Howard Buffington

I have been a nurse for thirty years mostly in acute care. I began my nursing career as a Licensed Practical Nurse in 1991, received my associate's degree in 1997 followed by my bachelor's degree in 2017 and my MSN in 2018. My strongest assets are my clinical skills. I have worked Cardio-Thoracic step down unit, ICU, Cardiac Procedure Unit, CCU, Wound Care, and now Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner.

Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner - Affinity

(2023-11)

Nurse Practitioner for Hospitalist group - Incompass Health

(2022-10 - 2023-10)

Nurse Practitioner - ADVENT REDMOND FAMILY CARE AT WEST ROME

(2021-08 - 2022-07)

Provided primary care to patients in all age groups in an advanced practice role.

Nurse Practitioner - NORTHWEST CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY

(2021-05 - 2021-08)

Provided assessment and planning in an advanced practice role to patients experiencing cardiac and thoracic surgery.

Staff Nurse, Preadmission Testing - REDMOND REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

(2015-10 - 2021-05)

Responsibilities include performing anesthesia screening, medication review, as well as performing history and physicals for patients prior to surgery.

Wound Care Nurse - Kindred Health Care

(2013-02 - 2015-10)

Provided simple and complex wound care for patients in a long-term acute care facility.

• Participated in care planning, discharge planning, and interdisciplinary teams.

Charge Nurse, Cardiac Procedure Unit - HCA Health System

(2008-05 - 2013-02)

The Cardiac Procedure Unit is a one-of-a-kind procedure unit within the HCA health system. In the Cardiac Procedure Unit, cardiac patients are prepped and then recovered after elective heart catheterization, post cardiac interventions, pacemaker implants, and electrophysiological studies. In the Cardiac Procedure Unit, I also administered conscious sedation and assisted physicians with cardioversions and transesophageal echocardiograms.

During this time I often floated to CCU and cared for cardiac patients experiencing acute STEMI and post-reperfusion intervention. In the CCU we care for hemodynamically unstable patients including cardiogenic shock, heart failure, and patients requiring IABP therapy.

PRN House Supervisor - REDMOND REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

(1999-06 - 2008-05)

• Assess patient care needs on each unit.
• Develop and implement staffing plan per shift based on patient acuity, patient census, and available staff.
• Serve as a resource to nursing staff.
• Assist staff to efficiently utilize staffing resources to meet patient care requirements and other professional responsibilities.

Charge Nurse - REDMOND REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

(1999-05 - 2008-05)

Charge Nurse of 16-bed Cardiothoracic/Medical high acuity ICU with a patient population consisting of patients post-CABG, thoracic surgeries, open chest and vascular surgeries.

• Assisted with opening new 12-bed Surgical ICU.

RN-Charge Nurse - Redmond Regional Medical Center

(1991-07 - 1999-05)

Charge Nurse over 24 bed cardiothoracic/vascular step-down unit.

Diploma - Practical Nursing - Coosa Valley Technical Institute (1989-11 - 1991-06)

Associate's Degree - Nursing - Floyd College (1994-10 - 1997-06)

Bachelor's Degree - Nursing - wESTERN gOVERNOR'S uNIVERSITY (2015-05 - 2017-11)

Master's Degree - Nursing Education - wESTERN gOVERNOR'S uNIVERSITY (2017-11 - 2018-10)

Certificate - Family Nurse Practitioner Program - hERZING uNIVERSITY (2018-11 - 2020-08)