Licensed Vocational Nurse Expert Witness

Expert Witness No. 269

California

Experience

3/2010-6/2010
Sharps Rees Stealy Urgent Care Clinic
Licensed Vocational Nurse

• Clinical nursing duties carried out in the urgent care setting entailed triage assessments, vitals signs, recording patient information in legal files using med links and centricity. Customer service was used as part of the nursing process. Routine interventions done were specimen collections of blood and IV administration, clean urine catch, nasal and throat cultures, orthostatic, preparing patient’s for exam based on visit, and confirming providers orders for lab and x-ray processing via computer input. Adhered to infection control policies of hazard waste materials and disposal, and narcotic controlled substance management protocol.
• Clinic flow of patients was established by anticipating provider’s needs to expedite patient visit thru supplying department lab testing procedures such as rapid strep throat, glucose meter reading, urine hcg, hemoccult, and urine dip stick testing. Knowledge of miscellaneous procedures included HEENT, ortho, and catheterization care. Other medical skills used for this process were wound dressing application techniques involved burns, bulky and pressure dressing, tube gauze, routine surface and steri strip dressing.
• Assisted MD in medical procedures as needed such as pediatrics, and emergency procedures of unstable patients using crash cart code blue management, ECG’s and transport thru EMS. Patient discharge would include patient teaching, medication administration, and providing work or school notes. Served as one of the primary
• Spanish to English translators for the urgent care medical staff and receptionist involving health and co payments issues. Followed all closing and opening clinic procedures regarding supply, and equipment function.

2/2010-5/2010
La Vida Del Mar Assisted Living
Licensed Vocational Nurse

• Employment tasks consisted of delivering prescribed and PRN medication’s, ensured the 6 medication “Rights” were executed when preparing, or dispensing medications and treatments, and responsible for medication outcome. Patient assessments ranged from wound care, breathing treatment, and catheter care.
• Ensured that proper documentation met facility standards in the areas of patient’s pharmaceutical shipments, and receiving physician’s orders dictating medication changes or discontinuing there of; refills and with holding of medications as indicated. Was in charge of up dating patient records of all medicines given, refused by patients, or not given.
• Conducted continuous by facility policy monitoring of new patient arrivals and of returning patients from hospital setting, and any new medication and treatments received by them. Cared for critical patients pending hospital transport, and rendered services to hospice patients before and during time of death.
• Supervised and assigned tasks to care givers, and generated incident reports in multiple legal documents. Monitored and prompted safety measures to mental health patients reassuring all customer service care was consistent at all levels, and that facility rules and Hippa regulations were not violated.

United States Army 2005-2009
Licensed Vocational Nurse

• Provided a broad range of general nursing care services in the areas of the I.C.U., P.A.C.U., E.R., med surge including isolation and ambulation wards, ob/gyn. Dept., and out patient clinic. Worked as part of a health care team as a shift leader and none supervisor position in assessing patient needs, planning and modifying care, and implementation interventions.
• Responsibilities in scope of practice was to function based under the physician’s or RN’s medical skill and education training, and employing prior experience gained thru other medical officers. Acting prudently and critical when prioritizing, patient managing, multitasking, and maintaining patient clinic flow on a timely matter. Working and adapting independently, and in a team work setting under a continuous changing patient environment while caring for up to five or six patients per hospital and chain of command policy.
• Routine patient care task entailed physical assessments, patient triaging, collecting patient’s medical history, charting documentation per facility policy in compliance with HIPPA regulations, and giving treatment based on both  verbal and documented physician orders, and using  the patient’s medical chart history as reference.

United States Army 2003-2004
Army Medic/LVN

• Initiated airway intubations with combitubes, King LT, ET tubes with laryngoscope, spinal immobilization, patient extrication, and breathing treatments. Incorporated first aide, traction splints, and bleeding control.
• Performed needle chest decompression, cardiac tamponade centesis, chest tubes, and cricothyroidotomy. Tracheostomy care and suctioning, patient home health care and assisted living to military dependants and retiree’s, specimen collections of blood, urine and sputum for routine laboratory testing.
• Administered IV’s peripherally, intra osseous infusion via sternum and tibia, jugular vein, thru invasive procedures such as an IV cut down, and blood transfusion. Initiated saline locks and administered medication via I.V. bolus. Conducted CPR, ACLS, PALS, NRP and PHTLS procedures. Care performed for feeding tubes with ng-tubes, g-tubes, female and male folly catheters, and assisted with patient ventilator care.

Relevant Skills/Experience

• Assisted and independently performed surgical suturing procedures techniques using simple interrupted, vertical and horizontal mattress, continuous everting and interlocking stitching. Subdermal interrupted suturing, subcuticular or (intradermal) sutures, figure eight suturing techniques, staple insertion and removal.
• Wound care, moist saline and sterile dressing changing procedures, pressure ulcer prevention and treatment.  Patient bed side care at a certified nurse assistant (C.N.A.) level with basic daily activities of living, routine r.o.m. exercising, and measuring i/o’s.  Assessed and recorded patient’s vital signs, height and weight. Insulin administration for specific diabetes patients, and knowledge of other disease process.
• General medication administration, phlebotomy procedures, immunizations, general and focused medical history assessment, bladder scans, and I.V delivery by automated pump with medication administration and pump trouble shooting. Was questioning and serious when identifying potential harm to patient’s and staff.
• Treating and caring for psychiatric and behavior patients in the area of suicide, depression, memory loss, aggressive behaviors, paranoia and schizophrenia. Attending patients during their rehabilitation in the hospital and home setting, and keeping a flawless record of their progress report.
• OB/GYN pre to post care delivery, setting up ECG’s, report any changes in patient’s health, and chart newborn assessments. Orthostats, glucose meter reading, patient administration registration and patient teaching prior to discharge. Assisted in pediatric care with immunizations, documenting medical history, vitals, height and weight, ambulation, and blood work.

Education

2009
Academy of Health Sciences, Fort Sam Houston, TX
Diploma: Health Care Specialist Course

2005
Barstow Community College, Barstow, CA
Associate of Science in Allied Health
Associate of Science in Natural Science/Math

Licenses/Certifications

Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN)
Emergency Medical Technician-1 (EMT)
National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT)
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
I.V./Blood drawl certification

Reference

Available upon request.