Randa Blenden
Hillsborough,NC
Summary
Experienced leader with strong background in guiding multicultural teams, managing complex projects, and achieving strategic objectives. Excels in developing efficient processes, ensuring high standards, and aligning efforts with organizational goals. Known for adaptability, creativity, collaborative approach, and results-oriented mindset. Committed to making meaningful contributions and advancing organizational goals.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Nurse Manager, Operations
Duke University Hospital System
12.2022 - Current
- Responsible for all aspects of clinical operations of the Pediatric Catheterization Lab, Pre/Post Op & Short Stay Unit, and Pediatric Echo Lab - each within the #2 Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Program in the U.S.
- Coordinated and implemented in-service educational programs focusing on quality, safety and adherence to protocols for multidisciplinary teams.
- Developed and implemented quality improvement initiatives to provide best possible patient care and identify and address areas of concern.
- Monitor budget variances and provide budgetary forecasts.
- Implemented billing practices to decrease avoidable write-offs and increase revenues.
Health Center Administrator
Duke University Health System
04.2021 - 11.2022
- Responsible for administrative oversite and clinical operations of the Duke Fertility Center, a busy clinic with 24/7 operations including procedures under anesthesia, phlebotomy, ultrasound, embryology lab, and clinic visits.
- Oversaw opening of state of the art embryology lab and fertility clinic, including managing the logistics to relocate cryopresserved human tissues from existing location.
- Intimately involved in regulatory processes including JAHCO, DEA, FDA, & CAP.
- Built and implemented fertility-specific EMR into the clinic's workflow reducing the burden of manual record keeping.
- Led clinic through consecutive years of record volumes and revenue growth
- Successfully negotiated client contract renewals to create increased revenue.
- Established and maintained effective communication with staff, physicians and community organizations to promote high quality patient care.
Nurse Manager, Ambulatory
Duke University Health System
08.2018 - 04.2021
- Supervised, directed, and motivated high-quality performance from nursing staff at the Duke Fertility Center.
- Promoted professional development opportunities to encourage nurses to pursue continuing education and growth opportunities.
- Fostered improvement in staff development, personnel training, and standards of patient care.
- Restructured nursing coverage to include weekends, allowing for improved continuity of care and patient outcomes.
- Implemented nurse after hours line that could be used for non-emergent needs, reducing the number of after hours paging to the fellows related to nursing care needs.
- Founding member of the OncoFertility Steering Committee focused on increasing access to fertility preservation services for patients prior to undergoing treatment for a cancer diagnosis.
- Promoted to Health Center Administrator in 2021.
Chief Operating Officer
International Children's Heart Foundation
11.2014 - 12.2018
- Oversaw day-to-day operations to keep organization running smoothly while meeting business goals.
- Represented organization at industry conferences and events.
- Reputation for cultural competence through providing direct patient care and leading teams in 14 different countries on 4 continents.
- Established and maintained meaningful relationships with donors, industry vendors, like-minded foundations, in-country sponsors, and medical volunteers.
- Responsible for recruiting and maintaining a international database of qualified medical volunteers
- Reputation for assembling high-functioning multidisciplinary teams with the right skill mix and cultural competency for international pediatric cardiac surgery training visits.
- Devised and presented business plans and forecasts to board of directors.
- Served as nurse educator and trip coordinator alongside volunteer teams while in-country.
Nurse Educator Libyan Fellowship Program
International Children's Heart Foundation
10.2013 - 03.2014
- Served as 1 of 5 primary in-country nurse educators with International Children's Heart Foundation working at Benghazi Medical Center (Libya) to train local staff to provide pediatric cardiac surgical services.
- Provided lectures and didactic training weekly, with daily mentorship in the ICU.
- Developed onboarding materials for new nurses.
- Coordinated schedules for rotating educators and volunteers.
- Maintained supply and medication inventories and communicated needs with foundation headquarters.
RN, Pediatric Critical Care
Cook Children's Medical Center
08.2011 - 10.2012
- Direct patient care in the pediatric intensive care and pediatric cardiac intensive care units
Travel RN, Pediatric Critical Care
Cross Country TravCorps
07.2010 - 07.2011
- Direct patient care in all areas of pediatric critical care
Registered Nurse, Pediatric Critical Care
Cook Children's Medical Center
06.2008 - 07.2010
- Direct patient care in the neonatal intensive care and pediatric intensive care units.
Education
Master of Science - Nursing Administration
University of Texas Arlington
Arlington, TX07.2025
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, TX04.2008
Bachelor of Science - Interdisciplinary Studies-Biology, Psychology, Sociology
Delta State University
Cleveland, MS01.2006
Skills
- Interdisciplinary Collaboration
- Meticulous attention to detail
- Strategic solutions leader
- Process improvement
- Strong clinical judgment
- Conflict management
- Financial budget oversight
- Effective communicator and team motivator
- Experienced in implementing change initiatives
- Highly motivated and self-learner
- Proficient in written and spoken Spanish language
Certification
- Nurse Executive, Board Certified July 2023-Present
- 2017-Current North Carolina #300228
Community Service
- Grace Kids Alamance, Sensory Room Team Lead
- Miracle League of the Triangle
- International Children's Heart Foundation, Volunteer Nurse
Affiliations
- North Carolina Organization of Nurse Leaders January 2025-Present
- North Carolina Nurses Association February 2022-Present
- American Nurses Association February 2022-Present
Publications
- Post Cardiopulmonary Bypass: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly Florida Perfusion Society Case Reports Under the Sun X, Palm Beach, FL September 13, 2014
- Factors Influencing Mortality and Morbidity in Humanitarian Cardiac Surgery. Wallen T, Blenden R, Soto R Poster Presentation, presented at: Philadelphia Academy of Surgery Annual Meeting; Philadelphia, USA , January 2016
- Successful Implementation of a Paediatric Cardiac Surgical Program in a Developing Country with an Aim to Reduce Childhood Morbidity and Mortality I. Zafarullah, R. Soto, C. Holden Cooper, R. Blenden, M. Seepersaud, T. Wallen Poster presentation, presented at: 8th World Congress on Pediatric Intensive and Critical CareToronto, Canada, June 2016
- Outcomes of Over 3,500 Humanitarian Cardiac Surgery Cases: The International Children's Heart Foundation Experience. Wallen T, Blenden R, Soto R Poster Presentation, presented at: Eastern Cardiothoracic Surgical Society Annual Meeting: St. Petersburg Beach, USA , October 2016
- Programmatic Changes to Reduce Mortality and Morbidity in Humanitarian Congenital Heart Surgery. Wallen T, Blenden R, Zafarullah I, Vessel T, Soto R Poster Presentation, presented at: 7th World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery: Barcelona, Spain, July 2017
- Surgical outcomes after two years of establishing a Congenital Heart Disease Program in a resource limited country using a single charity centre approach. I. Zafarullah, C. Holden Cooper, T. Wallen, T. Vessel, R. Blenden, M. Seepersaud, R. Soto Poster Presentation, presented at: 7th World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery: Barcelona, Spain, July 2017
- Utilization and Perceived Utility of Home Fertility Testing Among Infertility Patients at a Single Academic Fertility Center. Peipert B, Harris B, Selter J, Ramey-Collier, K, Blenden, R, Price, T. Poster Presentation presented at: American Society for Reproductive Medicine Annual Meeting, October 2021
Timeline
Nurse Manager, Operations
Duke University Hospital System
12.2022 - Current
Health Center Administrator
Duke University Health System
04.2021 - 11.2022
Nurse Manager, Ambulatory
Duke University Health System
08.2018 - 04.2021
Chief Operating Officer
International Children's Heart Foundation
11.2014 - 12.2018
Nurse Educator Libyan Fellowship Program
International Children's Heart Foundation
10.2013 - 03.2014
RN, Pediatric Critical Care
Cook Children's Medical Center
08.2011 - 10.2012
Travel RN, Pediatric Critical Care
Cross Country TravCorps
07.2010 - 07.2011
Registered Nurse, Pediatric Critical Care
Cook Children's Medical Center
06.2008 - 07.2010
Master of Science - Nursing Administration
University of Texas Arlington
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
University of Texas Medical Branch
Bachelor of Science - Interdisciplinary Studies-Biology, Psychology, Sociology
Delta State University
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