ACLS Academy is thrilled to highlight Dr. Kara Corvino one of our many exceptional instructors, who brings a wealth of clinical experience and expertise to our program. With a remarkable 20-year career as an emergency room nurse, Dr. Corvino has seen firsthand the critical importance of swift, effective medical intervention. Now a full-time nursing instructor at Quincy College in Massachusetts, she leverages her extensive background in emergency medicine to provide invaluable training to our students, equipping them with the life-saving skills and knowledge necessary to excel in high-pressure situations. Get to know Dr. Corvino and her specialized knowledge in emergency room nursing.

Medical Career Experience 

Currently: Nursing Instructor, Quincy College

Per Diem Emergency Department Nurse, Boston Medical Center

Previously: Charge Nurse, Preceptor & Senior Staff Member, Boston Medical Center 

Education: 

Elms College, BSN, RN

Capella University, MSN Ed

Regis College, DNP

Certified Emergency Nurse

Describe a typical day as a Nurse in the Emergency Room. There are no typical days in the Emergency Department as your section assignment (evaluation, trauma, triage, urgent care) and assigned patient cases are always changing. Shifts are unpredictable as the volume and type of emergencies can vary greatly from day to day and hour to hour and we see a wide diversity of patients of different ages, and backgrounds, and with varying levels of severity in their conditions.

You have an extensive background in educating others from your previous role as a preceptor in the Emergency Department (ED) at Boston Medical Center (BMC) to your current full-time role teaching at Quincy College.  Tell us more about that aspect of your career. As a clinical nurse, I enjoyed the complex “mystery” cases in the Level 1 trauma section of the Emergency Department as they provided a challenge. However, mentoring or formally training others was an aspect of my career I found quite enjoyable. As a nurse preceptor, I provided hands-on training, guidance, and support to nurses moving from other nursing specialties, new nurses, or nursing students, helping them transition from academic settings to professional practice. Nurse Preceptors demonstrate best practices in patient care, offer constructive feedback, and assess the new nurses' progress. 

In addition to being a Preceptor at BMC, I also created an informal training program “For Nurses, By Nurses” in the ED where nursing staff would complete a presentation or training on a specific topic or procedure. Typically the Education Department at a hospital is focused on compliance-related education and not knowledge or clinical training. It was important to me that the staff in the ED continue to learn and grow to not only provide the best care possible to our patients but also build our self-confidence and skills. These mini-training sessions were held in the mornings, so both night-shift and day-shift staff could attend. The sessions were non-mandatory and short in duration at only 15-20 minutes and were recorded for accessibility and future reference. My interest and enthusiasm for learning subsequently led me to pursue a Masters in Nursing.

As to my transition to being a full-time educator, a colleague noticed how I relished the instruction aspect of my ED role and suggested I pursue it full-time. I hadn’t envisioned that career path but started looking at collegiate-level roles and eventually landed the position at Quincy College. Working with students is refreshing and I love their energy and enthusiasm for medicine and learning.

I have continued working in the ED as a per diem nurse as I like to keep my nursing skills sharp and enjoy solving complex cases and a fast-paced ED environment.

What have been the most significant changes in ED nursing practice over the past 20 years? There has been a substantial increase in the volume and acuity of patients. Working with the trauma patients in the ED, previously we would see 2-3 of these patient cases a shift and now we see 2-3 an hour. The increase can be attributed to a loss of hospitals in the region, but there is also a real shortage of available beds in the ED. In today’s Emergency Department, we have some patients, the homeless and refugees, who don’t have a home in which to be released; therefore they remain in the ED much longer than other patients, resulting in a slower turnover of bed availability. 

Another change is a reduction in experienced nurses in the ED. Post pandemic a lot of experienced nurses left. Today hospitals are staffed with newer nurses who are still learning and don’t have the depth and breadth of experience seen previously. Also because of the increase in the volume and acuity of patients, the environment is a lot less conducive to learning.

How do you handle high-stress situations and prevent burnout, given the demanding nature of ER work? I have found that having a team mentality where everyone has each other’s back, you have built a rapport professionally and personally, and trust your colleagues in managing difficult situations is what has helped me in managing stress as an ED nurse. The team mentality was especially important for night-shift nurses who didn’t have the availability of additional resources to supplement the team during peak times. Humor, laughter, and telling a few jokes can also lighten the mood for the team.

For day-shift nurses, grabbing a moment to breathe, walking outside to take in some sunshine, and clearing your head does help. Unfortunately, this is not available to those working the night shift. Also, hospitals in recent years have added Integrative Medicine staff members who are available during the day to provide massages, aromatherapy, or other mindful practices to better manage the stressful environment. 

You recently finished your Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at Regis College. What motivated you to pursue a DNP, and how do you envision it impacting your career? When I started at Quincy College, I had a lot of experience with the informal training of others as a nurse preceptor and with the mini-training sessions at BMC. I didn’t have any education or experience with a formal curriculum with defined learning outcomes and meeting set educational objectives defined by the Board of Nursing. A year into my role at Quincy College, I decided to pursue the DNP to provide a stronger foundation in nursing education. A DNP will also provide me flexibility in where and how I want to teach in the future, such as online versus in-person and at various educational levels.

What led you to begin teaching at ACLS Academy? In late 2019 or early 2020, before the pandemic, I decided I needed more outside teaching experience. I found ACLS Academy online and reached out to them to see if I could join their organization and soon thereafter I started teaching BLS and eventually ACLS. Shelley and Chad are so easy to work with as an instructor. I appreciate their flexibility and their commitment to teaching others.

What is one piece of advice you’ve received that has guided you? I was trained by a military nurse who was quite tough and emphasized being perceptive. She would drill me all the time on my knowledge and procedures. She urged me to notice everything, always pay attention, and be vigilant in monitoring my patients and any changes in their condition. Even today, I always think about staying observant and constantly reassessing my patient.

Based on your experience, what advice would you give to aspiring nurses or other healthcare professionals who are beginning their careers? My advice to those starting their careers as a healthcare provider is to be a sponge and absorb as much as possible around you. Trust your instincts. Ask questions and find the individuals in your organization you trust to answer those questions and provide you help you need.

Favorite things outside of work? My family’s life revolves around ice hockey. My kids play hockey and we can always be found at the ice rink. I’m also a dog mom to my beloved Golden Doodle. 

Your happy place? In the winter, skiing at Sunday River where it is quiet and you can be mindful in the moment, and yet it can be physically exhilarating while at the same time relaxing. In the summer, on the lake in Western Massachusetts waterskiing and tubing, and watching the sunset on the water.

Sports fanatic or yawn, sports-indifferent? We are big sports fans – my family loves the Patriots and Bruins. My son and I even attended Tom Brady’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Patriot Place.