RN Practitioner Expert Witness

Expert Witness No.1740

Education

University Of Texas Medical Branch

Post Master’s Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, 2004

Sigma Theta Tau
Good Samaritan Scholarship
Ph.D Nursing Scholarship

University of Phoenix

Master of Science in Nursing, 2000

Bachelor of Science in Nursing, 1999
Recipient of AACN Scholarship

William Buchanan School Of Nursing

Associate Degree in Nursing, 1986

Who's Who in American Junior Colleges, President's List
Recipient of the Medical Arts Hospital Auxiliary Scholarship

Texarkana College
1979-81, RTV, Speech
Phi Theta Kappa
Delta Psi Omega
President's List

Experience

Christus Hospital – St. Elizabeth, Beaumont, TX
Nurse Practitioner and Director of Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP), July 2006-Present –In-house comprehensive geriatric assessment consultations, HELP designed for prevention of delirium in hospitalized elders, assign protocols and make treatment recommendations.

Dr. William George, Beaumont, Tx
Nurse Practitioner, Sep 2005-Oct 2006- Assess, diagnose, and treat Geriatric patients in Long Term Care facilities.  Oversight and coordination of the patient’s plan of care.

Lamar University, Beaumont, TX
Nursing Faculty, July-Dec 2005- Coordinate and direct student nursing clinical experiences/education, conduct lectures on critical care, preceptorship, and advanced pathophysiology.

Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Matthews & Friend, Houston, Tx
Legal Nurse Consultant, Feb 2004-Oct 2005
Served as Consulting and Testifying Expert Witness for medical malpractice case, performed literaturereview and interrogatory development.
                 
University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
Nurse Practitioner, 2004-2005
Case managed, coordinated, and directed care of all patients in Housecalls program, which included assessment, treatment, and diagnosis.

Clinical Instructor, 2003-2004
Coordinated and directed student nursing clinical experiences/education, provided skills lab instruction, lectured, conducted online instruction, and course coordinated older adult class.                       

Brazosport Memorial Hospital, Lake Jackson, TX
Clinical Practice Specialist, 2002-2003  
Developed nursing educationalprograms, served as project leader for Interdisciplinary Practice team and developed and implemented clinical work improvement plans, served as consultant to nursing staff

Lovelace Medical Center, Albuquerque, NM (1992-2002)
Clinical Process Improvement Manager, 2000-2002
Managed all disease management programs, oversaw all clinical process improvement activities for regulatory and accrediting bodies in an integrated healthcare system, delegated related duties, participated in statewide disease management initiatives and committees.

Telephone Triage RN (PRN), 2000
Managed patients through the use of triage, assessment, and nursing care for clinics both in Family Practice and Cardiology (includes patient education)  Also responsible for Nurse Clinic patients.

Nurse Educator, 1999-2000 
Managed the redesign and implementation of new orientation program, taught and developed classes as needed, developed self learning modules and educational plans, provided educational support for the Cardiac Cath Lab, Electro-physiology Lab, and Interventional Radiology, served as Clinical Educational support for Radiology, participated in Trauma Roo, a research based educational program in the elementary school community, also served as CTC Coordinator for ACLS, CPR and ACLS Instructor, and Safe Sitter Instructor.

Committees: Chair of Orientation Redesign Team, Co-Chair of Nursing Orientation Implementation Team, Conscious Sedation, Educational consultant for Patient Care and Treatment, Code Blue, Educational consultant for Professional Practice Forum and NPAP.

Nursing Skills Instructor, 1997-1999 
Managed Nursing Orientation, served as ACLS coordinator  for Community Training Center for American Heart Association and taught and developed classes as needed.

Staff R.N, Cardiac Cath Lab, May 1992-July 1997 
Served as stand-in manager and preceptor, performed educational development for department 50% of time worked, served as departmental QA Chairperson, first nurse to present a process improvement project to Senior Operating committee, assisted with the development of Policies and Procedures, utilized Phillips X-ray equipment, Mennen monitoring system, and the Jamieson Daylight Processor, performed hemodynamic monitoring, scrubbing, and circulating for heart caths, angioplasties, electrophysiology studies, heart biopsies, atherectomies, valvuloplasties, stents, rotational atherectomies, intra-aortic balloon placement, and temporary and permanent pacemakers, conducted inservices as needed for new procedures both intra-and inter-departmentally, was site coordinator for ATLAST clinical trial, developed educational program for ATLAST trial for unit, staff, and patients, and ssisted in enrollment and maintenance of other trials.

Honors:   AACN Bedside Nurse of the Year 1996
           
St. Joseph Medical Center, Albuquerque, NM
Staff R N, Cardiac Cath Lab, October 1991-May 1992
Established QA program, Policy and Procedures for department, utilized Phillips Bi-plane X-ray unit, Mennen monitoring system, and Zoll external pacer; developed film with Cinerex CPI Processor, Medrad injector, and balloon-pump set-up for the Aries unit; performed hemodynamic monitoring, scrubbing, and circulating for heart caths, PTCAs, heart biopsies, IAB placement, and temporary and permanent pacers. 

Good Shepherd Medical Center, Longview, TX.
Staff R N, October 1988-October 1991
Served ascrub for left and right heart caths, AS/MS, PTCA procedures and IAB placement, circulated and assisted with heart biopsies, gained knowledge of both femoral and brachial approaches, became experienced in sheath removal  (clamp or manual), circulated valve areas, recovered post-cath patients, established QA program for out-patient follow-up, and developed departmental QA program.

Committees: Nurse Recruitment and Retention, Patient Education, and Hematoma Task Force

Emergency Department RN (Charge trainee), Level II Trauma Center, July 1988-October 1988
Responsible for the triage, assessment, and treatment of ER patients; also trained in the care of patients potentially exposed to radiation (Eastman Kodak).
                 
St. Michael Hospital, Texarkana, TX.
Rotating Charge Nurse, May 1986-July 1988
Responsible sixteen bed MICU, coordinated front and back units, made nursing assignments, bed assignments, on Code Team, Nurse Preceptor, Clinical Ladder III, cared for the AMI patients, Ventilator patients, and Post PTCA patients, assisted with organ retrieval. Cross-trained to SICU for the care of post-CABG patients, AAA, Carotid Endarterectomies. Served on the Code Blue Committee.