Open to opportunities

Melayna Howard

@melaynahoward

Message

Compassionate patient care technician and ABA RBT supporting health and autism outcomes.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I want a role where I can combine hands-on patient care with autism-focused Applied Behavior Analysis. I’m looking to support safety, clear communication, and skill-building—while working in a team that values compassion, consistency, and professional growth.

I’m a Patient Care Technician and Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) with a Master’s in Applied Behavioral Analysis, specializing in Autism Spectrum Disorders. I bring a clinical neuroscience background and a strong commitment to compassionate, safe, and consistent support for both patients and clients.

In my current role at HCA Healthcare, I assist with vital signs, patient transfers, toileting and bathing, and reliable patient charting (including patient hygiene and ins and outs). I also follow the AIDET process, remove IVs and telemetry boxes, assist with telemetry placement, perform Covid swabs, and help patients stay safe through patient safety attendant responsibilities.

In ABA Therapy for Autism, I teach essential functional communication and instruction-following skills, while working to decrease challenging behaviors. I’ve served as a level 4 RBT, a supervisee, and a team trainer for new RBTs, and I was awarded the Core Value Award for Excellence, reflecting my focus on quality care and teamwork.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Patient Care Technician

Current

Hca Healthcare

Apr 2020 - Present (6 years 3 months)

Assisted with vital signs, patient transfers, toileting and bathing, IV and telemetry removal/placement, hygiene charting, and patient safety. Completed desk duties such as chart management, discharges, phone handling, and coordinating patient transportation, and performed COVID swabs.

Vital Signs Patient Transfers Telemetry IV Removal Patient Safety Toileting Bathing Body Fluid Collection Patient Discharge Phone Triage Teamwork

Registered Behavior Technician (RBT)

Action Behavior Centers - Aba Therapy For Autism

Jan 2023 - Jun 2024 (1 year 5 months)

Taught clients essential skills including functional communication, following instructions, and reducing challenging behaviors. Served as a level 4 RBT, supervisee, and team trainer for new RBTs.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)Functional Communication Instruction Following Level 4 RBT Duties Supervision

Caregiver

Home Instead

Aug 2019 - Oct 2020 (1 year 2 months)

Assisted clients with daily living activities including cooking, cleaning, showering, toileting, and transferring, and ensured medication was taken. Provided transportation and support for shopping and exercise while maintaining a safe environment and communicating with family and caregivers, and received a Core Value Award for Excellence.

Patient Care Daily Living Activities Safe Environment Support Toileting Bathing Transfers Cooking Cleaning Driving Support

Assistant Teacher

Apostles Childcare And Preschool

May 2019 - Aug 2019 (3 months)

Served as an assistant teacher with a leadership role as a role model for children and support for the lead teacher. Helped run daily crafts and snacks, maintained a healthy learning environment, and provided daily reports to parents.

Childcare Leadership Daily Crafts

Team Leader

Arby's

Jun 2017 - May 2019 (1 year 11 months)

Led front-of-house operations by running the cash register and drive-through while following customer service procedures. Prepared food, stocked supplies, completed opening/closing procedures, handled inventory and product counts, and performed reconciliation and weekly ordering tasks.

Customer Service Cash Handling Food Preparation Stocking Inventory Management Daily Counts Drawer Reconciliation Teamwork

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Capella University

Master's degree in Applied Behavior Analysis, Applied Behavior Analysis

2024 - 2026

Earned a Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis with a specialization in Autism Spectrum Disorders, graduating in March 2026.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Bachelor's degree, Clinical Neuroscience

2018 - 2022

Grade: GPA: 3.29

Activities and societies: Multicultural Academic Opportunities Program; Commonwealth of Scholars Program; Presidential Scholarship Program; research on Glioma-Astrocyte Vascular Interactions (Fiji and NIS-Elements) with cellular/molecular imaging; animal handling and confocal microscopy; mice brain slicing.

Completed a Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Neuroscience with a minor in History, graduating May 2022. Earned a 3.29 GPA.