Open to opportunities

Kristen Calabrese

@kristencalabrese

Message

I am an experienced perioperative RN leading teams to deliver excellent transplant and surgical patient care.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I seek a leadership role in perioperative or transplant services where I can mentor staff, drive quality and safety improvements, manage operations, and support patient-centered care in a collaborative environment.

I am an experienced perioperative registered nurse with a strong clinical background in operating room care, specializing in transplant and general surgery. I prioritize compassionate, patient-centered care and sound clinical judgment.

Over my career I have advanced from Clinician 1 to senior clinical roles and served as Interim Nurse Manager, where I led scheduling, staff development, performance evaluation, and resource allocation. I foster inclusive team environments and support continuous professional growth for staff.

I drive quality improvement and accreditation work, including managing preference cards and instrument sets, participating in FACT compliance, implementing cost-savings initiatives, and trending performance data to inform practice changes. I am proficient with EPIC and ClinDoc and regularly mentor and precept new perioperative nurses.

I am committed to improving patient outcomes through interdisciplinary collaboration, education, and pragmatic process improvement, and I seek opportunities to lead teams that prioritize safety, efficiency, and compassionate care.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Registered Nurse, Clinician 4

Current

University of Virginia Medical Center

Nov 2019 - Present (5 years 10 months)

Provide autonomous, comprehensive perioperative care for complex General Surgery and Transplant patients while mentoring peers and leading departmental initiatives to improve care coordination and cost-effectiveness. Engage in interdisciplinary collaboration to drive continuous improvement across services.

Transplant Coordination Care Coordination Epic Interdisciplinary Collaboration Cost Management

Current

Service Line Coordinator

Current

University of Virginia Medical Center

Mar 2017 - Present (8 years 6 months)

Managed surgeon preference cards, instrument sets, and supply ordering to optimize OR readiness and supported development of standard work protocols and cost-savings initiatives for Transplant Surgery. Mentored and precepted new perioperative nurses and led onboarding and orientation efforts.

Supply Chain Coordination Onboarding Cost Saving Initiatives FACT Accreditation

Interim Nurse Manager

University of Virginia Medical Center

Dec 2023 - Nov 2024 (11 months)

Led, mentored, and developed a perioperative nursing team while overseeing staff scheduling, performance evaluations, and resource allocation to ensure efficient OR operations. Trended performance data and implemented quality improvement initiatives, and supported hiring and contract negotiations for perioperative staffing.

Leadership Scheduling Resource Management Performance Improvement Quality

Registered Nurse, Clinician 3

University of Virginia Medical Center

Jun 2016 - Nov 2019 (3 years 5 months)

Delivered comprehensive perioperative care and created/updated OR procedures and documentation to maintain compliance with OPTN standards, while serving as a clinical leader within General Surgery and Transplant teams. Optimized patient care processes to improve quality and reduce costs.

Policy Development OPTN Compliance Clinical Leadership Patient Safety Documentation Process Improvement Cost Awareness

Registered Nurse, Clinician 2

University of Virginia Medical Center

Feb 2015 - Jun 2016 (1 year 4 months)

Provided direct perioperative care across Transplant, General, and Pediatric services and led clinical initiatives such as pre-surgical huddles to improve team coordination and patient safety. Floated across services to meet staffing needs and support continuity of care.

Direct Patient Care Team Coordination Patient Safety

Registered Nurse, Clinician 1

University of Virginia Medical Center

Feb 2014 - Feb 2015 (1 year)

Developed baseline operating room skills in circulating and scrubbing roles while providing safe, patient-centered perioperative care and performing ongoing assessments and documentation in EPIC and ClinDoc. Supported orientation and competency development for perioperative patients.

Circulating Scrubbing Epic ClinDoc Clinical Documentation Orientation Support