Jen Lau

Experience

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  REX HOSPITAL FOUNDATION INC

  Jul 2008 - Jan 2009

  Staff Nurse, Emergency Department

  Provided nursing care for an emergency department with 31 acute care beds and 10 minor treatment beds. Performed thorough assessment of patient condition, including physical, psychosocial, family, and age-specific needs. Assessed for rapid and subtle changes in patient condition in a high-intensity unpredictable environment. Provided patient education according to the individualized needs of the patient, including patient and family instruction as well as discharge planning.

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  Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute

  Mar 2009 - Mar 2012

  Per Diem Staff Nurse

  Provided an environment of safety for an 18-bed locked acute care psychiatric unit. Acted as charge nurse to manage the unit, which included facilitating admissions and discharges, coordinating physician orders, acting as team leader to de-escalate volatile situations, and supervising restraints and seclusions. Communicated therapeutically with patients to develop coping skills, improve stress management and manage a broad spectrum of behavioral health needs.

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  Penn State Health

  Mar 2009 - now

  Direct supervision of multiple teams: Injury Prevention, Performance Improvement, Trauma Care Coordination, and Trauma Registry.Programmatic oversight and accountability for injured patients throughout the continuum of care. This includes monitoring, promoting, and evaluating all trauma related activities and clinical work associated with the trauma program.Coordination and management of injury prevention program for at-risk vulnerable populations.Analyze data to assess program performance and identify opportunities for improvement. Create reports tracking key performance indicators related to program objectives.Monitor progress against goals, adjusting plans as necessary to meet changing requirements.Compile and submit performance metrics for executive team review.Oversight of seven highly complex multi-million-dollar budgets. Development and evaluation of grants to provide community-based services to families in need.Develop strong relationships with external vendors to ensure timely delivery of materials needed for projects.Developed existing team into high productivity, results-oriented unit through creative initiatives.Ensure adherence to state and national standards and alignment in clinical work. Ultimate accountability for trauma program accreditation and regulatory requirements Show less Administrative accountability for delivery of patient care in a 16-bed Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center and Academic Medical Center, with approximately 20,000 annual visits. This PED is geographically proximate to the 70-bed Adult ED, with shared resources such as resuscitation bays, waiting spaces, and arrival area. Skilled collaboration with Division of Emergency Services to provide specialized pediatric emergency care within a larger complex ED system. Supervision of 70 nursing and ancillary team members. Development and administration of a multi-million dollar capital and operational budget. Oversight of staffing, scheduling, and payroll. Coordination of patient flow through the Emergency Department. All duties of the Nurse Manager, including: rounding to promote patient and family centered care, staff development and coaching, coordination of quality improvement initiatives, hiring and onboarding of new employees, adherence to unit regulatory requirements, development of action plans to correct deviations in clinical practice, promotion of a healthy work environment, and accountability for providing resources to optimize daily operations.Accomplishments in role:- Tier 1 Employee Engagement unit with highest ranking scores in all employee engagement surveys in role- Unit received three patient satisfaction awards - Developed departmental surge plan to maximize resources, minimize length of stay, and provide safe and effective care- Implemented post-discharge call-back program to target patient and family experience - Developed Crisis Task Force to elevate the standard of care of boarding crisis patients in the ED. Examples: creation of structured daily schedules, development of outside privilege program to improve patient morale, standardized safety searches to maximize patient and staff safety, development of interdisciplinary Team Meeting process. Show less Administrative accountability for delivery of patient care in a 29-bed Children's Surgical Services unit, ensuring safe and efficient transition of care through the perioperative process. This includes pre-operative, PACU, and post-operative care. Supervision of 35 nursing and ancillary team members. Development and administration of a multi-million dollar capital and operational budget. Oversight of staffing, scheduling, and payroll. Coordination of patient flow through the Operating Room, to the inpatient Children's Hospital, and to the adult surgical services setting. All duties of the Nurse Manager, including: rounding to promote patient and family centered care, staff development and coaching, coordination of quality improvement initiatives, hiring and onboarding of new employees, adherence to unit regulatory requirements, development of action plans to correct deviations in clinical practice, promotion of a healthy work environment, and accountability for providing resources to ensure optimal daily operations.Accomplishments in role:- Process owner and founder of the Lion’s Pledge program, which therapeutically revolutionizes IV placement in pediatric patients.- Implementation of Pet Therapy program for the first time to a surgical unit- Improved NDNQI nursing satisfaction unit scores from only 17% above benchmark to 100% above benchmark in the span of one year- Unit received two patient satisfaction awards - Developed pharmaceutical flavoring pilot to improve medication compliance among pediatric patients, which became an organization-wide initiative Show less Role model best practice as a clinical leader in an 18-bed Pediatric Hematology Oncology unit. Visible and accessible resource to ensure delivery of high quality patient care and correction of practice deviations. Leadership responsibilities including: resolution of unit issues, staff coaching and development, patient and family rounding, staffing, scheduling, and payroll.Accomplishments in role:- Developed and implemented cardiac monitoring education to transition unit to provide intermediate level of care (IMC)- Collaborated with Children’s Hospital Director and Nurse Educator to develop and implement a program for nurses from outside hospital facilities to gain pediatric skills and education.- Facilitation of Quality of Work Life (QWL) unit council- Emergency Preparedness Task Force leader- Children's Hospital Readmissions Team co-lead- Children's Hospital Peripheral IV and Extravasation Team member- Children's Hospital Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections (CLABSI) Team member- Excellence in Nursing Leadership Award nomination Show less Provided high energy, quick thinking and excellent assessment skills to care for a wide variety of patients and acuity levels, from minor treatment to intensive care, in a 55-bed emergency department and level 1 trauma center. Acted as charge nurse and triage nurse to coordinate patient placement, manage departmental flow, and prioritize care, including ambulance and trauma arrivals. Pediatric and adult trauma care. Preceptor for both new and experienced nurses.Extensive leadership role, particularly in regards to pediatrics: - Chair of Pediatric Emergency Services Committee - Critically Ill Child Conference Representative - Pediatric Trauma nursing education - Speaker at Pediatric Emergency Medicine Grand Rounds - Developed and implemented Pediatric Emergency Resource Nurse program - Developed and implemented numerous pediatric quality improvement measures - Instructor for the CEN review and numerous Pediatric Update DaysReceived awards for:- "Nurse of the Year" July 2013- Service Excellence Award October 2013 Show less

  • Program Manager, Pediatric Trauma & Injury Prevention

    Jan 2022 - now

  • Nurse Manager, Pediatric Emergency Department

    Sept 2018 - Jan 2022

  • Nurse Manager, Pediatric Surgical Services

    Nov 2015 - Sept 2018

  • Clinical Head Nurse, Pediatric Oncology

    Jun 2014 - Nov 2015

  • Staff Nurse, Emergency Department

    Mar 2009 - Jun 2014