Wendy Bisaillon

Professional Experience

Hamilton Health Sciences, General Hospital, Hamilton Ont:

ICU RPT RN (06/06 to present) and Critical Care RN ICU (03/88 - 09/02)

I am currently employed as an RN in the CVICU at Hamilton General. Prior I worked 1 year in CCU Between travel assignments and for 12 years previous to traveling I worked as a staff RN in the ICU.

I assess, plan, implement care and chart for patients in this busy tertiary care hospital which serves Hamilton and the surrounding areas as the center for Neuro-trauma and Cardiac surgery. I competently perform all the skills required of a member of the ICU team including but not limited to: admitting post operative Open Heart, Vascular surgery, pre and post aneurysm, post MI, spinal cord injury, sepsis, respiratory distress, and isolation patients. Care of Arterial, CVP, Subclavian, IABP, Swan ganz, and ICP lines, cardiac arrythmia recognition and preparation and administration of Emergency cardiac drugs. Care of ventilated patients, troubleshooting and weaning. Care of pleural, intracranial, and pericardial tubes, as well as all of the other skills and duties as required of my position.

Carecor Health Services Ltd.

Critical Care RN (02/06- 08/06)

Previously employed as an agency RN in ICU’s in the Hamilton/Burlington area with skills as above

Various Hospitals throughout the USA

Travel RN Critical Care (09/99-09/05)

From September 1999 to September 2005 I worked 1 to 3 month assignments as a Travel Nurse for several different Travel Companies. I worked in ICU’s, CCU’s, CVICU’s, and RICU in various hospitals in several states within the USA.

I used my critical care skills as a team member to help treat a variety of patients with medical, surgical, and traumatic foci, including but not limited to, admitting, implementing and following care plans, transferring, discharging, and treating various post operative patients, post Open Heart, MI, Congestive Heart Failure, COPD, sepsis, respiratory distress and isolation patients; care of  IABP, Arterial, CVP, Subclavian, PAP, and  IV lines and related skills; Cardiac arrhythmia recognition, preparation, administration and titration of Emergency Cardiac medications, antibiotics and others; Care of ventilated patients which included Respiratory auscultation, suctioning, weaning,  specimen collection, and care of pleural tubes; as well as all of the other skills and duties assigned and associated with my position as a Critical Care Registered Nurse.

**Please see Travel  Assignment list

Brantford General Hospital, Brantford Ont:

RN Float/ ICU/ Emergency (1984 - 1993)

In this 300+ bed Hospital I developed Critical Care skills related to the following areas ..Post Anesthetic Recovery after hours, Emergency Nursing (4 years) Day Surgery, 12 bed ICU, Hospital Float

Education

Diploma in Nursing from Mohawk College, Hamilton Ontario (1984)

Completed my Diploma in Nursing with Deans Honours. Stood top of my class in all 3 years and received Award of Excellence from HC Johnsons and the Pearley Memorial award.  Was a student tutor and stood on several committees as a student representative.

Certificate in Critical Care Nursing from Mohawk College Hamilton Ontario (1999)

Current certifications in BCLS, ACLS, Defib, and IABP.

Current licenses in Ontario, Minnesota, Hawaii and California, past licenses in Connecticut, Texas, New Mexico, and Rhode Island

I have written and passed the NCLEX and have a current VISA Screen.

Keyword Summary

I have over 20 years of Critical Care experience as related above. 

I work well independently and as a member of an interdisciplinary team with excellent interpersonal and communication skills, effective decision making, and exemplary problem solving and organizational skills.  I am accountable for my actions, flexible, and have an excellent work and attendance record.

I have participated as a preceptor and continue to stay current and upgrade my knowledge and skills by attending workshops, conferences and in-services pertinent of Critical Care and have over 30 hours of current educational units within the last 2 years in courses specific to my practice.

References: upon request

List of Travel Assignments**

Regional Medical Center of San Jose, San Jose CA:

Travel RN ICU(04/05-09/05)

This 204 bed hospital received Trauma status after San Jose Medical Center Closed. The 24 bed ICU was extremely busy updating to handle the increased number and acuity of patients. I continued to use my critical care skills treating patients who had a variety of medical, surgical, neurological and cardiac problems.  I assisted the core ICU staff to become familiar with Trauma Care in the ICU using my varied critical care knowledge, experience and skills

Hemet Valley Medical Center, Hemet CA:

Travel RN ICU(09/04 – 04/05)

In the 18 bed ICU at HVMC, a 240-bed full-service acute care hospital serving Hemet CA I cared for critically ill patients with medical and surgical problems. I continued to keep my critical care skills up to date at this busy fully accredited hospital. 

Zale Lipshy Hospital, Dallas TX:

Travel RN ICU(06/04 - 07/04)

In the 20 bed ICU at Zale Lipshy, a teaching Hospital and part of the Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, I worked as a team member admitting and caring basically for Neurosurgical Patients. Patient focus was on strict Glascow coma scale monitoring, ICP care, and post op surgical care. I also continued to provide skilled care to patients with a variety of other medical and surgical problems.

San Jose Medical Center, San Jose CA:

Travel RN CCU(10/03 - 05/04)

SJMC was an older, busy, inner city Trauma center. In the 20 bed ICU I worked as an ICU team member and utilized all my critical care skills caring for patients with a variety of Medical, Sugical, Trauma, Neuro and Cardiac problems including immediate post op open heart surgery. *SJMC has closed at this location due to inability for expansion.

Rhode Island Hospital, Providence RI:

Travel RN CCU(07/03 - 09/03)

The 719 bed Rhode Island Hospital serves as the Level I trauma center for SE New England. In the RICU I continued to use my skills in the care of pts who were ventilator dependant due to Respiratory disease.

St. John's Regional Medical Center, Oxnard CA:

Travel RN CCU(01/03 - 05/03)

With 261+ acute care beds St Johns is serves Oxnard CA and the surrounding area. I cared for Post op OH pts and Med-Surg pts in their busy CCU/CVICU. My skills included, but were not limited to, IABP, IV start, hemodynamic monitoring, ventilator care, vasoactive IV drips, and pleural tubes. I admitted  and cared for post op open heart patients and patients with medical and surgical problems.

Middlesex Hospital, Middletown Ct:

Travel RN ICU(07/02 - 08/02)

This 300+ bed, not-for-profit, patient-focused hospital serves the Greater Middlesex CT area. As a travel RN I worked with staff in the ICU and occasionally floated to Stepdown as needed. As a team member I worked along side many professionals in this busy unit. In the ICU I cared for a variety of patients with medical, pulmonary, and surgical foci and continued to keep my critical care skills up to date.

Rideout Memorial Hospital, Yuba City Ca:

Travel RN CVICU(05/02 - 06/02)

This hospital has 113 active beds and a 24-hour Emergency Department which treats nearly 30,000 patients each year. I worked in the newly opened CVICU using my skills to admit open heart patients, as well as being a resource to regular staff new to Open Heart Recovery. The unit had a medical as well as surgical focus.

Mercy Medical Center, Redding Ca:

Travel RN STICU (02/02- 03/02)

In this active 200+ bed hospital I worked as a Staff RN in the Shock Trauma ICU. I used my critical care skills in this busy unit to treat a variety of patients with both medical and surgical foci. The turnover was brisk, and the pace fast. I floated to other critical care units in the hospital as required including the medical ICU.

Granada Hills Community Hospital, Granada Hills Ca:

Travel RN ICU/CCU (01/02 - 02/02)

In this 250+ busy community hospital I worked with a variety of adult patients. In this 18 bed combined ICU/CCU the focus was on Medical treatment, but patient population also included post op Open hearts as well as other surgeries. Here I continued to keep my critical and organizational skills sharpened with a busy, varied, work load .

Christus Spohn Hospital Shoreline, Corpus Christi Tx:

Travel RN ACCU (11/01 - 12/01)

With 432 beds this is the foremost acute care medical center in the region. I worked in the Acute Coronary Care Unit which was set up as 2 separate units with 10 beds each. While the focus was generally on medical coronary care, we also received many post surgical patients. Turnover was brisk and the units were busy. I worked as a part of the team of competent nurses using and improving my critical skills.

Mercy Medical Center, Redding Ca:

Travel RN CSICU (09/01 - 10/01)

In this active 200+ bed hospital I worked as a Staff RN in the Cardiac Surgery Recovery, the CSICU. While the unit was small, 4 beds, the turnover was usually brisk with 1 to 3 OH surgeries daily and a staff of 1 to 4, usually 2, depending on accuity. I continued to use my critical care skills to treat patients whose surgeries were often off pump, and who frequently presented extubated from the OR, and whose usual stay in the CSICU was less than 24 hours. I floated to other critical care units in the hospital as required.

Kuakini Medical Center, Honolulu Hi:

Critical Care Float (01/01 - 04/01)

In this active 250 bed hosptital I performed diverse duties as a Critical Care Float. Here I honed my organizational skills working in the 32 bed progressive care unit, a cardiac stepdown unit, the 12 bed CCU which specialized in medical and surgical cardiac patients, and the 9 bed ICU.

UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco Ca:

Travel RN ICU/CCU (09/00 - 12/00)

In this 500+ progressive hospital I worked in a busy 18 bed Intensive Cardiac Care Unit, 10ICC, which specialized in medical treatment of patients with cardiac problems but also had many patients who'd undergone cardiac and thoracic surgeries. I developed skills working with lung transplant patients and continued to keep my critical care skills up to date while caring for a varied patient population.

UCSD Thornton Hospital, La Jolla Ca:

Travel RN ICU (01/00 - 04/00)

A small but busy 120 bed hospital with a 12 bed ICU specialized in Open heart and PTE patients. I floated to other ICU's within the University of California San Diego system including the Burn ICU and SICU at Hillcrest Hospital which included related experience with post transplant patients.

Lovelace Medical Center, Albuquerque NM:

Travel RN ICU/CCU (09/99 - 12/99)

I worked as a Critical Care RN in a busy ICU/CCU. Care of CV/Med-Surg/Neuro and Coronary Care patients with all related experience.