On this page:
CAPT Allison Adams
Sandra Amamoo-Kakra
Belinda D. Avila
Anita H. Ben
Iman Clinton
CAPT Janice Davis
Debbie Gutierrez
Myra Henley
Andrew Nyabwari
Andrea F. Plati
Heather Rizzo
Sharon Sawyer
Nilka Schulman
Linda Tondreau
Elizabeth (Betsy) Wendell
Tamara (Tami) Williams
CAPT Allison Adams, RN, BSN, MHA
Nurse Manager, Hematology Oncology Day Hospital/Medical Oncology Patient Care Unit
Hematology Oncology Day Hospital/Medical Oncology Patient Care Unit
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
BSN, Washington Adventist University
MHA, University of Phoenix
Email: allison.adams@nih.gov
Phone: 301-451-1149
Biosketch:
CAPT Allison Adams is the Nurse Manager for the Clinical Center Nursing Department's Hematology Oncology Day Hospital and the Medical Oncology Patient Care Unit that houses 2 hospice suites. CAPT Adams leads the care coordination and study implementations of a complex multi-specialty clinical research for 3 distinct programs of care (inpatient, ambulatory and molecular imaging procedure). Directly supervises 60 specialized nurses to develop plans for the implementation of goals within the framework of service, department and organizational strategic plan.
CAPT Allison Adams earned a Master in Health Administrations from The University of Phoenix, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Washington Adventist University, Takoma Park, Maryland. She has served as Nurse Manager, Systems Administrator, Research Coordinator and was one of the first to implement the role of Clinical Manager at NIH. She is most proud of her career as a member of the United States Public Health service where served in several leadership roles during many natural disasters and pandemics both state wide and international.
Sandra Amamoo-Kakra, MSN, RN
Nurse Manager, Blood Services Section
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
MSN, Clinical Nurse Leader, University of Maryland School of Nursing, USA
B.A. (Hons) Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana
Email: sandra.amamoo-kakra@nih.gov
Phone: 301-496-8128
Biosketch:
Sandra Amamoo-Kakra is currently the Nurse Manager of Blood Services Section (BSS) at the NIH, Clinical Center Department of Transfusion Medicine. Previously, she served as the BSS Clinical Educator and later as Clinical Manager for the Donor and Research Blood Program. She provides oversight of operations in BSS, ensuring the provision of safe clinical and research services for NIH Clinical Center patients as well as blood donors and healthy volunteers. In this capacity, she assures compliance with regulations and accreditation standards to foster an environment that prioritizes the delivery of safe and competent care to patients; and provides blood components to NIH intramural investigators for in vitro research.
Sandra Amamoo-Kakra earned her Master of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Maryland School of Nursing in Baltimore, MD, and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Law and English from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana. Her prior work experience includes Postpartum, Labor & Delivery and High-Risk Perinatal Care. Prior to her nursing career, Ms. Amamoo-Kakra worked with the Food and Nutrition Board at the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) as a Program Associate.
Belinda D. Avila, CRCST
Supervisor, Sterile Processing Section
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees/Certification
Graduated from Accredited Surgical Technologist School Naval School of Health Science Portsmouth, Virginia (Surgical Technologist)
Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST)
Email: Belinda.avila@nih.gov
Phone: 301-435-4096
Biosketch:
Belinda Avila is currently the Sterile Processing Supervisor at the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Clinical Center (CC) in the Nursing Department. In this capacity, she is responsible for first line supervision of all central sterile activities including staff scheduling, shift management, creating and implementing staff orientation, conducting staff training, preparing continuing education for staff members. Ms. Avila also coordinates and monitors all central sterile processing functions such as decontamination, preparation, packaging, sterilization of surgical instruments, high level disinfection of medical of flexible scopes, probes, and medical devices, ordering of all sterile processing supplies and equipment, and coordination of the pickup of dirty and drop off of all instruments that have been sterilized or high level disinfected back to the customer.
Ms. Avila joined NIH in 2005 since that time she has led several major initiatives to include building a Materials and Inventory Control module for the department's Perioperative Information System resulting in the development of par levels and re-order points for over 4,000 materials, as well as surveillance metrics for operating room equipment, surgical instruments, and drugs. She also led an initiative to introduce Prime Vendor to the Operating Rooms ordering mechanisms. This program is a streamlined acquisition method whereby Prime Vendor contractors maintain stock of various contracted items, such as surgical supplies, and offer items from multiple contractors under a single order. The program reduced the amount of man power and paper work associated with placing an order for a surgical item that is ordered on a weekly basis and is over the government spending thresh hold of $3,000 at the time. The program also reduced the amount of overnight orders and instances where supplies have had to be borrowed from other hospitals.
Prior to joining NIH, Ms. Avila served in the United States Navy as Surgical Technologist and Supply Petty Officer for the Operating Room at the National Naval Medical Center. During this time, she deployed once as part of Baltic Challenge - a multinational military exercise in the Baltic Sea near Lithuania on board the USNS Comfort (TAH-20) Hospital Ship – and again as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom on board the USNS Comfort (TAH-20) Hospital Ship.
Anita H. Ben, DNP, CNML, RN
Nurse Manager, 1NW, 1NWDH, 1H Peds Clinic
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
BSN, Christian Medical College, India
MSN, Christian Medical College, India
DNP, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD
Email: anita.ben@nih.gov
Phone: 301-435-1212
Biosketch:
Anita Ben is currently the Nursing Manager for Pediatrics nursing units at the NIH, Clinical Center. Dr. Ben provides oversight of the daily operations, planning and advising of the programs of care within her specialty areas. She works closely with the multidisciplinary teams and Institutes within her service and directs the agenda for the pediatric programs of care regarding clinical research nursing.
Dr. Ben earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, MD, with a focus on Executive Leadership. Dr. Ben's research focus was on reducing hospital readmissions among Older Adults.
Dr. Ben has extensive years of leadership experience in various hospital settings. The most recent one as the Nurse Manager, overseeing Oncology unit, Infusion center and Vascular Access team. Dr. Ben has worked as part-time faculty at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. She has served in various committees Magnet Steering committee, Pathway to excellence, Hospital Construction and Renovation Project, Patient Safety council, to name a few. Dr. Ben brings extensive leadership and teaching experience to the organization with a vision to build a highly motivated and resilient team focused on quality patient outcomes.
Iman Clinton, MSN, RN
Nurse Manager, General Medicine/Metabolic
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
BSN, Coppin State University
MSN, Stevenson University
Email: iman.clinton@nih.gov
Phone: 301-451-1579
Biosketch:
Iman Clinton is the Nurse Manager of the Medical/Surgical Unit, Metabolic Unit/Suites, Medical Surgical Day Hospital, and Dialysis Unit. Iman provides oversight of the day-to-day operations of the programs of care on her units. She provides leadership, guidance, and supervision to staff. Iman works closely with the programs of care stakeholders and Institute Partners to optimize patient safety and clinical research. She collaborates with other leaders and stakeholders within the Clinical Center to achieve optimal patient outcomes.
Iman Clinton earned her Masters of Science Degree in Nursing Leadership and Management from Stevenson University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Coppin State University in Baltimore, MD. Iman is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Nursing Practice from the University of Maryland in Baltimore, MD. She has many years of cardiac, medical surgical, infectious disease, clinical research, and leadership experience. Iman is extremely passionate about mentorship and nursing leadership. Her mission is to include nurse leadership in all aspects and arenas of nursing whether formal or informal.
CAPT Janice Davis, MSN, RN
Nurse Manager, Dental/ENT/Neurology/Med-Surg Clinics
CAPT, United States Public Health Service
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
BA, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH
BSN, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
MS, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
Email: davisje@nih.gov
Phone: 301-402-7142
Biosketch:
CAPT Janice Davis is the Nurse Manager for the OP-9 Medical /Surgical Specialties Clinic including endocrine, rheumatology and liver diseases, OP5 Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) and neurology Clinic, and OP1 Dental Clinic. Clinical Research Nurses in these areas provide care for both adult and pediatric patient populations.
CAPT Davis earned her BSN from the University of Maryland and a MS in Nursing Administration from the University of Maryland. She holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Dayton.
CAPT Davis began her nursing career at the NIH Clinical Center in 1988 as a Neuroscience Nurse Intern and later held positions as a Clinical Research Nurse in Neurology, Critical Care and Cardiology. She became a Research Nurse Coordinator for the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and was the lead nurse in launching a state-of-the-art Cardiac MRI program as an NIH collaborative initiative with a community hospital. She is currently a Senior Nurse Manager in the NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department, Medical Surgical Specialties Service.
She joined the United States Public Health Service in 2003 and is currently serving in the rank of Captain. CAPT Davis supports national health initiatives as directed by the Public Health Service.
Debbie Gutierrez, MHA, BSN, RN
Nurse Manager, Medical/Telemetry/Surgical Services/ Special Clinical Studies Unit
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
BSN, Western Connecticut University, Danbury, CT
MHA, Walden University, Minneapolis MN
Email: DGutierrez@cc.nih.gov
Phone: 301-451-1578
Biosketch:
Debbie Gutierrez is the Nurse Manager (2013- ) for 5 SE and 5 NES-Special Clinical Studies Unit (SCSU) in the Medical Surgical Specialty Service within the Nursing Department at the National Institutes of Health, Clinical Research Center in Bethesda, Maryland. As a Nurse Manager she is responsible for supervising the domain of practice for the specialty of clinical research nursing on a 20-bed infectious disease medical surgical telemetry unit, and a 4-bed special clinical studies unit. She is responsible for maintaining policies and procedures related to admission and care of laboratory workers at federal Bio-Safety Level (BSL)-3/4 research facilities that have sustained a potential occupational exposure to an infectious pathogen and therefore require close clinical observation with possible treatment under strict isolation precautions. In addition, she also supports staff readiness for these admissions through several training modalities. Both the SCSU and 5SE are currently supporting the COVID pandemic and are serving inpatient and outpatients on COVID-19 protocols and all CC patients who are SARS coV-2 positive or suspected of having SARS-CoV2. Debbie is also managing the employees asymptomatic testing service for SARS coV-2 as well as the Hospital Entry COVID Screeners
Debbie earned her Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from Walden University Minneapolis Minnesota and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Western Connecticut University in Danbury CT.
Debbie started her career at NIH in 1991 as a graduate nurse on 7 East Cardiac Telemetry Unit. She transferred to the Medical Intensive Care Unit in 1994 and implemented the Vascular Access Device (VAD) Service in 1995. The VAD service officially became a consult service in 1996. In 2004, Debbie assisted in facilitating the combination of the VAD service, Endoscopy and Bronchoscopy services into the Procedure, Vascular Access Conscious Sedation service (PVCS). In 2005, Debbie was the Clinical Manager for the PVCS and in 2007 she was promoted to Nurse Manager. In addition to managing the PVCS, from 2007 to 2013, Debbie was Acting Nurse Manager for multiple specialty units throughout the CRC.
Myra Henley, MSN, RN, CSSM, CNOR
Nurse Manager, Operating Room
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
BSN, Hampton University, Hampton, VA
MSN, Aspen University, Phoenix, AZ
Email: myra.henley@nih.gov
Phone: 301-451-8466
Biosketch:
Myra Henley is the Nurse Manager for the Operating Room. Ms. Henley provides oversight of the operations and program of care within her specialty area. Ms. Henley provides supervision, leadership and guidance to staff including registered nurses, surgical technologists, direct care and administrative staff. Ms. Henley works closely with multidisciplinary teams within and external to her service to optimize patient safety and support clinical research. She collaborates with other leaders and stakeholders throughout the Clinical Center and Institutes to achieve effective and optimal patient experience, outcomes, and satisfaction.
Ms. Henley earned her Masters of Science in Nursing with a specialization in Informatics from Aspen University, Phoenix, AZ and a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Hampton University, Hampton, VA. Ms. Henley is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Aspen University in Phoenix, AZ. Ms. Henley has enjoyed a well-rounded career in perioperative nursing and has many years of experience in critical care, medical-surgical and community health nursing within various hospital settings. Ms. Henley's passions include nurse leadership, professional development with a focus on mentorship, recruitment and retention and creating an environment that supports staff development, promotes diversity, ensures equity and encourages inclusion. Ms. Henley holds two specialty certifications, Certified Surgical Services Manager (CSSM), and Certified Nurse Operating Room (CNOR). As a strong advocate for professional certification, Ms. Henley led her operating room team to recognition as a CNOR Strong facility since 2020 and was instrumental in the operating room-NIH CC winning the 2022 CCI-TrueNorth Award that exhibits the highest standards in perioperative certification excellence.
Andrew Nyabwari, MSN, RN
Nurse Manager, 7SE/1SW/OP4
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
BSN, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC
MSN, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL
Email: Andrew.nyabwari@nih.gov
Phone: 301-451-0849
Biosketch:
Mr. Nyabwari is the Nurse Manager for 7SE/1SW/OP4 at the NIH, Clinical Center. Mr. Nyabwari is directly responsible for the clinical and supervision activities for the assigned patient care areas and oversees the management of critical patient care situations for the clinical areas assigned; collaborates and consults with medical and interdisciplinary staff in problem solving. Additionally, he plans, directs, executes, and evaluates the broad program of nursing activities in administration, practice, education, budget, payroll and research in these highly specialized clinical services and direct oversight of staff members.
Mr. Nyabwari earned his Master of Science in Nursing from the University of South Alabama with a concentration in Public Health Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from North Carolina University, Durham, North Carolina. He is a retired USPHS Commissioned Corp Nurse Officer with over 18 years nursing and 12 years of leadership focused experience that includes serving as the Deputy Chief for Outpatient Behavioral Health at Fort Belvoir Community as well as Nurse Manager at the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. Mr. Nyabwari joined the NIH in January 2020 from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). His goal is to continue creating a fair/conducive work environment for all and advocating for the nursing staff through mentorship, guidance and direct support.
Andrea F. Plati, RN, MSN, OCN
Nurse Manager, 3NE Hematology, Oncology and Transplant
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
ADN, Rivier University, Nashua, NH
MSN, Walden University, Minneapolis, MN
Email: andrea.plati@cc.nih.gov
Phone: 301-272-7052
Biosketch:
Andrea Plati is the Nurse Manager for the Hematology, Oncology and Transplant Unit at the NIH, Clinical Center. Ms. Plati provides oversight of the operations, planning and advising of the programs of care within her specialty areas.
Heather Rizzo, MSN, RN, NE-BC, ONC
Nurse Manager, Staffing and Workforce Planning
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
ADN, College of Health Sciences
BSN, University of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ
MSN, South University, Savannah, GA
Email: heather.rizzo@nih.gov
Phone: 301-451-1254
Biosketch:
Heather Rizzo is the Nurse Manager for the Staffing and Workforce Planning Office and was the previous Nurse Manager for 7SWN Neuroscience inpatient unit at the NIH, Clinical Center. Heather Rizzo provides oversight of the operations, planning and advising for the supplemental staff, contract nurses as well as contract medical support associates. She works closely with the nursing leadership to ensure that the staffing office is providing the necessary support staff to ensure staff patient care.
Heather earned her Master of Science in Nursing from South University with a focus in Nursing Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from University of Phoenix in Phoenix Arizona. Heather was previously the Clinical Director of a surgical unit at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital in Fairfax, Virginia. She has additional prior experience as the Nurse Manager of a medical unit at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. Heather has two specialty certifications, Orthopedic Nurses Certification (ONC) and Nurse Executive-Board Certified (NE-BC).
Sharon Sawyer, MBA, MSA, RN
Nurse Manger, Alcohol and Addictions, Neuroscience and Sleep Lab
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
BA, University of Missouri Kansas-City, Kansas City, MO
BSN, Rockhurst University/Research College of Nursing, Kansas City, MO
MA, Webster University, Kansas City, MO
MBA, Webster University, Kansas City, MO
Email: sharon.sawyer@cc.nih.gov
Phone: 301-451-0315
Biosketch:
Sharon Sawyer is the Nurse Manager for Alcohol and Addictions area (1SE and 1H Alcohol Clinic) and Neuroscience and Sleep Lab unit (7SWN). As the Nurse Manager, she oversees the daily inpatient and outpatient services of a behavioral health unit and clinic dedicated to alcohol use disorder research, as well as an inpatient unit dedicated to individuals with neurological disorders and epilepsy.
Ms. Sawyer earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Missouri Kansas-City in 1994, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Rockhurst University/Research College of Nursing in 1999, a Master of Arts in Healthcare Administration from Webster University in 2005 and her Master of Business Administration from Webster University in 2007. She previously served as the Associate Chief of Mental Health at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in Kansas City, MO. Ms. Sawyer has additional prior experience as an Executive Director at RSI, Program Director at Truman Medical Center, a Program Manager at Truman Medical Center, Director at Harmon Diabetes Center, Director of Surgical Services at Research Medical Center and Surgical Services Manager at Miami County Hospital. Two quotes serve as Ms. Sawyer's daily professional philosophies, as a nurse and as a leader. They are the following: Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring; all of which have the potential to turn a life around (Leo Buscaglia). Have a heart than never hardens, and a temper that never tires and a touch that never hurts (Charles Dickens).
Nilka Schulman, MSN, RN
Nurse Manager, Pre and Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) and Interventional Radiology (IR)
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
AS, Daytona State, Daytona Beach, FL
BSN, Chamberlin College of Nursing, IL
MSN, Walden University, MN
Email: Nilka.Schulman@nih.gov
Phone: 301-594-7137
Biosketch:
Nilka Schulman is the Nursing Manager for Pre- and Post-Anesthesia Care unit and Interventional Radiology, including the Radiology IV Room. Ms. Schulman provides operational oversight of patient care delivery system, support clinical research, and patient care goals met within the specialty areas. She works closely with the multidisciplinary teams within her areas to implement systems that support recruitment, retention, development, and career progression within the workforce.
Nilka Schulman earned a Master's of Science in Nursing with a specialty in Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN) from Walden University in Minneapolis Minnesota, a Bachelors in Science in Nursing from Chamberlin College of Nursing in Addison, Illinois. She previously served as the Emergency Department Director for Adventist Health in Florida. Ms. Schulman has additional prior experience in various areas of nursing Intensive Care Unit, labor and Delivery, Newborn Nursery, Pediatrics, Telemetry, Transitional Care Unit, and Intermediate Care Unit. During her tenure at Adventist Health she revolutionized delivery of emergency care with “Zero Wait Times”, “30 min Door to Provider”, Chest Pain Center accreditation, and 12 EKG transmission from field to Emergency Department collaboration with Flagler County Emergency Services. Ms. Schulman's research interest are the use of analytics data to streamline healthcare.
Linda Tondreau, MHA, RN, BSN
Nurse Manager, Procedure Services, Medical Oncology Clinic and Dermatology Clinic
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
BSN, University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland
MHA, Walden University, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Email: ltondreau@cc.nih.gov
Phone: 301-451-0531
Biosketch:
Linda Tondreau is the Nurse Manager for 3 SWN/ Procedure Services and 5 NE- N / Diagnostic Testing, and Ambulatory Clinics: OP12 and OP13. As the Nurse Manager, she manages a comprehensive procedural unit offering non-sedating and moderate conscious sedation services, which includes bronchoscopy, endoscopy, cardiac catherization and vascular access device(s) insertion utilizing ultrasound. On 5NE-N, she manages the cardiac diagnostic testing unit, which includes Exercise stress tests, liaison to the Research teams in ECHO and Pulmonary Function procedures. As of November 2015, provides support for procedures with anesthesia support (DPM) in both pediatrics and adults.
Linda started her nursing career as a Trauma/ Critical Care Nurse in 1993, at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia. From 1993 until 2001, she worked in various ICU settings, PACU and Operating room. She came to NIH in September 2001 to join the Surgical ICU team as a Clinical Research Nurse. In 2009, she became the Clinical Manager for 3 SWN/ Procedure Services. Linda has been very passionate about Performance improvement initiatives and/ or projects at the unit level. She was an active participant in the Shared Governance model in the Clinical Center Nursing Department as the Chair of Performance Improvement Committee. She was co-author on two publications related to the Domain of Practice in the specialty of Clinical Research Nursing: Delineating Clinical Research Nursing Practice: Results of a Role Delineation Study, 2011, Clinical and Translational Science and Validating the Clinical Research Nursing Domain of Practice,2011, Oncology Nursing Forum.
Elizabeth (Betsy) Wendell, MS, BSN, RN, OCN
Nurse Manager, Ambulatory care clinics: Cardiology, Pulmonology and Hematology; Infectious Diseases; Ophthalmology; Allergy/Immunology/Infectious Diseases and Genetic Eye Disease; and the Vaccine Research Center
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
BSN, University of Maryland at Baltimore, MD
MS, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Email: wendelle@cc.nih.gov
Phone: 301-402-0282
Biosketch:
Elizabeth Wendell is Nurse Manager for multiple ambulatory care clinics and the Vaccine Research Center. In this role, she provides supervision and leadership to 40 Full Time Equivalents or FTEs. She is involved in resource management, operational oversight, and strategic planning for multiple ambulatory care clinics. She collaborates extensively with the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Eye Institute, and the National Institute for Allergy Infectious Disease to plan and institute new protocols while ensuring the highest level of clinical and research care. She works closely with multiple interdisciplinary teams to provide continuous quality improvement for patients, staff, and research teams.
Elizabeth Wendell, earned her Master of Science degree in health care administration at the University of Maryland College Park, MD. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus. She additionally has certification as an Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN). She has completed certification as a Six Sigma Green Belt in Performance Improvement.
Elizabeth Wendell, has served as a Primary Nurse in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Washington Hospital Center. She also served as the Director of Intensive Care and has many years of critical care experience. She changed her focus to oncology nursing and served as the Nurse Manager for an inpatient oncology and hospice unit and infusion center. She has multiple years of experience in ambulatory care focused on improving patient outcomes. She has experience leading multiple performance improvement projects in multiple different hospital environments. Her research focus is relationship centered care, social determents of wellness, and pain management.
Tamara (Tami) Williams, BSN, RN, CCRN
Nurse Manager, ICU Critical Care
NIH Clinical Center Nursing Department
Academic Degrees
AA, Montgomery College
BSN, University of Maryland
Email: TWilliams@cc.nih.gov
Phone: 301-451-0550
Biosketch:
Tamara Williams is the Nurse Manager of the Intensive Care Unit at the National Institute of Health, Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. As the Nurse Manager, Ms. Williams manages an 18 bed Surgical/Medical ICU which has a unique population offering Critical Care to both adult and pediatric patients. Ms. Williams provides oversights of the daily operations, planning of care within the ICU working with multidisciplinary teams within her area to support the mission and vision for inpatient services regarding clinical research nursing.
Tamara started at the Clinical Center as a Clinical Research Nurse in ICU in 1998. In 2014 she became the Clinical Manager until 2020, when she transitioned into the Manger role. Her nursing career has been primarily in the Critical Care setting, working at the bedside throughout the Maryland area as well as Phoenix Arizona. Tamara was an active participant in the shared governance model in the Clinical Center Nursing department, and served as the chair of the Retention and Recognition Committee developing the framework and awards program recognizing nurses for outstanding work during nurse’s week. Tamara continues to be passionate about Critical Care Nursing holding certification in Acute/Critical Care Nursing (CCRN) for over 10 years. She is the recipient of multiple awards including the 2021 Directors award for the Critical Care Covid 19 transport team, in recognition for the development of air and ground transport procedures for Critical Care COVID-19 patients coming to the NIH Clinical Center.