Samantha Hill

March 2023- June 2023. Acting Nurse Unit Manager Level 3.

June 2023 to current I have been acting in the Nurse Unit Manager Level 1.

1 week in August 2023 I acted in the Nurse Unit manger level 2 in the Day procedure Centre.

During this time i have been involved in the following

• Supervised, directed, and motivated high-quality performance from nursing staff.
• Involved in the recruitment process
• Preventative maintenance of equipment
• Repairs of equipment and instruments
• Led staff meetings to keep team informed of departmental changes and provide opportunities for nurses to share ideas and concerns.
• Oversaw infection control procedures to protect patients from infections and keep nursing departments compliant with state regulations.
• Managed staff scheduling and time off to adequately staff operating theatres
• Promoted professional development opportunities to encourage nurses to pursue continuous training.
• Developed and implemented quality improvement initiatives to provide best possible patient care and identify and address areas of concern.
• Fostered improvement in staff development, personnel training, and standards of patient care.
• Provided skilled, timely and level-headed emergency response to critically-ill patients.
• Led teams in driving successful patient outcomes by prioritizing standard of care and best practices.

St Vincent's Hospital Sydney

As a Perioperative Scrub and Scout Nurse and Clinical Nurse Specialist, I am charged with several key duties instrumental in providing exemplary patient care and crucial support to surgical and care-providing teams.

During this period I also regularly acted in a Management capacity (see below).

Managerial:

Oversight via In-Charge Management of duties of operating theatres on weekends and as required.
As In-Charge, manage operating theatres and lists, including scheduling and allocation of staff against skillmix, workforce management, and equipment, supplies, and staff allocation.
Monitoring of stock and ordering of equipment for Cardiothoracic specialty. Conducting various administrative and medicolegal tasks, including verifying patient consent and identification, following standard patient protocols, and completing all other nursing documentation.
Updating of On-Call Cardiac Staff policy.
Updating of Surgeon preference cards.

Clinical:

Provision of senior nursing expertise in scouting and scrubbing for various specialties and complex operating procedures, particularly for the Cardiothoracic Surgery Team
One of a few nursing staff capable of scrubbing and being on-call for all procedures.

Responsibility for upholding the standards set by the Australian College of Perioperative Nurses (ACORN) that dene the benchmarks for both professional perioperative practice and clinical perioperative care, particularly in cardiothoracic and plastic and reconstructive surgery. Continually identifying and anticipating the needs of the surgical team, monitoring ongoing procedures and pre-empting any issues that arise, including assisting with patient complications.

Maintaining the sterility and integrity of clinical supplies and surgical tools dispensed to the surgical team and ensuring their availability before surgical procedures.
Cohesively functioning within a healthcare team, facilitating transparent and open communication channels whilst collaborating with peers and seniors on patient care matters.

Teaching and Supervisory:

Training of nurses for the cardiothoracic specialty via double scrubbing. Assist in orientating new scout nurses to the specialty.
Previous preceptor for junior staff on New Grad program.

In 2019 delivered a presentation about the organ care system at the Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZCTS) Nurses Day.

Routinely assisted with the coordination of events and services for St Vincent’s Advanced Plastic Surgery Nurses Day up until 2014.

St Vincent's Hospital Sydney

In addition to my regular nursing duties at St Vincent’s Hospital, I intermittently adopted further responsible whilst acting as relief for various Nurse Unit Manager (NUM) positions, between 2012 and 2014, I assumed the duties of Nursing Unit Manager (Level 1) overseeing Operating Theatres. Meanwhile, between 2012 to 2014 and 2015 to 2018, I relieved the Nurse Unit Manager (level 3) whenever they took leave.

I also assumed responsibility for being in charge of shifts on weekends.

Key Achievements:

Assumed various management and leadership responsibilities – including mentorship, team building, and conflict management.
Communicated cancellations, delays, inappropriate and inefficient use of emergency time, or any other disruptions that affect the delivery of perioperative care to the Nurse Manager for resolution.

Coordinated the efficient use of operating sessions whilst collaborating with the Nurse Manager, Morning NUM, and Anaesthetic In-Charge to design optimal theatre timetables and resource allocation.
Liaised with Surgeons, Anaesthetists, and radiographers to ensure fair use of operating theatre sessions and a more conducive overall workflow to aid the delivery of surgical services.

Rigorously and attentively applied evidence-based healthcare practices and nursing standards throughout the department.

4 x 4 monthly rotations: Peri operative unit, Emergency department, Respiratory ward, Mental Health inpatient unit.

• Answered call lights and supported patient comfort and safety by adjusting bed rails and equipment.
• Wiped down equipment with proper cleaning products after each patient transport to reduce instances of infection.