Leonora Shurley
Vail
Summary
- Dynamic nursing professional with a proven track record of collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to deliver exceptional care to veterans.
- Expertise in developing comprehensive treatment plans that enhance patient outcomes, coupled with a commitment to ongoing professional development and adherence to best practices in nursing.
- Strong leadership skills demonstrated through guiding and supporting staff while fostering a positive work environment through effective communication and team-building initiatives.
- Proficient in utilizing electronic health record systems for meticulous documentation and managing complex situations to ensure safe, efficient, high-quality patient care across all facility areas.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Nurse Officer of the Day
Tucson VA Medical Center
09.2022 - Current
- Provides leadership in delivering and enhancing patient care.
- Actively participates in organizational activities and assumes responsibility for healthcare outcomes within the facility.
- Promotes and restores patients' health through effective daily management and collaborating with physicians and multidisciplinary professionals; and offers physical and psychological support to patients, families, and friends.
- Works with interdisciplinary teams to establish comprehensive treatment plans, leading to improved patient outcomes.
- Engages in ongoing professional development to stay current with best practices in nursing care.
- Fosters a positive work environment through effective communication and team-building initiatives.
- Proficiently utilizes electronic health record systems to ensure accurate documentation of all relevant patient information.
- Coordinates the delivery of safe, efficient, and effective patient care across all areas of the facility.
- Provides guidance, development, and support to staff using professional standards of care, scientific evidence, and best practices to assess programs and service activities.
- Applies innovative approaches to managing complex situations.
- Assumes authority, responsibility, and accountability for managing and directing staff, staffing processes, and resource allocation during weekends, holidays, after-hours, and in the absence of nursing leadership.
Nurse Executive of Emergency Department
TseHootSoi Medical Center
03.2019 - 06.2022
- Directs patient care by planning, organizing, directing and reviewing work required to provide safe, quality comprehensive, and evidence based nursing care.
- Assigns and directs tasks to staff in an efficient, equitable, and appropriate manner considering skill/knowledge and staff mix.
- Provides information, instruction, and training in tasks and performance techniques. Provides direction through daily huddles, chart audits, incident reports, direct observation, and surveys.
- Assures compliance with regulatory standards, participation in hospital quality assessment/performance improvement (QAPI) program and Navajo Area Program requirements. Identifies opportunities for improvement related to patient care and patient processes.
- Responsible for review and revision of policies and procedures related to the function of the department and provides staff in-services.
- Participates in and ensures staff completion of ongoing education and training. Directs and coordinates an interdisciplinary/team approach to patient care from admission to discharge to provide a holistic approach to care.
- Assures self and staff compliance with annual mandatory in-services, certifications, and trainings.
- Assists nursing staff with action plans to resolve patient/staff safety concerns.
Nurse Executive of Primary Care Clinic
TseHootSoi Medical Center
03.2018 - 03.2019
- Provide leadership and guidance to other nurses.
- Oversees all aspects of operating the Primary Care Clinic by supervising nursing staff and monitoring patient care.
- Collaboration with interdisciplinary professionals to improve and develop processes that will improve overall healthcare.
- Review and develop Policies and Procedures.
- Maintain and manage annual budget. Perform and complete assigned duties and responsibilities.
- Administered patient care, ensuring comfort and safety during treatments.
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to develop tailored care plans for patients.
- Led training sessions for new nursing staff on best practices and protocols.
- Implemented infection control measures, enhancing patient safety standards across the facility.
- Advocated for patient needs, facilitating communication between patients and healthcare providers.
ER Nurse Educator
Gallup Indian Medical Center
02.2011 - 12.2017
- Planning, designing, and implementing curricula for the Emergency Department nursing staff, including the coordination of relevant nursing courses.
- Monitoring competencies and certifications through dashboard tracking, submitting quarterly compliance reports, and maintaining employee records with updated competencies, training, and certifications.
- Developed the Emergency Department graduate nurse internship program to support new graduate nurses transitioning into the department.
- Providing mentorship, instruction, and training for new graduate nurses, staff nurses, contract nurses, and nurse assistants working in the Emergency Department.
- Conducting performance evaluations and skills assessments for Emergency Department personnel.
Organizing and facilitating an annual skills fair to ensure ongoing staff development. - Planning, implementing, and providing training to meet Level III trauma standards.
- Delivering ongoing education through mock codes and simulation exercises using SimMan for staff skill enhancement.
- Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to develop and implement comprehensive treatment plans for diverse patient populations.
PRN Flight Nurse
Tristate CareFlight
02.2011 - 07.2015
- Provided advanced life support and critical care during air transport missions.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to ensure optimal patient outcomes in emergency situations.
- Conducted thorough assessments of patients to determine appropriate care plans and interventions.
- Led quality assurance initiatives to improve compliance with regulatory standards in air medical services.
- Maintained flight medicine knowledge base by attending mandatory meetings, performing chart and equipment reviews, skills labs and clinical rotations and participating in continuing education sessions for care and transport of critically ill and injured patients.
- Planned, organized and positioned equipment and supplies for use in emergency conditions before, during and after transport.
- Provided compassionate support to patients'' families during difficult times while maintaining a calm demeanor under pressure.
- Communicated effectively with pilots and other crew members to optimize in-flight operations and patient care.
ER Nurse Specialist
Blackfeet Community Hospital
03.2010 - 02.2011
- Assessed patient conditions to determine appropriate emergency interventions.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to develop and implement care plans.
- Administered medications and treatments in accordance with protocols and guidelines.
- Monitored vital signs and documented changes to ensure patient safety and comfort.
Clinical Nurse
Fort Defiance IHS
01.2005 - 03.2010
- Assessed patient conditions, prioritized care based on urgency, and initiated appropriate interventions.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to develop and implement individualized care plans.
- Monitored vital signs and documented changes in patient status to ensure timely responses.
- Provided direct patient care, including administering medications and performing diagnostic tests.
- Streamlined emergency response processes, enhancing efficiency in critical situations.
- Exhibited strong clinical decision-making skills under high-pressure situations within the fast-paced emergency department environment.
Clinical Nurse
Crownpoint IHS
12.2000 - 12.2005
- Consistently provided culturally competent care to diverse patient populations, respecting individual beliefs and values while delivering exceptional nursing services.
- Participated actively in debriefings after critical incidents or adverse events in order to foster learning opportunities for continuous improvement among team members.
- Maintained accurate documentation of assessments, interventions, and evaluations for optimal continuity of care.
- Maintained a safe and clean environment in the Emergency Department, following infection control protocols meticulously to reduce risks of cross-contamination.
- Conducted thorough patient assessments to identify emergent needs and initiate appropriate interventions promptly.
Education
Master's degree - Nursing
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ10.2023
Bachelor's degree - Nursing
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ12.2012
Skills
- Work coordination
- Report writing
- Strategic planning
- Innovation and creativity
- Report preparation
- Cultural awareness
- Budgeting and finance
- Community relations
- Investigation leadership
- Information verification
- Emergency response
- Public speaking
- Emergency and non-emergency response
- Organizational skills
- Multitasking Abilities
- Time management
- Multitasking
- Interpersonal communication
Accomplishments
- Achieved roles of authority, responsibility, and accountability by directing employees, staffing units, allocating resources as necessary during weekends, holidays, and after-hour tours during the absence of nursing management and leadership.
- Collaborates with Administrative Officer of the Day(AOD) and other members of the interdisciplinary team as needed for decisions related to on-going patient care and actions taken in emergency situations and disasters.
Certification
- ACLS 10/2025
- BLS 10/2025
- PALS 10/2025
Language skills
Navajo Spoken: Intermediate | Written: Intermediate | Read: Intermediate
Timeline
Nurse Officer of the Day
Tucson VA Medical Center
09.2022 - Current
Nurse Executive of Emergency Department
TseHootSoi Medical Center
03.2019 - 06.2022
Nurse Executive of Primary Care Clinic
TseHootSoi Medical Center
03.2018 - 03.2019
ER Nurse Educator
Gallup Indian Medical Center
02.2011 - 12.2017
PRN Flight Nurse
Tristate CareFlight
02.2011 - 07.2015
ER Nurse Specialist
Blackfeet Community Hospital
03.2010 - 02.2011
Clinical Nurse
Fort Defiance IHS
01.2005 - 03.2010
Clinical Nurse
Crownpoint IHS
12.2000 - 12.2005
Master's degree - Nursing
Grand Canyon University
Bachelor's degree - Nursing
Grand Canyon University
Awards
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing 05/2023
Additional information
- 2020-2022 USCF HEAL Initiative Fellow: HEAL Initiative connects, trains, and mentors local healthcare professionals in resource-denied communities to strengthen care delivery and lay the foundation for enduring, systemic improvements in healthcare worker resilience and patient outcomes.