Julie Parrish

As a home health care nurse, I may need to treat a variety of patients. Patient ages may range from infants and young mothers who are recovering from childbirth to the elderly who are coping with chronic illness. My patients may have serious ailments, such as cancer, or be victims of a serious injury as the result of an accident. They may be recovering or dying. As a home health nurse, I must be able to cope with each individual situation, administering the proper treatment and compassion on a one-to-one basis for each patient. In addition to the ability to care for patients, as a home health nurse my skills go beyond medical training. I work independently, so I am capable of making treatment decisions and performing duties without supervision. At times I may be asked to oversee home health care aides, in which case they need supervisory skills. I must also be able to communicate effectively with patients and their families, as well as coordinate with doctors and other caregivers as needed. As a home health nurse, I must perform basic medical duties such as monitoring health statistics and giving medication at appropriate times and dosages, as well as providing treatment and palliative care. I also must be able to explain treatments and medications to families and patients. I must change dressings or other materials, and even conduct rehabilitative treatments if necessary. Most important is having a schedule set up to be flexible and available to perform the duties required daily.

I opened this six-bed Residential Care Facility for the Elderly (RCFE) in 2004 because I saw the critical need for high-quality, compassionate care in this field, and to respond to my passion for providing care for dementia patients. Since opening, this facility has NEVER been cited by the State of California for any violation or deficiency. Responsible for recruiting, training, and retaining staff of seven fulltime and part-time employees. 100% accountable for P&L for the facility – with full profitability shortly after opening. - Dementia care licensed - 3 hospice beds approved - Developed excellent rapport with major health plan physicians and psychiatrists driving improved care and ongoing referrals - On call 24/7 to access and address resident patient health issues - Personally train each staff member when a new patient/ resident is diagnosed with challenging behaviors, dementia, and or Alzheimer's Dementia, Universal Precautions, Infection Control, Illness Prevention Program, Disaster Preparedness, and OSHA - Write all Needs and Service Plans for each patient resident - Perform mental and physical assessments for patient resident prior to move in - Proactively manage patients diagnosed with UTI's, Diabetes, Colostomy Bags, Post-Polio, Stage I and Stage II Wound Care, Hoyer Lift, stroke, dementia, mental illness, leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, scoliosis, Parkinson's Disease, osteoporosis, GERD, Specialized Diets (low sodium, diabetic, high & low potassium, soft mechanical, pureed/blended, chopped), Seizure Disorder, Cancer (breast, lung, colon), Pacemakers. - Create special diets for each patient resident as needed and as recommended by their physician - Implement and maintain patient resident files - Preform bi-annual performance reviews of staff for enhancement of employment - Intermediate skills with MS Word, MS Excel, MS Power Point, and Adobe