Melanie Shinton
Edinburgh
Summary
Clinical nurse management professional with extensive expertise in advanced clinical nursing practice and infection control procedures. Demonstrates proficiency in healthcare software and safeguarding procedures, ensuring quality assurance oversight and promoting well-being. Skilled in wound care techniques, medication administration, catheterisation, and venepuncture, with a strong focus on care planning and clinical leadership. Committed to staff mentoring and clinical auditing to enhance patient outcomes. Career goals include advancing clinical assessment capabilities and critical evaluation skills to further improve healthcare delivery.
Motivated ICU Nurse with 30 years of experience.
Overview
31
31
years of professional experience
3996
3996
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Registered nurse
NHS Lothian- Critical Care
Edinburgh, Midlothian
01.2024 - Current
- Delivering comprehensive patient care by assessing needs and implementing appropriate interventions.
- Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to develop and execute effective care plans for diverse patient populations.
- Educating patients and families on health management, promoting adherence to treatment regimens and preventive measures.
- Mentoring junior nurses and nursing students, fostering professional development and ensuring adherence to best practices.
- Implemented infection control protocols, maintaining a safe and hygienic environment for patients and staff.
- Liaised with multidisciplinary team to improve patient outcomes.
- Assessed, planned and implemented treatments with precision and care, prioritising patient wellbeing.
Nurse Manager- Complex Care- Part Time
Robinson Medical Recruitment
Edinburgh, Midlothian
01.2024 - Current
- Mentored nursing staff to improve clinical skills and foster professional development.
- Evaluated patient care protocols to ensure adherence to best practices and regulatory standards.
- Fostered positive work environment through effective communication techniques.
- Rigorously adhered to health regulations and guidelines; upheld highest standards of nursing care.
- Maintained comprehensive records and reports, aiding in professional audits and inspections.
- Attended professional development workshops, staying updated on industry advancements.
Clinical Lead
Direct Homecare
12.2022 - 10.2023
- Worked full time managing the staff and clients within Social Care, Complex Care packages. Provided on the job training, writing care-plans, liaising with health professionals and commissioners to provide safe and effective care. I was also involved in disciplinary procedures as well as raising safeguarding concerns to the relevant bodies.
- Improved quality standards with thorough audit processes and performance reviews.
- Handled annual appraisals for employees and facilitated personal development plans in compliance with mandatory training.
- Identified areas in need of clinical improvement and implemented process changes to accommodate.
Staff Nurse
RMR Nurse Agency - Edinburgh
03.2020 - 12.2022
- Working full time (36-60 hours per week) within the COVID and Non-COVID ITU in the NHS within Lothian, caring for patients who are intubated and ventilated, multi-organ failure, requiring inotropic support, and prone-ventilation. Supporting patients who are level 1 to level 3 as well as working with nurses re-deployed to the ITU area from different specialities to help staff the area for COVID.
Staff Nurse
NHS Scotland, Golden Jubilee National Hospital
12.2020 - 04.2022
- Working Full time (38 hours per week) within the cardiothoracic ICU, managing post op patients after heart surgery. This requires managing and monitoring blood loss, giving fluids, giving blood products, escalating emergencies to surgeons so that the patient can return to theatre ASAP. Following protocols to extubate patients in a timely manner. Managing patients with epicardial pacing, Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumps, Central lines, Pulmonary-Artery Catheters and Cardiac Output monitoring. Titration of inotropes to get the best outcome for the patient. Prisma-Flex Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy. I work regularly in the general ICU, and the HDU when the cardiothoracic ICU is closed.
Nurse Manager
RMR Nurse Agency - Edinburgh
01.2020 - 03.2020
- Working full time managing Registered Nurses and health care assistants within the agency supplying staff to the NHS and private health sector within Scotland. My main role involved insuring that nurses were compliant with training, revalidation for the NMC and adhering to the Health and Social Care standards. A large majority of my work involved trouble shooting clinical enquiries from nurses, dealing with complaints and also interviewing nurses for employment. This post was interrupted by COVID-19
Staff Nurse
RMR Nursing Agency - Edinburgh
06.2016 - 01.2020
- Working 30-60 hours a week caring for adults with complex health needs within the community and respite facilities. Working autonomously caring for patients with tracheostomies, suction, ventilation, PEG feeds, complex spinal injuries, motor neurone disease, epilepsy and seizure management, diabetes, chest physio, cough assist. Working within private hospitals in the HDU and ITU caring for patients post-op, with sepsis and co-morbidities needing closer monitoring.
Staff Nurse
Ambition Nursing - Surrey, UK
03.2015 - 06.2016
- Working 30-70 hours a week caring for children in the community with complex needs. Tracheostomy care, suction, seizure management, PEG/Jejunostomy feeds and care, ketogenic diet management, nebulisers, chest physio.
Staff Nurse
Mayfair Specialist Nurses
Edinburgh
10.2007 - 03.2015
- Staff Nurse Looking after children and adults in the community. 40-70 hours per week. Day to day tasks include respiratory physiotherapy, manual hyper-inflation using ambu bag, and suction, and routine tracheostomy changes. Passive limb movements, toileting, feeding through gastrostomy tube. Taking clients to school, and liaising with members of the multi-disciplinary team to get the best outcome for the child. Using Legendair ventilator. Also including management of life-threatening epilepsy.
Staff Nurse
Medic International
Edinburgh
10.2007 - 03.2008
- Staff Nurse Worked in theatre recovery at St. Johns hospital, Livingston, for 35-45 hours per week. Managing post-op patients who were requiring pain relief, monitoring, fluid resuscitation and airway management.
Staff Nurse
RMR Medical Recruitment - Edinburgh
05.2007 - 09.2007
- Working predominantly in theatre recovery, ITU and worked 30-40 hours per week in the cardiothoracic ITU in Aberdeen for 3 months. I looked after people who were post-op after cardiac surgery, which involved titrating inotropes, warming and weaning for extubation and looking after people with Inta-aortic balloon pumps, and cardiac pacing wires.
Staff Nurse
Medico Nursing Agency - Edinburgh
09.2006 - 04.2007
- Caring for a patient in the community 40-60 hours per week, who has complex needs requiring ventilation. Breas 400 ventilator, pulse oxymetry, epilepsy management, and routine tracheostomy changes.
Staff Nurse
Mayfair Specialist Nurses
Edinburgh
12.2004 - 09.2006
- Staff Nurse Work in general ITU and Cardiothoracic ITU approx 40 hours per week.
Staff Nurse
Scottish Nursing Guild - Edinburgh
05.2005 - 01.2006
- Working 40-50 hours per week, looking after a patient in the community who had complex physical disabilities requiring ventilation. This patient had very complicated ventilation needs, suffering from cardio-myopathy and recurrent chest infections treated with nurse-led physiotherapy. Ventilators used were Nippy3 and Breas 400.
Staff Nurse
Prestige Nurses - Bristol
09.2003 - 12.2004
- Working 30-50 hours per week in General ITU, Cardiothoracic ITU and Neurosurgical ITU.
Staff Nurse
BUPA Hospital - Bristol
08.2002 - 09.2003
- Working 38-50 hours per week working in cardiothoracic ITU and recovery. Recovering orthopaedic, gynaecological, spinal, neurosurgical and cosmetic surgery.
Clinical Facilitator
University of Western Sydney
03.2002 - 06.2002
- Working 40 hours per week supervising undergraduate nurses in various clinical placements for Three two week clinical blocks. It involved grading their clinical performance, and teaching procedures in line with university policy.
Registered Nurse, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Clinical Nurse Educator
Westmead Hospital Westmead - Westmead NSW
Westmead, NSW
09.1998 - 05.2002
- Westmead Hospital Westmead, NSW
acting Clinical Nurse Educator ITU
Westmead Hospital Westmead
06.2001 - 02.2002
- Staff Nurse ITU Westmead Hospital Westmead September 1998 to March 2001 is a 975 bed tertiary referral hospital. It has a 16 bed ITU (now expanding), catering for patients needing neurosurgery, thoracic surgery, abdominal surgery, orthopaedic surgery and treatment for multi organ dysfunction. This includes inotropes, haemofiltration fluid resuscitation and complex ventilation needs. This unit takes the majority of road traumas in Sydney. As acting Clinical nurse educator I was responsible for orientating new staff to ITU, marking learning packages, bedside teaching and liaising with management and medical staff identifying teaching needs for the staff. I also lectured staff on ventilation and caring for the neurologically impaired patient. As Clinical Nurse Specialist I was a resource person for fellow staff, as well as being in charge of my shift. I was in charge of bed movements, admitting and discharging patients. Responsibilities also included staffing the unit, and day to day trouble shooting in conjunction with senior medical staff. Staff Nurse in ITU included caring for critically ill patients, working as part of the multi disciplinaryteam. This also included daily learning, in conjunction with learning packages. Equipment used thus far in my career (Not exhaustive) Ventilators: Siemens Servo300 ventilators, Dräger Evita ventilators, Nippy and Puritan Bennett ventilators, oxylog on patient transfers. Monitors: Maquet, Phillips, and Siemens. Haemofiltration: PRISMA dialysis machine. Infusion Devices: Baxter pumps; Colleague and Flo-guard. Plusmany more syringe drivers and infusion devices. Intra-aortic Balloon Pump: Data scope device. Limited experience post cardiothoracic surgery and cardiogenic shock. ICP Monitors: Codman and ICP transducers. Also experienced with CSF drainage post surgery and trauma. Biventricular drainage also. I am highly experienced working with: Artificial airways, tracheostomy and ETT's Arterial lines, Central Venous Catheters ,Underwater Seal Chest drainage, Managing fluid resuscitation, Inotrope therapy, Pacemakers ,Interpreting blood gas results and Physical assessment.
Staff Nurse Neurosurgery and New Graduate Program
Royal North Shore Hospital
03.1995 - 09.1998
- Working full time (40 hours per week) in a New Graduate Program where I orientated to cardiology, Theatres (role of scrub and scout nurse), and neurosurgery. From July 1996 worked full time (40 hours per week) on 7B the Neurosurgery ward, caring for patients who had experienced traumatic brain injury and also recovering from brain and spinal surgery.
Education
Masters of Science - Mindfulness Studies
University of Aberdeen
Aberdeen 01.2012 - 01.2020
Masters - Critical Care Nursing
Sydney University
Sydney, NSW 01.1999 - 01.2001
Diploma - Nursing
University of Technology, Sydney
Kuringai, NSW 01.1993 - 12.1995
Higher School Certificate -
Menai High School
NSWSchool Certificate -
Menai High School
Skills
- Advanced clinical expertise
- Safeguarding procedures knowledge
- Healthcare software proficiency
- Promoting well-being
- Quality assurance oversight
- Wound care techniques
- Medication Administration
- Care planning
- Staff mentoring
- Clinical auditing
- Clinical nurse management
- Infection control procedures
- Clinical assessment
- Critical evaluation
- Clinical nursing practice
Timeline
Registered nurse
NHS Lothian- Critical Care
01.2024 - Current
Nurse Manager- Complex Care- Part Time
Robinson Medical Recruitment
01.2024 - Current
Clinical Lead
Direct Homecare
12.2022 - 10.2023
Staff Nurse
NHS Scotland, Golden Jubilee National Hospital
12.2020 - 04.2022
Staff Nurse
RMR Nurse Agency - Edinburgh
03.2020 - 12.2022
Nurse Manager
RMR Nurse Agency - Edinburgh
01.2020 - 03.2020
Staff Nurse
RMR Nursing Agency - Edinburgh
06.2016 - 01.2020
Staff Nurse
Ambition Nursing - Surrey, UK
03.2015 - 06.2016
Masters of Science - Mindfulness Studies
University of Aberdeen
01.2012 - 01.2020
Staff Nurse
Mayfair Specialist Nurses
10.2007 - 03.2015
Staff Nurse
Medic International
10.2007 - 03.2008
Staff Nurse
RMR Medical Recruitment - Edinburgh
05.2007 - 09.2007
Staff Nurse
Medico Nursing Agency - Edinburgh
09.2006 - 04.2007
Staff Nurse
Scottish Nursing Guild - Edinburgh
05.2005 - 01.2006
Staff Nurse
Mayfair Specialist Nurses
12.2004 - 09.2006
Staff Nurse
Prestige Nurses - Bristol
09.2003 - 12.2004
Staff Nurse
BUPA Hospital - Bristol
08.2002 - 09.2003
Clinical Facilitator
University of Western Sydney
03.2002 - 06.2002
acting Clinical Nurse Educator ITU
Westmead Hospital Westmead
06.2001 - 02.2002
Masters - Critical Care Nursing
Sydney University
01.1999 - 01.2001
Registered Nurse, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Clinical Nurse Educator
Westmead Hospital Westmead - Westmead NSW
09.1998 - 05.2002
Staff Nurse Neurosurgery and New Graduate Program
Royal North Shore Hospital
03.1995 - 09.1998
Diploma - Nursing
University of Technology, Sydney
01.1993 - 12.1995
Higher School Certificate -
Menai High School
School Certificate -
Menai High School