Hannah Hempfield Thompson

Postoperative Duties
-Monitor airway, breathing, circulation, and neurological status.
-Assess and manage pain using prescribed medications and non-pharmacological interventions.
-Monitor for postoperative complications such as respiratory depression, nausea, and vomiting, bleeding from procedure sites, hemodynamic instability, and adverse anesthesia reactions
-Assess surgical dressings and operative sites.
-Monitor intake and output when indicated (total shoulder patients).
-Administer medications and IV fluids.
-Educate patients and caregivers regarding post operative activity restrictions, medication instructions, when to follow up with providers, and signs of complications.
-Complete discharge criteria assessments and documentation.
-Coordinate safe discharge home.

Circulating Nurse Responsibilities
-Advocate for patient safety throughout the procedure.
-Maintain accurate surgical documentation.
-Coordinate communication between surgical team members.
-Obtain additional supplies, implants, or equipment as needed.
-Monitor adherence to sterile technique.
-Perform sponge, needle, and instrument counts with scrub personnel.
-Assist anesthesia providers and surgeons as needed.
-Assist with patient transfer to PACU.
-Provide a detailed handoff report to PACU staff.
-Document surgical events, specimens, and implants.
-Prepare OR for the next procedure.

• Assess patient symptoms via phone calls, secure messages, or in-person walk-ins to determine acuity and appropriate level of care.
• Prioritize and manage a high volume of patient inquiries while maintaining safe, patient-centered nursing practices.
• Provide clinical advice and symptom management within the RN scope, utilizing evidence-based triage protocols and provider guidelines.
• Schedule urgent or routine appointments based on triage assessment and provider availability.
• Facilitate referrals to specialists, urgent care, or emergency services as needed.
• Accurately document all patient interactions, triage assessments, and nursing actions in the electronic medical record (EMR).
• Assist with medication refills, prior authorizations, and coordination of lab or imaging follow-ups.
• Identify high-risk patients and escalate their care to the zcare coordination, social work, or behavioral health teams when appropriate.
• Participate in quality improvement efforts, nursing protocol development, and team huddles to enhance clinical efficiency.
• Serve as a resource for patients and caregivers navigating outpatient care, community resources, and insurance requirements.

• Assisted in the successful delivery of 200+ newborns on the Labor and Delivery Unit.
• Enhanced patient trust and compliance by providing culturally tailored care.
• Utilized hospital translating services to provide effective care to non-English speaking patients to improve communication accuracy.
• Maintained vigilance over maternal and neonatal health, leading to a reduction in delivery complications.
• Used AWHONN standards to improve the quality and efficiency of care provided to mom and baby.
• Trained new nurses on best practices for patient documentation, patient and family communication, and hospital policies and procedures.
• Educated parents on breastfeeding techniques, including latching and feeding cues.
• Cared for critical maternity patients coming through the ED, and assisted with emergency c-sections.
• Instilled a culture of open communication with vulnerable patient populations to dispel fear and anxiety.
• Facilitated access to vital community resources for expecting mothers, improving prenatal care outcomes.

• -Delivered full-spectrum care from wound management to medication administration for a 1:6 nurse-patient ratio, improving patient satisfaction.
• -Administered dignified, compassionate care to terminal and elderly patients, significantly improving their comfort.
• -Turned and positioned immobile patients 3 times per day while maintaining proper body alignment to help reduce pressure injuries.
• -Performed urinary catheter insertion/removal, finger stick blood sugars, routine urine and stool specimen collection, ostomy care, emptying drainage receptacles/tubes, and bladder scans.
• -Collaborated with doctors during rotations with an empathetic approach to building patient trust and enhancing the quality of care.
• -Updated existing documentation throughout admission to improve efficiency for healthcare providers when interacting with patients.