graciela contreras

Completed 1 week fieldwork at Carondelet St. Joseph’s Hospital inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation. -Worked with clients who survived stroke, amputations, traumatic brain injury, and encephalopathy.

* Established a strong working relationship with residents (8) of 24 hour behavioral health home. Residents had a variety of diagnosis, including Diabetes Mellitus, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective disorder, Depression, etc. * Assist and monitor daily activities for safety such as cooking and cleaning * Instructed and demonstrated life skills such as meal preparation as needed * Assisted with medication management as prescribed * Reviewed and tracked daily behavioral goals * Provided encouragement to residents to work towards goals of moving towards a more independent living situation * Provided counseling and education of behavior, stress management strategies, or other topics of concern from resident or staff. * Communicated and educated fellow staff regarding changes in client status or medication * Documented the events of the day, and whether client goals were attempted and achieved * Participated in monthly staff meetings to increase education on resident condition and/or status.

* Completed 40 hour fieldwork at ranch-style community living where individuals with developmental disabilities live, work, and learn. * Reviewed charts, interviewed residents and staff, and observed in order to identify functional limitations and complete a needs assessment, * Helped facilitate a game program to work on social skills and graded activities during the game program to meet individual abilities and skill level. * Created an educational resource tool for staff and resident use.

* Monitored and tracked labs, weights and daily oral meal intakes of patients/residents * Recommended nutritional support and supplements as needed for rapid weight loss, rapid weight gain suspected due to fluid retention, to support wound healing, etc. * Provided nutritional education and counseling to patients/residents and families * Lead weekly interprofessional “Residents at Risk” meetings”. * Prepared and participated in Care Plan meetings with professional team, resident, and family. * Completed admissions assessments and quarterly/ annual follow up assessments. * Completed MDS paperwork for billing related to nutritional services.

* Caregiver to elderly man who survived three strokes, has right hemiplegia, and expressive aphasia. * Assisted with daily exercises as prescribed by a Physical Therapist * Assisted with personal care activities such as dressing and showering. * Assisted with transfers to and from the wheelchair, bed, and shower. * Established therapeutic relationship by providing patient, therapeutic listening

* Directed and demonstrated to client how to properly execute exercises and stretches prescribed by Physical Therapist in outpatient physical therapy clinic * Ensured maintenance of physical functioning by helping client to complete exercises with proper form and technique so as to not aggravate injury or create new injury * Applied ice or moist heat with electrical stimulation as needed or required for treatment * Reviewed home exercises with patient as need to ensure client understanding * Modified exercises as needed dependent on client ability and understanding * Monitor for changes in client status, update Physical Therapists as necessary * Maintain effective communication with overseeing Physical Therapist, client, and family * Administrative duties: prepared new client charts, answered phone calls, made and verified client appointment appointments, filing, updating charts, and tracking number of visits against number approved by insurance.

Coursework has included adult and pediatric sensory and neurologic impairments and interventions, psychosocial impairments and interventions, biomechanic impairments and interventions, upper extremity impairments and interventions, cognition and visual impairments and interventions, community-based practice, and environmental adaptations.

* Work in a variety of units within the hospital including med-surg, pediatrics, etc. * Provide continual bedside observation to ensure patient safety * Commonly work with patients with suicidal ideation (e.g. self-inflicted gunshot wound), eating disorders, psychiatric conditions (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc.), intentional/unintentional drug overdose, alcohol withdrawal, sundowner’s, delirium, weakness (fall risk), etc. * Calm and reorient patient in cases of agitation or confusion * Assist nursing staff with patient care, transfers, and bed mobility as needed * Assist patients with feeding and mobility as need * Establish therapeutic relationship by providing comfort and companionship in non-judgmental environment * Notify nursing staff of any changes in client status; provide report to next staff on shift on client status throughout shift.