patients.
• Identified early warning signs of patient deterioration or complications, promptly notifying physicians to adjust treatment plans accordingly.
• Determined and addresses individual home care needs by completing detailed assessments and reviewing documentation.
• Collaborated with multidisciplinary healthcare teams to implement comprehensive treatment plans, ensuring continuity of care.
• Assisted patients with activities of daily living to promote independence.
• Collaborated with vendors to procure medical equipment, supplies and services.
• Implemented effective infection control measures within the home setting, reducing risk of illness transmission among family members.

• Obtained complete health and medication histories.
• Managed flow of patients through the clinic.
• Assisted in all in office procedures which included joint injections, baclofen pump refills, deep brain stimulator programming, and accessing cerebral shunts.
• Assisted in all home visits and home procedures.
• Completed all post operative wound checks, suture or staple removals, dressing changes and completed all documentation.
• Did all phone triage of patients.
• Worked with all providers on medication refills.
• Ran all pharmacy checks for pain contract patients.
• Assisted in setting up and training Riverton OR staff for Dr. Karen Nelson's outreach pain clinic.
• Traveled with providers to outreach clinic.
• Worked with surgery schedulers to ensure patients received correct tests, labs, imaging, and surgical procedures.
• Provided all staff education and check offs.
• Reviewed and updated all clinic policies and procedures as needed.
• Maintained all supply and medication inventory and did all ordering of supplies and medications for clinic.

• Areas worked as RN, Medical, Telemetry, Operating Room
• Performed all nursing duties and requirements of each nursing specialty area.
• Performed charge nurse duties on the Medical and Telemetry units.
• Precepted and mentored new and travel staff in all specialty nursing worked.
• Circulator in all Surgical Specialties, Circulator for Heart Room.
• Second Scrub Nurse in Heart Room, Orthopedics, and Neurosurgery.

• Optimized clinic efficiency by managing patient schedules and coordinating with technicians on machine setup and maintenance.
• Contributed to quality improvement initiatives by identifying areas for improvement in processes or procedures related to hemodialysis care delivery.
• Streamlined communication between the dialysis team, ensuring timely updates on patient progress and changes in treatment plans.
• Conducted comprehensive patient assessments before, during, and after treatments to monitor for potential complications or changes in condition.
• Assessed and Accessed Dialysis Catheters and Shunts.
• Initiated, monitored dialysis treatment, and ended Dialysis treatments.
• Coordinated and worked with Nephrologists and other multidisciplinary team members to provide comprehensive care and education to Renal Failure patients.