• Lead health services team in assisting 430 people with disabilities to achieve their healthcare dreams.
• Maintain collaborative relationships with other health care providers, staff, community, families/guardians,  consultants, and people supported. 
• Assist teams to 'think outside the box' to maintain and enhance financial responsibility
• Maintain integrity through open, honest communication and actions,  keeping people's rights and safety the top priority.
• Empower people to reach above and beyond forging for excellence in services provided.

Director of Nursing - Long Term Care 

• Led day-to-day activities of 59 bed skilled nursing home with specialized Alzheimer's Unit
• Enhanced quality of life for staff and residents by developing and empowering teams to design systems that worked specifically for this nursing home
• Improved Quality of Life by reducing pressure ulcer rate 
• Developed functional individualized care plan system with assistance of team - implemented Audit checks for nurses - very well accepted
• Interviewed, hired and empowered direct care givers wanting to make a difference
• Encouraged input from all departments at daily morning huddles
• Assisted team members to put the 'entire picture' together regarding individual residents - resulted in open collaboration and increased desire to provide resident centered care
• Kept open communication with SD Department of Health Survey Team using results of survey as driving tool towards quality improvement projects
• Maintained open door policy for staff, residents and families.
• Developed and delivered Certified Nursing Assistant Training and Certification Program

• Led day-to-day activities of 52 bed skilled nursing home, assisted living, and Alzheimer's/Memory Care unit
• Enhanced quality of life for staff and residents by developing and empowering teams to design systems that worked specifically for this nursing home
• Decreased fall rate with assistance of team - Developed graphs in excel for team to use - Graphs posted in report room for all to see
• Developed functional individualized care plan system with assistance of team - implemented Audit checks for nurses - very well accepted
• Heightened staff's awareness of behaviors and potential interventions
• Assisted team to realize importance of functional maintenance program
• Interviewed, hired and empowered direct care givers wanting to make a difference
• Collaborated with Restorative Therapist and team in designing restorative program    
• Seen the need to provide restorative training to locked alzheimer's unit staff members  - Assisted with training and system design - Recommended QI team use this for their PI Project and storyboard development - they won a Sioux Valley Quality Improvement Award!
• Encouraged Restorative Coordinator Position (position opened and filled within the following 6 months)
• Moved to 'plan of action' versus verbal statistical reports at PI meetings
• Established team to begin bowel and bladder program
• Established team to begin Feeding Assistance Program
• Tightened up Walk to Dine program with great acceptance from staff
• Encouraged 1:1 visits with focus for residents from Activities Department and CNAs
• Encouraged input from all departments at daily morning meetings
• Assisted team members to put the 'entire picture' together regarding individual residents - resulted in open collaboration and increased desire to provide resident centered care

• Developed and provided unique learning opportunities for staff in nursing homes and assisted living centers
• Provided on-site 'mock surveys', recomendations, technical assistance and education in Quality Imporvement to nursing homes across South Dakota and Nebraska.
• Created, designed and led quarterly Director of Nursing learning and sharing meetings in Nebraska with main focus MDS and Quality Improvement across clinical areas. (Restorative Nursing, Behaviors, Pain, ADLs, Pressure Sores) 

Director of Staff Development - Long Term Care

         http://www.southridgehealthcare.com/

• Interviewed, hired and trained nursing assistants
• Developed and implemented HEB B Immunization Protocol
• Developed and implemented TB Protocol
• Developed and implemented CNA training
• Developed and implemented General Orientation Program
• Developed and delivered all-staff education relevant to Nursing Home
• Created and assisted in delivery of CNA Skills fair
• Assisted DON in development of policy/procedures
• Assisted ADON in development of MDS process protocols
• Educated team members in Quality Improvement Process

Staff Development - Infection Control - Restorative Nursing - Quality Improvement Coordinator - Long Term Care

 http://www.good-sam.com/communities/showLocation.asp?backlink=/communities/showState.asp?StateID=43&id=31

• Empowered QI team to collect and analyze data,  identify root cause, select interventions and move forward with plan
• Assisted DON in re-design and implementation of Restorative Nursing program
• Designed and Delivered Leadership Series to Department Head Team
• Designed and Delivered Leadership Series to Charge Nurses
• Created and delivered fun, hands-on, educational programs  for all staff
• Developed and implemented General Orientation Program based on organization's Policy/Procedures
• Developed and implemented Immunization Program based on organization's Policy/Procedures
• Developed Monthly Educational CNA Newsletter
• Designed and implemented yearly staff education calendar
• Shared computer knoweldge with department heads and nurses

Charge Nurse - Long Term Care

• Delivered care within scope of practice according to protocols
• Designed individual care plans
• Empowered CNAs by sharing knowledge and leading by example
• Advocated for residents
• Maintained open lines of communciation

Certified Nursing Assistant - Long Term Care

• Delivered care within scope of practice according to protocols
• Offered support as needed
• Cared with heart
• Assisted individual residents with ADLs according to care plans
• Maintained open lines of communication 

Activities Assistant - Long Term Care

• Led group activities with residents as planned by supervisor
• Cared with heart
• Shared sparkles with residents
• Empowered residents with encouragement
• Provided individualized 1:1 activities per schedule
• Began to develop an undying passion for creating sparkles in the lives of residents living in nursing homes

Conservation District Manager

• Assisted county farmers in planning design and planting shelterbelts
• Wrote & secured grant to assist county farmers with funding to fix their eroding land
• Shared lessons learned and barriers overcome with Conservation Districts across South Dakota
• Developed database to track acres planted - taught technique across to Conservation Districts across the state
• Marketed services offered - First season planted 13.5 acres - eight years later planted 104 acres!!
• Led team of four seasonal tree planters and two intermittent office assistants
• Used excel, msword, vi-editor and a variety of other computer programs to get out of the computer what I needed to succeed!

Nursing Assistant - Long Term Care

• Assisted residents living in nursing home with activities of daily living
• Personal goal was to witness sparkles in a resident's eyes atleast 10 times throughout my shift.
  • Danced like noone was watching
  • Lived like I didn't need the money
  • Loved like I'd never been hurt before