Paula Pinksen

• Utilized critical thinking skills to prioritize nursing interventions based on patients'' acuity levels and individual needs.
• Prevented the spread of infections by consistently adhering to strict infection control protocols and educating patients on proper hygiene practices.
• Administered medications safely according to established guidelines while closely monitoring for side effects or adverse reactions requiring intervention.
• Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to develop comprehensive treatment plans for complex patients with multiple comorbidities.
• Improved patient outcomes by implementing evidence-based nursing interventions and individualized care plans.
• Conducted thorough patient assessments to identify changes in condition, promptly notifying physicians and initiating appropriate interventions when necessary.
• Enhanced patient satisfaction by providing compassionate, holistic nursing care that addressed physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
• Provided support for patients'' families during difficult medical decisions or end-of-life care, serving as a liaison between the healthcare team and loved ones.
• Skillfully managed challenging patient situations using de-escalation techniques, crisis intervention strategies, and therapeutic communication skills.
• Advised patients and caregivers of proper wound management, discharge plan objectives, safe medication use, and disease management.
• Assisted in the training and mentorship of new nursing staff members, contributing to a positive work environment and high-quality patient care.
• Facilitated patient transitions between different levels of care, ensuring continuity of services and minimizing disruptions in treatment plans.
• Participated in ongoing professional development opportunities to stay current on best practices in nursing care and emerging trends in healthcare delivery. I have often been one of the first to embrace new technology in the workplace. I keep my certifications current and often have my continuing education credits for licensure completed months before the deadline.
• Contributed to interdisciplinary team meetings by presenting relevant clinical data about patients'' progress toward reaching established goals of care during weekly rounds and as needed on a daily basis.
• Served as a preceptor for nursing students during their clinical rotations, providing valuable real-world experience and guidance to foster professional growth.
• Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to develop comprehensive care plans for complex cases. Typically includes Social Work, Physiotherapy, End-of-Life team, Dietician, physician, clergy and Client care facilitator.
• Documented treatments delivered, medications and IVs administered, discharge instructions, and follow-up care. I have been complemented on my documentation and I feel it's usually thorough. Someone once told me that when reading my nursing notes they felt like they were in the care area with me. They could picture exactly what had happened.
• Evaluated patient histories, complaints, and current symptoms. I have worked in the emergency care setting a lot over the past 20 years. It's a great place to hone your assessment skills.
• Educated family members and caregivers on patient care instructions.
• Performed triage on incoming patients and determined severity of injuries and illnesses. I have maintained a CTAS certification since it was initially introduced in Central Health.
• Provide nursing care to patients across all age groups in the emergency room, Acute Care and Long Term Care settings. I also worked in Labour and Delivery/Obstetrics for the first 14 years of my career.
• Prioritize patient advocacy role and encourage co-workers to do the same.
• Charge Nurse duties after hours and weekends to include replacing staffing in all departments as needed, coordinating staff assignments, patient assignments, providing support to other staff, dealing with unexpected issues that may arise that could include the on-call doctor getting sick, water leaks, aggressive patient or visitor, systems failures such as power outages and loss of communications systems.
• I have worked with the team approach to nursing care as well as primary model of nursing.

• Assisted physician during delivery, examination and surgical procedures by anticipating needs, encouraging patient, and attending to baby after birth.
• Aided with induction of labor for women suffering from complications such as preeclampsia.
• Supported physicians in both planned and emergency Cesarean section procedures. Circulated for C-sections.
• Responded to emergency situations such as pre-eclampsia, premature labour, and fetal distress.
• Coached new mothers with breastfeeding techniques, postpartum self-care and infant care to promote easier transition into motherhood.
• Assisted obstetricians and midwives with deliveries and cared for newborns directly after birth.
• Educated expectant mothers on available pain management options during the birthing process while respecting individual preferences.

• Assisted physician during delivery, examination and surgical procedures by anticipating needs, encouraging patient, and attending to baby after birth.
• Supported physicians in both planned and emergency Cesarean section procedures.
• Responded to emergency situations such as pre-eclampsia, early labor, and fetal distress.
• Coached new mothers with breastfeeding techniques, postpartum self-care and infant care to promote easier transition into motherhood.
• Assessed infant health directly after birth using APGAR and monitored health for specified amount of time for any changes in status.
• Assisted obstetricians and midwives with deliveries and cared for newborns and mothers directly after birth.
• Reduced complications during childbirth by closely monitoring patients and providing timely interventions.
• Increased patient satisfaction by providing compassionate, individualized care throughout the labor and delivery process.
• Worked closely with doctors and midwives in coaching pregnant women through childbirth and post-natal recovery.
• Advocated for patient autonomy by involving them in decision-making processes regarding their birth plan.
• Provided emotional support and guidance to new mothers and families during labor, delivery and postpartum.

Providing care for child bearing women and they're families to include antinatal and labour and delivery care. Some postpartum and nursery care.

Circulated for c-sections, tubal ligations, D&C

Provided care for high risk pregnancies

Worked in collaboration with GP, Obstetricians, RT, other nurses, anesthesiologists, neonatologist, pediatricians, midwives, dulas, scrub techs.

Charge nurse duties including patient assignments/reassignment as care needs changed, attending each birth as extra help for neonatal care, helping resolve any issues that arouse.

Attained my NCC national certification for Inpatient Obstetrical Nursing during this time as well as national certification in Electronic fetal monitoring.

This was a busy unit with a birth rate of 150 to 200 births per month while I was employed there. I cared for placental abruptions, uterine ruptures, eclampsia, postpartum hemmoriage, fetal loss and more.

This was a travel position and I worked in 4 different facilities during this time. All were labor and delivery positions with some newborn and postpartum care.

Duties similar to my other L&D jobs.

This was my first travel staffing company. I didn't renew with them as there were issues with pay consistency and communications. When this assignment ended I switched to Cross Country Staffing.

This assignment was in York, PA in a high risk referral center for Labour and Delivery. They averaged 250 to 300 births per month. It was the first time I had worked with computer charting and centralized fetal monitoring. In my role here there was the usual list of disciplines you work with in L&D plus a perinatalogist had his clinic down the hall. I cared for a wider variety of clients here with high risk, complicated pregnancies than anywhere else. It was a great learning experience.

The Unit manager told me at the end of my assignment that I was the first travel nurse they had hired and was very pleased with the outcome.

Provided patient care OB patients through the antinatal, perinatal, post partum and newborn care plus pre and post op care of Gyne patients. I provided neonatal care in the OR for c-sections. Helped out in Emerg, medicine and ICU when patient numbers on OB was down. I delivered many, many babies during this time. I learned to monitor a labouring patient and identify early signs of complications,provide emergency care and communicate patient condition to the physician. I helped mentor nursing students, new nurses and medical students in Obstetrical care.

Providing general nursing care to Pediatrics, Medical, surgical, geriatric and obstetrical patients. I had many great role models in this time who instilled in me the importance of quality basic care.

This was my first job. The nurses I worked with in this facility came from the cottage hospital era and were very comfortable functioning independently. They were pivotal in instilling those same qualities in me. My job included providing nursing care to child bearing women, newborns and gyne care to women of all ages. Nurses in this unit provided much of the care throughout the labor process. The doctor didn't want to be called until the baby was crowning or there were complications that required his/her care before that. It was a great place to learn to be independent in your practice while having the back-up of many very experienced nurses and doctors.