Karen Winckler

With over 30 years of experience in home care and nursing, adept at total patient care, medication administration, and patient/family education. Proficient in using electronic health records, monitoring medical equipment, and maintaining a safe environment. Skilled in documentation, communication, and providing excellent care to clients of all ages.

Personal Assistant • Full-time - Committed Home Care - Brooklyn, NY

(2025-01)

Committed Home Care is the liaison company for Public Partnerships (PPL). PPL is the payor company for the NY Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDAP). CDAP allows family members to care for their loved ones, at home.

Provides care of a family member at home. Responsible for medication and meal preparation, and administration of same. Transportation to doctor appointments, as well as communication with doctor's office's and health insurance representatives.

Housekeeping chores include cleaning surfaces and laundry. Also, encourage socializing with neighbors and other family members.

• Wound care to new right below the knee amputation. Wound Vac dressing changed weekly
• Assisted with activities of daily living when client has appointments. Travels with client to doctors appointments to explain medical conditions.
• Collaborates with a vascular surgeon to prevent infection of the right amputation sight, and observation of the left foot to help prevent a left leg amputation.

Home Care LPN • Part-time - Angels of Care - Charlotte, NC

(2021-03 - 2025-01)

Angels of Care is a Texas based Home Health Agency that caters to the care of clients who need the help of LPNs and RNs to maintain their health status’ in their homes. Total patient care of pediatric and geriatric clients in their homes. Equipment used includes: ventilators that are connected to tracheostomies, cough assists, Chest PT vests, and feeding tubes.

• Monitored medical equipment (ventilator, oxygen tanks, nebulizers, tracheostomy, etc.).
• Care given according to doctor’s orders and care plan. Updated care plans as needed to provide current care information.
• Patient and family education daily to ensure needed information is provided, and to address questions or concerns.

Home Health Nurse - Maxim Healthcare

(2022-12 - 2023-03)

Maxim healthcare is a healthcare agency that not only uses the expertise of LPNs and RNs to care for pediatric and geriatric clients in their homes, but also in long term care and skilled nursing facilities.

• Follows known Doctor’s orders and plan of care
• Provides needed safety measures throughout the shift
• Patient and caregiver education given to assist with any possible needs, questions, or concerns

Home Care Nurse - Mission Medstaff/Angels of Care - Charlotte, NC

(2021-03 - 2022-09)

Mission Medstaff joined with Angels of Care to provide a broader home healthcare agency. They provide nursing care (RN and LPN) to clients who have tracheostomies, ventilators, feeding tubes, Chest PT, and cough assist.

• Maintained a safe environment for mobility and learning.
• Updates client’s care plan as needed.
• Documentation of client’s activity, per shift, including, but not limited to: personal care, activity, medications, treatments, and sleep patterns using Kantime.
• Patient and family teaching daily

Customer Service Representative • Contractor - Randstad Employment Services - Charlotte, NC

(2018-09 - 2018-12)

Randstad Employment Services is an employment agency that specializes in temporary, and temporary to permanent job positions that cross multiple organizations and disciplines. In a call center environment, I worked for a well-known organization that provided healthcare benefits for their employees. As a seasonal worker, calls were received from employees that needed to enroll in the healthcare benefits, but needed the process explained, or just needed the call center employee to process the information properly.

• Handled 40-100 customer calls daily.
• Educated customers about the healthcare benefits provided by their employer.
• Practiced security measures to maintain privacy of customers’ information.
• Maintained professionalism during agitated phone calls.
• Practiced company policies and procedures when handling calls.
• Aimed for 100% customer satisfaction with each customer interaction to prevent escalation
• Took appropriate action with each phone call, by providing customer needs; de-escalating the call, if needed, to obtain the best possible results.
• Able to navigate between multiple screens to obtain, and document information.

LPN Home Care • Full-time - Interim Health Care - Mooresville, NC

(2013-11 - 2014-05)

Interim Health Care is a healthcare agency that provides quality care to pediatric and geriatric patients through the work of their LPN and RN professionals. Provided quality care to patients that had tracheotomies and used ventilators, oxygen, Chest PT vests, cough assists, and briefs.

• Proficiently received, documented and implemented doctor’s orders for home care patients.
• Contributed to the monitoring of supplies to ensure adequate stock was maintained.
• Monitored medical equipment to ensure efficiency.

LPN Staff Nurse • Full-time - Presbyterian Orthopedic Hospital - Charlotte, NC

(1999-02 - 2011-09)

Presbyterian Orthopedic Hospital, now known as Charlotte Orthopedic Hospital (COH), is North Carolina’s only free-standing orthopedic hospital. Part of Novant Health, COH is a magnet hospital that services patients that need various types of bone surgery, including, but not limited to: hip and knee replacements, various types of back surgeries, and repairs to joints and bones. As a full-time staff nurse, I worked closely with doctors and other nurses, physical, occupational, and speech therapists, case managers, and outside facilities.

Shared information to help improve patient care. Served on the best practices team and met monthly to discuss and implement strategies that would improve patient care. Improvements include the GEL-IN/GEL-OUT campaign that mandated the use of alcohol-based gel when entering and exiting a patient's room.

Walking rounds also became mandatory. Safety and universal precautions are provided at all times.

• Accurately recognized, reported and recorded relevant patient information for 7-10 patients.
• Efficiently admitted, transferred, and discharged patients while providing patient confidentiality.
• Maintained compliance of HIPPA, CMS, OSHA, and Joint Commission rules and regulations.
• Used excellent judgement in selecting the appropriate order and sequence of procedures and treatments.
• Prepared and administered prescribed medications for 7-10+ patients, per Doctor’s Orders.
• Demonstrated appropriate use of Cerner electronic medical records (EMRs), feeding and IV pumps, CPAP, CPU and PCAs; Pyxis machines, O2 tanks and air compressors.

LPN Staff Nurse - Mecklenburg Healthcare Center - Charlotte, NC

(2000-06 - 2001-08)

• Maintained, and updated medical records and care plans of 40+ patients.
• Documented noted changes, and reported any deviation from normal to RN and MD.
• Managed 2-5 Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) and ensured care was given to meet patients’ needs.
• Observed for physical and/or emotional changes in patient’s condition; monitored patient’s condition after administering medications and/or treatments to 40+.

LPN Staff Nurse - Daughters of Israel Nursing Home - West Orange, NJ

(1989-10 - 1999-06)

Not only did I care for 40 residents mostly on the night shift, I also worked the day and evening shifts, as needed. Also, gave suggestions to nursing administrators to help improve residents' stay. For example, bright lights are not in use in rooms after residents are prepared for bed at night, and prior to their morning routine.

Also, doors to residents' rooms should not be closed when a resident is in bed, unless the resident signs a release form. This helped with resident and incident monitoring and prevention.

Bachelors of Science - Healthcare Management; Minor in Health Informatics - Colorado Technical Univesity (2018-03)

Associates of Science - Healthcare Administrative Services - Colorado Technical Univesity (2015-08)

Masters of Healthcare Management Candidate - Minor in Healthcare Informatics; Obtained 16 credits - Colorado Technical Univesity