February 2021
Chelsea
Beaty
,
BSN, BC-RN
ED
Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center

 

 

 

Chelsea understands how exhausted the department can get during peak COVID census shifts, but by providing great closed-loop communication, being clinically competent, and leading the team, she truly shines.
Chelsea seeks opportunities to learn and grow, supporting the VA ICARE values throughout her journey. Her participation in the ED-specific project for pain interventions and management. The main objectives for this project were to address the ineffectiveness of opiates to treat chronic pain as it continues to challenge providers amid the opiate epidemic and identifying low back pain as the number one chief complaint presenting to the ED. The task force met weekly with captivating discussions often lead by Chelsea in a respectable informal manner. Chelsea provided weekly updates to peers at daily huddles and brought back concerns/questions to the task force.
Chelsea models both humanistic and professional growth by stepping into the permanent PM charge nurse role during the re-activation of the COVID incident command. As a charge nurse, Chelsea understands how exhausted the department can get during peak COVID census shifts, but by providing great closed-loop communication, being clinically competent, and leading the team, she truly shines. The triage nurse reported concern for a potentially critical patient, but there were no available ED rooms due to capacity. Chelsea coordinated with the triage nurse, bringing this patient to an available hallway bed where she initiated monitoring and initial nursing orders. Chelsea discussed the plan of patient flow with our Alpha provider to move noncritical patients into discharge and the critical hallway patient into a monitored room. Within 30 minutes, this patient was receiving care with the team at the beside. She has been involved in hospital-wide shared governance, as co-chair of the EBP, QI, and Research Council. Chelsea continues to participate in the ED nurse Practice council to improve practice throughout the department.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chelsea took a two-week opportunity to learn the off-tour nursing supervisor role. During this time, Chelsea learned to collaborate, lead, and juggles multiple competing priorities. Chelsea is currently involved in the ED Women's health workgroup. Chelsea and the workgroup quickly identified the inconsistent care of the women Veterans, particularly related to genitourinary/gynecological exams. Chelsea developed a written template in CPRS to standardize the necessary assessment piece and documentation of a GU/GYN exam. This template is currently utilized by all nursing staff in the ED. Chelsea additionally reached out to the Women's Health Clinic to collaborate efforts at ZVAMC. She is a role model for the ED and nursing profession.