Brenda S. Garrison
Fayetteville
Summary
Professional Experience-
Experienced healthcare professional skilled in patient care, critical thinking, and communication. Strong focus on team collaboration and achieving optimal patient outcomes. Reliable and adaptable, ensuring efficient and compassionate care in dynamic environments. Equipped with expertise in medical procedures, patient assessments, and care coordination.
Experienced with patient care, critical thinking, and effective communication. Utilizes medical knowledge to support patient recovery and manage complex conditions. Strong understanding of healthcare protocols and compassionate care delivery.
Healthcare professional with strong background in patient care and medical support. Known for collaborative work with medical teams to deliver high-quality care and adapt to evolving patient needs. Expertise in patient assessment and medication administration, along with compassionate care and reliability.
Hardworking Registered Nurse with success providing individualized patient care. Committed to delivering best-in-class patient care through effective education and counseling. Proven leadership focused on increasing and enhancing patient care and satisfaction. Streamline safety protocols for comprehensive patient care.
Compassionate Registered Nurse with experience offering comprehensive patient care in outpatient environments. Works well with diverse patient populations and fosters trusting relationships to improve outcomes. Efficiently coordinate with healthcare professionals to advance patient care.
Dedicated and compassionate Registered Nurse (RN) with progressive career history in direct patient care, triage and care coordination in fast-paced environment. Proven to remain calm under pressure and skillfully handle difficult patients and high-stress situations. Consistently developing strong relationships with patients and families through empathetic communication, respectful attitude and excellent customer service.
Seasoned nursing professional offering proven clinical knowledge, natural interpersonal strengths and technical abilities. Knowledgeable about EMR charting, medication administration and interdisciplinary collaboration focused on optimizing patient care and support. Quality-focused and efficiency-driven leader.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Registered Nurse
Washington Regional Medical Center
02.2025 - Current
- Administered patient care plans, ensuring adherence to protocols and improving overall patient outcomes.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to coordinate comprehensive treatment strategies for diverse patient populations.
- Mentored junior nursing staff, enhancing skill sets and promoting best practices in clinical settings.
- Implemented evidence-based guidelines to optimize nursing workflows and elevate standards of care.
- Conducted assessments and evaluations to identify patient needs, facilitating timely interventions and support services.
- Streamlined medication administration processes, reducing errors and increasing efficiency within the department.
- Advocated for patients' rights and needs, ensuring quality care delivery while maintaining compliance with healthcare regulations.
- Utilized critical thinking skills to prioritize nursing interventions based on patients'' acuity levels and individual needs.
- Conducted thorough patient assessments to identify changes in condition, promptly notifying physicians and initiating appropriate interventions when necessary.
- Administered medications safely according to established guidelines while closely monitoring for side effects or adverse reactions requiring intervention.
- Enhanced patient satisfaction by providing compassionate, holistic nursing care that addressed physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
- Skillfully managed challenging patient situations using de-escalation techniques, crisis intervention strategies, and therapeutic communication skills.
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to develop comprehensive treatment plans for complex patients with multiple comorbidities.
- Participated in ongoing professional development opportunities to stay current on best practices in nursing care and emerging trends in healthcare delivery.
- Promoted a culture of safety within the healthcare facility by participating in quality improvement initiatives, identifying potential hazards, and advocating for best practices in nursing care delivery.
Staffing
Connect RN
08.2020 - Current
- Staffing for various facilities in the local area.
- Patient care, passed med, charting, and various other responsibilities.
Staffing
Aya Healthcare
11.2024 - 01.2025
- Staffing for various hospitals throughout the US.
- EMAR used is Centrix and Epic.
- Starting IV and giving various fluids including Heprin and Antibiotics.
- I work on a surgical floor at my current positions caring for patients post surgery, including joint replacement.
- Ratio is 5:1.
- Wound care.
- Patient and family education.
- Developed training programs for new nurses, fostering a culture of continuous learning and professional growth.
- Assisted in the training and mentorship of new nursing staff members, contributing to a positive work environment and high-quality patient care.
- Prevented the spread of infections by consistently adhering to strict infection control protocols and educating patients on proper hygiene practices.
- Improved patient outcomes by implementing evidence-based nursing interventions and individualized care plans.
- Advised patients and caregivers of proper wound management, discharge plan objectives, safe medication use, and disease management.
- Demonstrated expertise in wound management techniques resulting in accelerated healing times for patients with complex wounds or pressure injuries.
RN
Riverside Regional Medical Center
11.2023 - 11.2024
- In this position I work on a medical surgical floor as an RN.
- I do patient assessment, hang IV, start IV, give medications.
- Use of Epic charting system.
- Use of interdisciplinary team approach for patient care.
- Worked as a team to provide good patient care, working with providers, therapy, and other nursing team member.
- Care for patients in a ratio of 1:5 most days.
ADON
Hanover Health and Rehab
03.2023 - 11.2023
- ADON for 120 bed facility, responsible for admissions, education, all risk events, FRI’s follow-ups, and staff issues.
- Also responsible for IDT meetings weekly, clinical stand up and stand down.
- Keeping the facility in compliance with all state and federal regulation, using CMS, the CDC and local health depts to guide.
- Worked closely with the medical director to ensure good patient outcomes.
- Managed more that 80 staff including agency nurses, staff LPN’s and CNA’s.
ADON
Tyler’s Retreat at Ironbridge
10.2021 - 03.2023
- ADON for 99 bed facility, responsible for admissions, infection control, education, all risk events, all FRI, and all staff issues.
- Also responsible for IDT meetings weekly, clinical stand up and stand down.
- Keeping the facility in compliance with all state and federal regulation, using CMS, the CDC and local health depts to guide.
- Worked closely with the medical director to ensure good patient outcomes.
- Managed more that 70 staff including agency nurses and CNA’s.
PARC RN
Manor Care Richmond
07.2021 - 10.2021
- To deliver safe resident care and assessment of residents.
- Assist with the care of each resident on my unit.
Night shift supervisor
Battlefield Park Healthcare
10.2020 - 07.2021
- As a supervisor I am responsible for the facility as a whole, taking a cart when needed, catching up UDA’s, doing audits when needed, or doing whatever task the DON needs me to do.
ADON
Canterbury Healthcare
04.2020 - 08.2020
- ADON for 190 bed facility, responsible for admissions, infection control, education, all risk events, all FRI, and all staff issues.
- Also responsible for IDT meetings weekly, clinical stand up and stand down.
- Keeping the facility in compliance with all state and federal regulation, using CMS, the CDC and local health depts to guide.
- Worked closely with the medical director to ensure good patient outcomes.
- Managed more that 70 staff including agency nurses and CNA’s.
ADON/DON
Wonder City Healthcare Center
08.2019 - 04.2020
- As an ADON I was responsible for staff development, infection control, Patient satisfaction, incidents and accidents, hiring and scheduling.
- This is a 130 bed building and with my DON's help we were able build our residents in house from 80 to 120.
- We also increased our CMI score from 0.8 to 1.25, our Medicare patients went from an average of 5 to 6 to now having 11 Medicare and 3 managed care.
- As DON I was responsible for budgeting nursing staff, making sure we were in compliance with state and local government, using CMS guidelines to provide safe care for our residents, helping with pdpm, and insuring staff had what they needed to provide patient care.
RN case manager
AT HOME CARE HOSPICE COLONIAL HEIGHTS VA
11.2018 - 07.2019
- As a case manager I help provide loving care to patients in their final phase of life, I help direct CNAs, Chaplains, and Social work to provide the best end of life care possible.
- Reporting to doctors is a part of everyday life as a hospice nurse and is providing care and support to families and care givers.
Director of Nursing
DONLOP HOUSE COLONIAL HEIGHTS VA
04.2018 - 11.2018
- Responsibilities- 120 bed ALF- Staffing, education, care planning, working with administrator to improve patient care, budgeting, and talking with patients, their families, and staff about issues with patient care and how to make building run more effectively.
Assistant Director of Nursing
BATTLEFIELD PARK HEALTH AND REHAB
03.2017 - 04.2018
- This is a 120-bed facility that is home to skilled and long term residents.
- In this position I am a key person for staff development, infection control, plan of corrections, psychotropic drug management, and caring for skilled and long-term care residents in our facility.
- I used key management skills to focus staff to care for resident in the best most productive way possible.
- I use motivation with CNA’s and LPN’s and unit managers to help insure that all aspects of nursing is followed to limit State inspections.
- I assisted the DON with reports and anything else she needed from me.
RN
AMERICAN ACCESS CARE OF RICHMOND
12.2015 - 04.2017
- Company Overview: This facility is an outpatient interventional radiology suite that specializes in the care of the renal patients and specifically their dialysis accesses, i.e. arteriovenous fistulas and graft and dialysis catheters.
- Comprehensive care involving thorough history and physical examinations, monitoring patients that receive conscious sedation utilizing capnography and assessing for preparedness for discharge.
- Our dynamic team of radiology techs, nurse practitioner, and other registered nurses work to ensure that the patient’s needs are met, including coordination and collaboration with nephrologist and dialysis center staff if indicated.
- This facility is an outpatient interventional radiology suite that specializes in the care of the renal patients and specifically their dialysis accesses, i.e. arteriovenous fistulas and graft and dialysis catheters.
RN
JOHN RANDOLPH MEDICAL CENTER
06.2014 - 11.2015
- The ER has a total of 25 beds, 5 for Fast Track care and 3 for trauma cases.
- As a new graduate, I increased my skills in the performance of venipuncture (both for lab draws and intravenous catheters).
- I became proficient in the performance of EKGs, both 12 lead and 5 lead, and the interpretation of less complex rhythms.
- Additional trauma nurse training was obtained while employed.
- A significant amount of my time there was spent in the Fast Track Division of the ER where care was provided to less complex patients with a variety of illnesses or injuries to include but not limited to orthopedic injuries, viral and bacterial infections and simple gynecologic issues.
- The goal in Fast Track was to minimize time in the ER to approximately one hour.
- In the main ER, care was provided to patients with more complex issues including myocardial infarctions, cerebrovascular accidents, and patients with complex orthopedic injuries in need of conscious sedation for treatment.
- I assisted in the care of patient receiving conscious sedation.
LPN
COLONIAL HEIGHTS HEALTHCARE
08.2012 - 01.2013
- On a skilled care unit, I led a team with over six certified nursing assistants.
- Monitoring patients and the administration of medications were primary tasks.
- Comprehensive charting, meeting the CMS guidelines was essential.
- Notification of significant changes to the physician was included in this role.
LPN
CONTINUUM PEDIATRIC STAFFING
06.2010 - 08.2012
- While working for this company I provided home care for a ventilator dependent child with a tracheostomy and gastrostomy tube and a history of seizures who attended school.
- Assistance with her school curriculum was expected.
- This was a very rewarding and challenging job because the child was non-verbal and used bodily cues to express her wishes.
LPN
NURSEFINDERS
01.2002 - 08.2012
- As an LPN I traveled to facilities to provide additional PRN staffing.
- Upon presentation to a facility, an assignment of up to 30 was received.
- Efficiency and organization was essential.
- In this role, I expanded my venipuncture knowledge to include venipuncture for blood draws and the placement of intravenous catheters and expanded my knowledge of wound care management.
Director of Admissions
HARBOUR POINTE REHAB AND MEDICAL CENTER
11.2008 - 08.2009
- As a patient recruiter, visiting patients in the hospital prior to discharge was expected.
- Information was collected to determine if the patient would benefit from the services offered.
- Verification of insurance was performed prior to admission.
- Marketing was also an expectation, creating posters and flyers for use and directing a marketing team.
LPN
HEART IN HOME
06.2008 - 04.2009
- In this company I served as a home health nurse and evaluated patients in their home with the expectation to minimize hospital stays and promote healing.
- I was expected to provide comprehensive documentation on a daily basis.
- The home visits ranged from complex wound care to medication monitoring and education.
LPN
HAMPTON ROADS SPECIALTY HOSPITAL
10.2007 - 01.2008
- Company Overview: This facility is an acute care facility that provides short term care to patients who needed additional intermediate care prior to being able to return home.
- The level of care was diverse and included patients on ventilators, patients with complex wounds, and patients with newly diagnosed terminal illnesses.
- This facility is an acute care facility that provides short term care to patients who needed additional intermediate care prior to being able to return home.
Education
Associates in Science Nursing -
VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY
05.2014
LPN - undefined
MEDICAL CAREERS INSTITUTE
07.2000
Skills
- Medication and IV administration
- Medication administration
- Direct patient care
- Patient assessments
- Documentation and charting
- Patient assessment
- Strong clinical judgment
- Patient education and counseling
- Patient and family advocacy
- Infection control measures
- Wound care
- Patient care
- Compassion and empathy
- IV setup
- Intravenous therapy
- Care planning
- Patient management
- Physical assessments
- Patient care planning
- Telemetry monitoring
- Taking vitals
- Collecting vitals
- Nursing staff leadership
- Medication distribution
- Patient discharge
- Lab result interpretation
- Team coordination
- EMR systems
- Performing ekgs
- Complex Problem-solving
- Proper catheter insertion/removal
- Intake and discharge
- Emergency response
- Maintaining privacy
- Relationship building
- Vaccine administration
- Chart updating
- Diabetes management
- Insulin medication assistance
- EMR / EHR
Certification
- BLS, 2024-05-01
- ACLS, 2024-09-18
- TNCC, 2015-03-31
- RN, VA, 2014-06-01
Timeline
Registered Nurse
Washington Regional Medical Center
02.2025 - Current
Staffing
Aya Healthcare
11.2024 - 01.2025
RN
Riverside Regional Medical Center
11.2023 - 11.2024
ADON
Hanover Health and Rehab
03.2023 - 11.2023
ADON
Tyler’s Retreat at Ironbridge
10.2021 - 03.2023
PARC RN
Manor Care Richmond
07.2021 - 10.2021
Night shift supervisor
Battlefield Park Healthcare
10.2020 - 07.2021
Staffing
Connect RN
08.2020 - Current
ADON
Canterbury Healthcare
04.2020 - 08.2020
ADON/DON
Wonder City Healthcare Center
08.2019 - 04.2020
RN case manager
AT HOME CARE HOSPICE COLONIAL HEIGHTS VA
11.2018 - 07.2019
Director of Nursing
DONLOP HOUSE COLONIAL HEIGHTS VA
04.2018 - 11.2018
Assistant Director of Nursing
BATTLEFIELD PARK HEALTH AND REHAB
03.2017 - 04.2018
RN
AMERICAN ACCESS CARE OF RICHMOND
12.2015 - 04.2017
RN
JOHN RANDOLPH MEDICAL CENTER
06.2014 - 11.2015
LPN
COLONIAL HEIGHTS HEALTHCARE
08.2012 - 01.2013
LPN
CONTINUUM PEDIATRIC STAFFING
06.2010 - 08.2012
Director of Admissions
HARBOUR POINTE REHAB AND MEDICAL CENTER
11.2008 - 08.2009
LPN
HEART IN HOME
06.2008 - 04.2009
LPN
HAMPTON ROADS SPECIALTY HOSPITAL
10.2007 - 01.2008
LPN
NURSEFINDERS
01.2002 - 08.2012
LPN - undefined
MEDICAL CAREERS INSTITUTE
Associates in Science Nursing -
VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY
Similar Profiles
Shauna MalinShauna Malin
Registered Nurse Case Manager at Washington Regional Medical CenterRegistered Nurse Case Manager at Washington Regional Medical Center
JENNIFER COLLINSJENNIFER COLLINS
Hematology Supervisor at Washington Regional Medical CenterHematology Supervisor at Washington Regional Medical Center
Kaela JohnsonKaela Johnson
Respiratory Therapist at Washington Regional Medical CenterRespiratory Therapist at Washington Regional Medical Center
Haley RohmHaley Rohm
Stocking Associate at WalmartStocking Associate at Walmart
Leah BowenLeah Bowen
Nurse Intern / CNA / PCT (PRN) at Northwest HospitalNurse Intern / CNA / PCT (PRN) at Northwest Hospital