Annie Vaiskunas

Experience

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  Catholic Health Initiatives

  May 2006 - May 2015

  Team Coordinator- RN

  Nursing staff had to juggle pre-operative and postoperative care and conscious sedation dressing changes that could take hours to complete for critically ill patients. This molded my skills in multitasking, prioritization and time management from the beginning of my career. After two years of working as a floor nurse I was promoted to charge nurse for the unit. I led the 16 bed ICU by making unit staff schedules, and daily assignments based off patient acuity and census. I mentored new and seasoned nurses on nursing skills, hospital policies, navigating difficult situations and conflict resolution between patients, families and fellow staff members. I collaborated with the house supervisor and charge nurses throughout the hospital for staffing requirements to meet the patients’ needs and safety in all units. I created intra-abdominal pressure monitoring training materials and a policy that the hospital adopted and applied as the standard of practice in monitoring ICU patients. I completed an emerging leaders program that expanded and grew my leadership skills. I was the chair member for the quality practice council that evaluated and created changes in our unit and throughout the hospital to improve processes, workflows and patient safety. One of them being a face-to-face hand off for all IV lines, and patient pain management for dressing changes. Leading the the hospital skin team resulted in a decrease in our hospital acquired pressure sores. My involvement in hospital committees and process improvement projects increased patient safety and outcomes. Show less

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  UCHealth

  May 2015 - Jul 2016

  Registered Nurse

  I floated between Cardiac, Cardiothoracic, Medical, Burn, Surgical Trauma, and Neuro Intensive Care Units. I maintained excellent communication with all floor staff members in a constantly changing environment. I kept a calm demeanor in critical situations with clear communication and quick decision-making during life-saving situations.

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  Integrated Life Choices

  Nov 2015 - now

  • Nursing Coordinator

    Mar 2018 - now

  • Certified QMAP Instructor, supervisor of medical deparment, RN BSN

    Nov 2015 - now
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  Littleton Adventist Hospital

  Jul 2016 - Aug 2020

  GI RN

  Charge nurse managing the flow of an average 20+ scheduled outpatient, hospital inpatient, or emergent procedures per day. Trained staff and collaborated with multiple departments and physicians to meet the needs of the inpatients and outpatients at our hospital. Assisted physicians before, during, and after procedures. Started in ICU for 6 months and after our Epic go-live, transferred to GI lab. Epic superuser who taught others the new system and how to navigate the new workflows.