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Brenda Tousley RN, CNS, ACCNS-AG, AGCNS-BC, CLNC

Professional Summary:

Experienced Clinical Nurse Specialist, bedside critical care nurse, and nurse educator proficient in ensuring high standards of competent care for a wide variety of patients with diverse needs.  Passionate and motivated, with a drive for excellence.  Excellent communication and problem solving skills. 

  • Strong clinical judgment

  • Excellent communication skills

  • Professional bedside manner

  • High level of autonomy

  • Patient / family focused

  • Adept at prioritizing/managing deadlines

  • Problem solver

  • Excellent educator of staff nurses, students and patients/families

  • Board certified Clinical Nurse Specialist (AGCNS-BC, ACCNS-AG)

  • Board certified critical care nurse (CCRN-K)

  • Board certified acute stroke coordinator (ASC-BC)

  • Mentor and advocate for evidence based practice

 

Experience
North Colorado Medical Center; Greeley, CO United States
Clinical RN Stroke Program Manager                                                                                                        October 2019 - Present
  • Responsible for program management and development for Joint Commission Certified Primary Stroke Center
  • Provide leadership through coaching and mentoring of staff and providers to assure evidence-based quality stroke care 
  • Leadership for performance improvement activities to assure maintenance of certification
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Front Range Community College; Colorado Community College System
Faculty, RN-BSN Completion Program                                                                                                       January 2020 - Present
  • Development of online courses for RN-BSN completion program
  • Online teaching for RNs and dually-enrolled ADN nursing students 
    • Includes providing feedback and grading weekly assignments​
    • Provide clinical oversight for practicum experiences 
  • Actively participate in program improvement and accreditation activities​
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Banner Ft. Collins Medical Center; Greeley, CO United States

RN House Senior Manager                                                                                                                February 2016 – October 2019

  • Assure appropriate staffing to provide safe, competent and efficient care throughout the facility.

  • Serve as resource to staff, families, and providers to help resolve conflict or concerns.  Understand and use the appropriate chain of command as needed.

  • Interpret policy & procedure to facilitate safe, effective, efficient and timely patient care. 

  • Assure understanding and compliance with regulatory standards by all staff and providers. Support and encourage continuous quality improvement activities.

  • Provide leadership through coaching and mentoring of staff; support a culture of learning.  Function as a role model and encourage staff to participate in their own development.

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North Colorado Medical Center; Greeley, CO United States

Staff Nurse Critical Care Float Pool                                                                                                   March 2014 – February 2016

  • Provide bedside care to critical care patients, assessing, monitoring and individualizing the plan of care to assure optimal outcomes.

  • Provide education to patients and families on plan of care while hospitalized, medications, tests and procedures and discharge instructions.

  • Areas of responsibility include the Intensive Care Unit, CardioVascular Care Unit, Western States Burn Center and the Emergency Department.

 Clinical Nurse Specialist                                                                                                                              July 2011 – March 2014

  • Provide specialized direct and indirect care to acute and critically ill patients.

  • Mentor and coach staff to improve their clinical inquiry and critical thinking skills.

  • Collaborate with other health care professionals and service providers to ensure optimal patient care.

Clinical Nurse Specialist                                                                                                                             January 2002 - July 2004

  • Responsible for the care of cardiovascular surgical patients; duties included rounding on patients with the CV surgeons, writing orders, provided education to both patients and staff to assure competent safe care.

Registered Nurse                                                                                                                                      June 1992 - January 2002

  • Provided bedside care to critical care patients, assessing, monitoring and individualizing the plan of care to assure optimal outcomes. Case management of diverse patient populations to ensure they received the proper care and treatment through the continuum of care.  Data analyst for Project Impact within the critical care unit; providing insight into the care provided and identification of opportunities for improvement of care at the bedside by nursing and physicians. Interim manager for brief stint.

 

Front Range Community College; Ft. Collins, CO United States

Adjunct Clinical Faculty                                                                                                                             August 2006 – May 2013

Adjunct Clinical Faculty                                                                                                                                 August 2014 - May 2019

  • Supervise students' laboratory and clinical work.

  • Evaluate students' performance in the clinical setting.

  • Provide oversight and one on one education to 6-8 nursing students in the clinical setting.

  • Foster clinical inquiry and critical thinking skills in student nurses.

  • Create a safe environment that is conducive to learning.

 

McKee Medical Center; Loveland, CO United States

Clinical Nurse Specialist                                                                                                                                    July 2004 - July 2011

  • Provide specialized direct and indirect care to acute and critically ill patients admitted to intensive care and progressive care units.

  • Mentor and coach staff to improve their clinical inquiry and critical thinking skills.

  • Collaborate with other health care professionals and service providers to ensure optimal patient care.

  • Also functioned as interim manager at various times throughout my tenure at McKee. As interim manager I provided oversight of the unit, assuring both quality of care and adequacy of staffing.

 

Cross Country Travel, United States

Critical Care Nurse                                                                                                                                   August 1991 – May 1992

  • Provided bedside care to critical care patients, assessing, monitoring and individualizing the plan of care to assure optimal patient outcomes.

  • Collaborate with other health care professionals and service providers to ensure optimal patient care.

  • Provided education to patients and families on plan of care while hospitalized, medications, tests and procedures and discharge instructions.

  

Ireland Army Community Hospital, Ft. Knox, KY

Army Nurse Corp                                                                                                                                    October 1987 – June 1991

  • Provide specialized direct and indirect care to acute and critically ill patients admitted to intensive care and progressive care units.

  • Mentor and coach staff to improve their clinical inquiry and critical thinking skills.

  • Collaborate with other health care professionals and service providers to ensure optimal patient care.

  • As a member of the Army Nurse Corp, learned leadership skills, quality improvement and providing patient care in less than ideal circumstances.

 

Education

University of Colorado; Aurora, CO United States                                                                                                                                    Post Master’s Certificate – Adult Gerontology CNS                                                                                        August 2014

Doctor of Nursing Practice                                                                                                                   Fall 2014-Spring 2018

 

University of Northern Colorado; Greeley, CO United States

MS/Nursing – CNS Education & Chronic Illness focus                                                                                December 1998

BS/Nursing                                                                                                                                                                   June 1987

 

Professional affiliations

National Alliance of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants

American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants

American Association of Critical Care Nurses

Volunteer, Virtual Exam Development Committee, 2016

Volunteer, Continuing Education Review Panel, 2010-present
Volunteer, ECCO 3.0 Advisory Group 2014-present
Reviewer, AACN Scope & Standards of Acute and Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice, 2009
Member and Officer, Northern Colorado Chapter AACN,

President, Northern Colorado Chapter AACN, 2009

Secretary, Northern Colorado Chapter AACN, 2007 and 2008

Member, AACN Awards Review Committee, 2006-2007

Member, AACN Advanced Practice Advisory Team, July 2001-2002

Secretary, High Plains Chapter, AACN

 

National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists

Member, NACNS Research and Practice Committee, 2001-2002

Member, NACNS Legislative/Regulatory Committee, 2001-2002

 

Banner Ft. Collins Medical Center

          Co-lead, NoCo Region Sepsis Core Measure Committee, 2015-2016

          Member, NoCo Region Restraint Regulatory Committee, 2015-2016

          Member, Banner Health NEC Clinical Practice & Patient Safety Committee

 

North Colorado Medical Center

Chair, Banner Health CNS Committee, 2015

Facilitator, Reigniting the Spirit of Caring

Chair, Patient Care Service Executive Council, 1999-2002

Member, North Colorado Medical Center Bioethics Committee, 2001-2004

Member, North Colorado Medical Center Institutional Review Board, 1999-2004

Co-Coordinator, Annual ‘Heart Care Conference’, 1998-2004

 

McKee Medical Center

Held various shared leadership positions

Peer Review (mentor and member)

Practice (mentor for unit based and member of housewide)

Policy & Procedure (chair)

Magnet (member and lead for 2 forces)

Facilitator, Reigniting the Spirit of Caring

 

Other Affiliations

Member, User’s Group Planning Committee, Project IMPACT, Inc. 1999-2002

Director, 2nd Annual Combat and Disaster Nursing Symposium, US Army

 

Professional Presentations

Podium presentation, ‘Oh, the lessons we learned! The trials and tribulations of increasing sepsis bundle compliance and improve patient outcomes’ at 31st Annual Rocky Mountain Interprofessional Research and Evidence-based Practice conference – April 2019

Clinical Vignette, ‘Using PI to Impact Cost & Quality’ presented at

5th Annual Project Impact User’s Group Meeting, 2001

Poster Presentation, ‘Rocket Rounds’ presented at 4th Annual Project Impact

User’s Group Meeting, 2000

Poster Presentation, ‘Eliminating VAP in ICU’ presented at the 2nd Annual

Research Conference, 2006

Break-out session, ‘ResearchQuest – A research ‘road trip’ presented at the 4th

Annual Research Conference, 2008

One-day seminar for PESI Healthcare, Patient Crisis: Identifying signs and symptoms

          before the patient crashes, 2009-2010

 

Research

Co-Principal Investigator, McKee Medical Center                                    2008-2009

Perceptions of Caring by staff nurses and patients

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