196 Norwood Drive
Reidsville, N.C. 27320 rhondalucas59@yahoo.com
Cell 336-432-2497
Rhonda W. Lucas
Education 2010 - 2013 University of North Carolina at Greensboro
! Graduated with Master of Science Degree in Nursing 2004 – 2005 Winston-Salem State University Winston-Salem, North Carolina
! Graduated with Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing 1981 - 1984 Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte, North Carolina
! Graduated with Associate Degree in Nursing
1978 - 1980 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, North Carolina
! Enrolled in Bachelor of Science in Nursing program
Professional Certifications
Adult Gerontological Nurse Practitioner 2014 Critical Care Nurse certification 1990-1996
Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse certification 1998-2012
Professional
Experience
2013-
Caswell Family Medical Center
Yanceyville, N.C.
Community Provider of House Calls Program
• Provide primary care to frail adults and elders in their private home, family care home, assisted living, and skilled nursing facilities
2010-2011
Advanced Home Care, Inc.
High Point, N.C.
Admissions Nurse July 2010 - August 2011 Evaluated and admitted patients in home care program
2001 – 2010
Hospice of Rockingham County (HRC), Inc.
Wentworth, N.C.
Director of Clinical Operations Sept. 2009 – May 2010
• In addition to duties/responsibilities below under VP/Director of Facility
and Support Services, managed/supervised all clinical staff at Hospice of Rockingham County.
• Co-directed all hospice operations in the interim in the absence of a
President/CEO.
• Coordinated and facilitated all infection control and staff development
activities of the agency.
VP-Director of Facility and Support Services Sept.2005 –Sept.2009
• Served as Director and directly reported to the President/CEO;
supervised day-to-day operations in the absence of the President/CEO.
• Supervised 3 Social Workers, 3 Chaplain/Bereavement Coordinators,
and 1 Manager of Volunteer Services with 40-50 volunteers under her management.
• Served as Manager for the Hospice Home that was built and fully
operational by November of 2007. Oversaw the building project and hired/trained Hospice Home staff. Developed and implemented the policies/procedures for the hospice home. Was responsible for the state licensure preparation, Medicare certification, and accreditation of the hospice home. Maintained oversight of the safety and QI plans as well as the physical plant management of the hospice home.
• Collected, analyzed, and reported data regarding quality improvement
and ensured compliance with all regulatory and accrediting bodies. Regularly developed administrative and clinical documentation tools to assist with compliance. Developed and coordinated PIPs (performance improvement projects).
• Developed and held accountable for fiscal management of Hospice
Home. Developed and maintained budget for the Hospice Home. Reviewed/approved invoices for patient-related expenses and Hospice Home building and operating expenses.
• Planned, scheduled, and procured educational opportunities for staff in
order to meet continuing education requirements. Assisted in volunteer training and ongoing continued education requirements for volunteers.
• Provided oral and written presentations for community, church, and
civic groups regarding hospice care and other end-of-life topics as needed/requested. Represented Hospice of Rockingham County on area committees and task forces as needed/requested.
• Assisted community relations department in creating and implementing
communication education and fundraising activities. Director of Patient Services March 2001 – September 2005
• Served as Director immediately under the President/CEO; supervised
day-to-day operations in the absence of the President/CEO. Reviewed/approved bills for patient-related expenses.
• Supervised clinical staff to include 6-7 Registered Nurses, 3 Certified
Nursing Assistants, 2-3 Social Workers, 2-3 Chaplains, 1 Volunteer Manager with 40-50 volunteers under her management, and 2 Medical Records Staff.
• Served as Compliance Officer and was responsible for meeting state,
federal, and accreditation requirements. Assisted the President/CEO in overseeing the collection, analysis, and reporting of data regarding quality improvement, compliance, and fiscal management.
• Planned, scheduled, and procured educational opportunities for staff in
order to meet continuing education requirements. Spoke to community, church, and civic groups regarding hospice services, end-of-life decision-making, and pain symptom management. Spoke over 50 times to various groups on different topics.
1994 – 2001 Duplin Home Care & Hospice, Inc.
(now CarolinaEast Home Care and Hospice, Inc.)
Kenansville, NC.
Home Health Admission Nurse March 2000-March 2001
• Met with patients and their families to explain home health services.
Completed initial assessment and initial plan of home health care for these patients including discharge planning.
• Served as Trainers for new computer software/laptop for electronic
documentation. Was involved in problem-solving and troubleshooting for staff at the beginning of this project.
Hospice Coordinator October 1997-March 2000
• Coordinated hospice program to ensure regulatory compliance and to
uphold standard of care of hospice patients and their families. Supervised 3 RNs, 2 Social Workers, 1 Bereavement Counselor/Volunteer Coordinator. Assisted the Home Health Coordinator, and assumed those duties in her absence.
Community Educator December 1996-October 1997
• Presented community education programs to church and civic groups,
skilled nursing and rest home facilities, and in local Certified Nursing Assistant and Associate Degree Nursing programs at the local
community college. Organized, manned, and resourced booths at fairs and community events. Provided weekly ongoing education/support for physicians and health care workers at Duplin General Hospital. Hospice Staff Nurse October 1994-December 1996
• Provided primary nursing care/case management for home care
hospice patients and supervised Home Health Aides working in homes.
1986 – 1994 New Hanover Regional Medical Center
Wilmington, N.C.
Staff/Charge Nurse 1988-1994• Provided primary care for critically ill cardiac patients with
hemodynamic monitoring, ventilation, and vasoactive intravenous drips. Provided care for patients with delayed recovery from open heart surgery and trauma/surgical/medical intensive care unit overflow. Accepted and arranged bed assignments for patients received from ER, other units within the hospital as well as patients directly admitted from area hospitals. Placed in charge of entire 16-bed CCU with 7 other RN’s, 1 Monitoring Technician, and 1 Unit Secretary under my supervision.
Assistant Head Nurse of Cardiac Care Unit 1987-1988
• Supervised an eight-bed cardiac critical care unit and managed 5
registered nurses and 2 technicians. Arranged admissions, transfers, care of critically ill patients; made nursing assignments, and made rounds with physicians.
Staff/Charge Nurse 1986-1987
• Provided primary care for critically ill cardiac patients with hemodynamic
monitoring, ventilation, and vasoactive intravenous drips. Provided acute cardiac care that included thrombolytic drug therapy and preparation of the patient for ambulance or helicopter transport to an acute cardiac care center i.e. Duke University Medical Center or WakeMed.
• Accepted and arranged bed assignments for patients received from ER,
other units within the hospital as well as patients directly admitted from area hospitals. Placed in charge of the 8-bed unit within 4 months of orientation and supervised other 3 RN’s, 1 Monitoring Technician, and 1 Unit Secretary.
1985 –1986 Charlotte Memorial Hospital
(now Carolinas Medical Center)
Charlotte, N.C.
Staff Nurse
Provided primary care for post-open heart surgery patients with telemetry and in adjacent ward for open heart surgery patients with delayed progress and still on hemodynamic monitors, vasoactive intravenous drips, and ventilators.
1984 – 1985 Beverly Manor Nursing Home
Charlotte, N.C.
Charge Nurse
• Provided primary care on a Skilled Nursing wing and supervised LPN
and CNAs caring for patients on the Intermediate Care wing.
Additional Professional Activities
Publications
Co-Presenter at Hospice Certified Nursing Assistant Workshop sponsored by Hospice for the Carolinas (1998)
Presenter at workshop at Annual Hospice for the Carolinas’ Management Retreat (“Maximizing Staffing Strategies for the Clinical Nurse Manager” 1999)
Spoke to Church, Civic, Community, and School Groups regarding nursing, hospice care, advance directives, and end-of-life care. (1996-2010)
Initiated and co-founded NorthStar Partnership for End-of-Life Care in Rockingham County, N.C. (2004-2005)
Judged Health Career Poster Presentations at the HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) North Carolina State Convention in Greensboro, N.C. (2008, 2011)
Completed Stage I of Hospice Manager Development Program (2009)
Bartlett, R., Williams, A., & Lucas, R. 2011. A common language is so basic! Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 32:608–609. DOI:
10.3109/01612840.2011.597539
Lucas, R. and Kennedy-Malone, L. 2013. Frailty in the older adult: Will you recognize the signs? The Nurse Practitioner, 39:28–34. DOI:
10.1097/01.NPR.0000443228.72357.96
Professional
Memberships Member, American Nurses Association Member, North Carolina Nurses Association Member, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
Member, Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurse Association
Awards Received
Who’s Who in American Nursing 1990-1991 North Carolina Institute of Nursing Alumnus 1990 UNCG Sponsorship Trainee Scholarship Recipient 2010-2013 UNCG Research Assistantship Appointment 2010-2013 Barbara Ziel and Alice Kautz Scholarship Recipient 2012-2013 Armfield Nurse Practitioner Scholarship 2013-2014
Community activities
Chaired Hospice of Rockingham County’s Relay for Life team in 2008 Co-chaired Hospice of Rockingham County’s Relay for Life team in 2009 Member of Morehead Memorial Hospital’s Relay for Life team in 2011.
Active member of Sharon Baptist Church. Currently serving as Music Director.
Volunteer experience
Mission Trips to New York City Summers of 1995,1996,1997 Mission Trips to Trinidad Summers of 1998,1999, 2000 Mission Trip to Eastern N.C. Summer of 2005
References Dr. Zack Hall
Medical Director of Hospice of Rockingham County, Inc. 336-342-6060
zackhallmd@att.net
Laurie Kennedy-Malone, GNP,PhD Professor University of N.C. at Greensboro School of Nursing
laurie_kennedy-malone@uncg.edu
