Carol Ann Conn

• I have currently worked at Tweed Valley Hospital since April 2025- based in the Adult Mental Health Unit. This is a very fast paced environment and unpredictable environment which requires the use of a variety of nursing skills in the daily delivery of complex care. Below are some of my job requirements:

• Deliver patient-centered care through comprehensive assessments and individualized care plans.
• Educate patients and families on health management, enhancing understanding of conditions and treatment protocols.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to coordinate treatment plans and improve patient outcomes.
• Enhance patient satisfaction by providing compassionate, holistic nursing care that addressed physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
• Conduct thorough patient assessments to identify changes in condition, promptly notifying physicians and initiating appropriate interventions when necessary.
• Skillfully manage challenging patient situations using de-escalation techniques, crisis intervention strategies, and therapeutic communication skills.
• Facilitate patient transitions between different levels of care, ensuring continuity of services and minimizing disruptions in treatment plans.
• Administer medications and monitored patient responses to ensure safety and effectiveness.
• Utilize critical thinking skills to prioritize nursing interventions based on patients'' acuity levels and individual needs.
• Mentor junior nursing staff, providing guidance on best practices in clinical procedures and patient interaction.
• Serve as a preceptor for nursing students during their clinical rotations, providing valuable real-world experience and guidance to foster professional growth.

I was been employed at Lismore base hospital, OPMH inpatient unit since February 2024.

My role included assessment and monitoring of individuals admitted to the ward for acute care needs, drawing from all of my previous skills learned in my career thus far.

Some of my responsibilities included:

• Working within the MDT to provide a great level of assessment and care to acutely unwell patients.
• Utilizing critical thinking skills to prioritize nursing interventions based on patients acuity levels and individual needs.
• Conducting thorough patient assessments to identify changes in condition, promptly notifying physicians and initiating appropriate interventions when necessary.
• Administering medications safely according to established guidelines while closely monitoring for side effects or adverse reactions requiring intervention.
• Skillfully managing challenging patient situations using de-escalation techniques, crisis intervention strategies, and therapeutic communication skills.
• Improving patient outcomes by implementing evidence-based nursing interventions and individualized care plans.
• Implementing evidence-based fall prevention strategies, resulting in a significant decrease in patient falls within the unit.
• Document treatments delivered, medications and care administered, discharge instructions, and follow-up care.
• Enhance patient satisfaction by providing compassionate, holistic nursing care that addresses physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
• Observe and document patient factors such as diets, physical activity levels, and behaviours to understand conditions and effectively modify treatment plans.
• Equip patients with tools and knowledge needed for speedy and sustained recovery.
• Offer exceptional care and support to individuals recovering from acute incidents and dealing with chronic conditions.
• Facilitate therapeutic communication, conflict resolution and crisis intervention by redirecting negative behaviours and helping patients regain or improve coping abilities.
• Provide skilled, timely and level-headed emergency response to critically-ill patients.
• Quickly respond to situations impacting safety and security to unit, actualizing crisis prevention interventions to control and de-escalate situations.
• Explain course of care and medication side effects to patients and caregivers in easy-to-understand terms.
• Educated family members and caregivers on patient care instructions.
• Assist in the training and mentorship of new nursing staff members, contributing to a positive work environment and high-quality patient care.
• Serve as a preceptor for nursing students during their clinical rotations, providing valuable real-world experience and guidance to foster professional growth.
• Participate in ongoing professional development opportunities to stay current on best practices in nursing care and emerging trends in healthcare delivery.
• Regularly in charge of the unit, ensuring the safety of all staff and patients, ensuring the environment is safe and mentoring and supervising junior staff members and student nurses on a regular basis.

• I was employed by NHS Lothian as a registered staff nurse for over 8 years and have gained a great range of experience and skills
• During this role I was based in an acute admissions ward for 18-65 year olds with a range of mental health problems. This was a 24 bedded unit.
• Patients admitted to the ward could also have various co-morbidities which also required care and treatment
• I worked in this ward from August 2015-August 2022, the ward is a very busy environment and my role was wide and vast, often requiring me to be adaptable and quick thinking in a variety of challenging situations
• I was also responsible for taking charge of the ward on regular occasions, being one of the more experienced members of staff, ensuring that the ward is functioning well and maintaining the environment, maintaining staff and patient safety, as well as training new and junior members of the team and mentoring student nurses

Below are also some bullet points of my responsibilities:

• Working closely with colleagues and the ward manager in the delivery of patient care, to ensure effective and efficient running of the ward
• Monitored patients' conditions and reported changes in physical presentation, appearance, and behaviours , in order to discuss and update treatment with physicians as necessary.
• Collaborated with physicians, pharmacists and therapists to deliver quality, evidence-based care.
• Providing skilled direct nursing care to the most acutely unwell patients in the ward, often requiring 1.1 observations and interventions
• Administering medication in line with nursing and medical regulations, closely monitoring for any reactions or changes
• Implementing and evaluating patient care plans for optimal outcomes
• Documenting all therapies, including all aspects of physical and mental health to keep patient charts up-to-date
• Demonstrated excellent time management skills while juggling multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Quickly responded to situations impacting safety and security to unit, actualizing crisis prevention interventions to control and de-escalate situations.
• Exhibited strong critical thinking skills when assessing complex medical situations and determining appropriate interventions.
• Developed strong rapport with patients and families, fostering trust and open communication during challenging times.
• Delivering information regarding care and medications to patients and caregivers in comprehensible terminology
• Acted as a patient advocate, ensuring their needs were met and their rights protected throughout their healthcare journey
• Participating in regular and required continuing education programs and workshops to enhance training and nursing knowledge
• Assisted in the training and mentorship of new nursing staff members, contributing to a positive work environment and high-quality patient care.
• Served as a preceptor for nursing students during their clinical rotations, providing valuable real-world experience and guidance to foster professional growth.

As part of my role I also undertook regular and continuing education and training, including basic life support, management of fire, management of violence and aggression, mentorship, health and safety and moving and handling.

I worked in the older adult mental health admission and assessment unit for patients over the age of 65 for 1 year and 5 months.

This was a 12 bedded unit which accepted admissions from a range of sources of elderly people who required inpatient assessment, the ward accepted admission of patients who had various mental illnesses and also dementia.

My key responsibilities included:

• Personal care, assisting patients as needed with all ADL's.
• Comprehensive mental state assessments and relaying this back to the MDT in order to formulate treatment plans.
• Conducted thorough patient assessments to identify changes in condition, promptly notifying physicians and initiating appropriate interventions when necessary.
• Utilized critical thinking skills to prioritize nursing interventions based on patients acuity levels and individual needs.
• Administered medications safely according to established guidelines while closely monitoring for side effects or adverse reactions requiring intervention.
• Documented treatments delivered, medications and kept up to date records.
• Skillfully managed challenging patient situations using de-escalation techniques, crisis intervention strategies, and therapeutic communication skills.
• Provided support for patients and families during difficult medical decisions or end-of-life care, serving as a liaison between the healthcare team and loved ones.
• Provided skilled, timely and level-headed emergency response to critically-ill patients.
• Quickly responded to situations impacting safety and security to unit, actualizing crisis prevention interventions to control and de-escalate situations.
• Facilitated therapeutic communication, conflict resolution and crisis intervention by redirecting negative behaviours and helping patients regain or improve coping abilities.
• Assisted in the training and mentorship of new nursing staff members, contributing to a positive work environment and high-quality patient care.
• Served as a preceptor for nursing students during their clinical rotations, providing valuable real-world experience and guidance to foster professional growth.
• Participated in ongoing professional development opportunities to stay current on best practices in nursing care and emerging trends in healthcare delivery.

• I was employed by NHS GGC nursing staff bank for over 3 years
• This involved working on a casual, as per needed basis, within a variety of settings and with varying patient groups
• Working within the nursing bank often required me to be available at short notice and be adaptable to various healthcare settings in order to assist in providing the best patient care and maintain the standards of each department
• I was able to gain lots of experience in providing basic patient care and develop my communication skills for my future nursing career.

Some key responsibilities included in my role:

• Checked patient vitals such as temperature, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.
• Assisted with feeding and monitored intake and output to help patients achieve nutritional objectives.
• Increased patient engagement by providing emotional support, companionship, and encouragement during challenging times.
• Promoted a safe and clean environment by maintaining strict adherence to infection control protocols and sanitation standards.
• Documented care actions by completing records and logs in medical software system.
• Proactively identified changes in patient condition or behaviour, alerting appropriate healthcare personnel for prompt intervention when necessary.
• Facilitated efficient patient transfers, reducing risk of injury through proper body mechanics and use of assistive devices.
• Aided in the prevention of pressure ulcers through diligent monitoring and implementation of appropriate turning schedules for bedridden patients.
• Supported end-of-life care, offering emotional support to patients and families during difficult times.