Ashley Thompson

Background

About Ashley Thompson

As a new grad RN I gained 2 years of Progressive care experience while learning new skills such as US IV insertion, CAPD, Arterial and venous sheath pull, and conscious sedation. From there I moved onto a step down ICU where I continued to grow my skill set and knowledge base in nursing and the nursing process. At the end of 2019 I gained employment through Glendale Community College as a Nursing professor, specializing in nursing simulation and lab. As COVID cases rapidly increased in 2020 I was quickly trained in intensive care and worked COVID ICU for 2 years. In 2021 my unit changed over to a trauma ICU in a level I trauma center. I received my TNCC and TCAR certifications and began taking a wide variety of trauma patients while also taking overflow COVID ICU patients. As a way to stay connected, deal with significant loss and find joy in patient care I created a program on our unit to help families remember and honor their loved ones by placing EKG strips with the patients names on them in tiny corked topped bottles and gifted them to families. I also created a variety of crosses and an anchor using cookie cutters and helped families stamp their loved ones finger prints in their memory. Throughout the course of my career I have perfected many skills including, but not limited to peripheral IV insertion and patient education. I am also well trained on an IV US machine for the assistance on placing peripheral IVs and participated in training new nurses on this skill. Being in a trauma ICU, I frequently prepared patients and families for their upcoming or emergent surgeries and recovered patients post-surgery in the Intensive Care unit. I’ve also contributed and participated in many bedside surgical procedures while maintaining sterility and utilizing aseptic technique. In my previous role as an ICU nurse I constantly utilized critical thinking to positively contribute to the care of my patients while effectively communicating with other nurses, health care providers and other members of the healthcare team. I thrive in fast paced environments and am thorough in delivering care in order to meet the individual needs of the patients. I enjoy providing patient and family education in order to aid in the patients transition to home. I strive to be the best nurse I can be and welcome feedback in order to achieve that goal.