Sarah McMahon

The focus of my research will be specific to my experiences which is the Nurse Practitioner (NP) practice role and increasing efficiencies within the healthcare system. The purpose of my planned research is to explore the perceptions of NPs in Ontario regarding the upcoming expanded prescriptive authority of diagnostic imaging. My long term study aim is to explore the effects of expanded NP practice in Ontario.

I am especially interested in determining how this will this affect our health-care at a systems level, how inefficiencies can be eliminated and how these changes can influence the NP curriculum.

Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner at Windsor Regional Hospital, Met Campus (2010-01 – Present)

Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner working in the Emergency Department with focus on best practice guidelines, evidence-based research, advanced health assessment, and diagnostic capabilities.

• Critically appraises best practice guidelines and evidenced based research for utility in practice
• Proficient in self-directed learning as demonstrated by fulfilling learning plan goals each year
• Skilled in consultation and collaboration with interdisciplinary members of the health care team
• Practices advanced health assessment and diagnosing within the scope of practice of the nurse practitioner
• Provides therapeutic management for episodic and chronic health conditions to a variety of populations including pharmacological treatment, counseling and health education
• Practices health promotion and illness/disease prevention through health screening by means of diagnostic modalities, risk factor analysis and assessment skills
• Mentors nurse practitioner students and medical students in the clinical field
• Performs quality assurance and follow up care for nurse practitioners and physicians who order out-patients investigations
• Reviews statistics regarding patient outcomes in order to improve processes within the emergency department

Registered Nurse at Windsor Regional Hospital, Met Campus (2006-01 – 2010-12)

Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department providing patient-centered care across multiple populations and specialties.

• Collaborated with various disciplines to achieve patient centered care
• Implemented goal oriented interventions based on physical assessment and critical thinking while continuously evaluating and modifying the plan of care
• Provided emergent care to clients requiring resuscitative efforts
• Triaged clients upon arrival to the emergency department based on the Canadian Triage Acuity Scale
• Provided nursing care to medical, telemetry, intensive care, respiratory, oncology, obstetrical, psychiatric, infant and paediatric populations during transition from the emergency department to designated areas of admission or discharge
• Acted as mentor for University of Windsor Nursing Students

Data Analysis, Emergency Department at Windsor Regional Hospital, Metropolitan Campus (2015-01 – 2016-12)

Analyzed emergency department data to identify trends and improve performance metrics as outlined by the Ministry of Health.

• Reviewed data entry in Excel for errors, input by hospital coders on standard metrics to measure emergency department performance as outlined by the Ministry of Health
• Reviewed medical charts to identify trends and barriers to meeting goal metrics
• Formulated action plans and interventions based on my findings to improve metrics which was implemented by leadership staff

Session Instructor, Clinical Nursing Experience at University of Windsor, Faculty of Nursing (2011-01 – Present)

Session instructor overseeing clinical nursing education for students in pediatrics, surgical and medical units.

• In the clinical setting of pediatrics, surgical and medical units, directly supervises students as they provide patient care
• Develops orientation packages and outlines expectations for the course specific to each unit
• Facilitates learning through developing slides and learning activities to teach nursing skills during 2nd year orientation
• Provides individual evaluations to students based on their clinical experience, written work and overall performance

Lab Instructor and OSCE Examiner, Physical Assessment at University of Windsor, Faculty of Nursing (2017-01 – 2017-12)

Lab instructor and OSCE examiner for Physical Assessment course, developing interactive teaching methods and assessing student performance.

• Created weekly teaching plans to facilitate course materials to learners
• Developed interactive methods to demonstrate and practice physical exam techniques
• Appraised learners for success during live skills assessment

Nurse Practitioner Mentor at Windsor Regional Hospital, Met Campus (2016-01 – Present)

Mentor for nurse practitioner and medical students in the clinical field, overseeing minor procedures and patient care supervision.

• Mentors nurse practitioner students and medical students in the clinical field within the emergency department
• Oversees learners with the practice of minor procedures such as suturing, incision and drainages, wound care and orthopedic reductions and splinting
• Directs patient care presented by learners through supervision of cases including the review of presenting illness, physical exams, investigational methods, differential diagnoses and appropriate plans of care for each patient

Nurse Practitioner Certificate in Primary Health Care – University of Windsor (2008-01 – 2010-12)

Masters of Nursing in Nursing – University of Windsor (2006-01 – 2010-12)

Bachelors of Science (Honours) in Nursing – University of Windsor (2002-01 – 2006-12)