Congratulations, it is an Honor to Feature
Shelby M. Wall, MSN, NP-C, RN
Hospital Medicine
Sentara Norfolk General Hospital
One patient inspired Shelby Wall to assume a leadership role in Sentara Heart Hospital’s push to help heart failure patients avoid readmissions.The woman was struggling with heart failure, and Wall soon learned that her husband was hospitalized with a similar condition. Yet neither had received comprehensive education on managing their health at home, from cooking less salty foods to understanding symptoms. “Heart failure is so complex, but if you break it down, it can be much simpler,” Wall notes. “It’s a condition that requires a lot of education and self-care by patients. Therefore, proper education can really have a major impact on the course of a disease.”
In response, Wall developed a multi-disciplinary team, “Back to Basics,” to make changes at a system-wide level. The initiative focused on standardizing education for all heart failure patients. With the addition of a few key materials, education for patients is now robust and has been designed to ensure they have the knowledge needed to become partners in their care.
“I’m honored to be part of a staff that strives for excellence,” Wall says.
Wall has worked at Sentara Norfolk General since 2007, first as an RN and, since 2018, as an NP on the Sentara Hospitalist Medicine team. She manages acutely ill patients, focusing on education, holistic care and communication between medical disciplines.
As part of a six-member NP team, her goal is to improve patient outcomes and prevent readmissions through unit-based rounding. A pilot program that has assigned two designated NPs to a floor on the cardiac intermediate care unit has significantly reduced length of stay.
“This is a direct result of improved communication and everyone working towards a common goal,” Wall states. “Not only does reduced length of stay translate to more cost-effective medicine, but patients can spend more time at home with those they love.”
Wall participates in rounds with care coordinators, nurses and other providers, including cardiology, daily. Together, they discuss what each patient needs to avoid readmission, barriers to discharge, and social and financial issues impacting the patient.
“If you look at patient care in just your own little bubble of expertise, you miss the holistic care and the continuity of care that is so beneficial for every patient,” she says. “We all have important insights to share.”
Not surprisingly, Wall once considered a career as a teacher. She grew up in Suffolk and was a preschool instructor for three years before starting nursing school.
Wall earned a Registered Nurse Diploma from the Sentara School of Health Professions in 2007 and a bachelor’s in Nursing in 2015. She worked as an RN in the Cardiac Surgical ICU, PACU/OR, and cardiac catheterization lab at Sentara hospitals.
In 2017, Wall completed a master’s in Nursing via Walden University. Consistently drawn to cardiac care and hospital-based medicine, she spent a year as an NP on a Medical/Surgical floor at Sentara Norfolk General before moving full-time to the Heart Hospital.
“I like that my patients come in with a specific problem and, hopefully, go home in much better condition,” she relates. “I try to develop real relationships with them, even if it’s only for two or three days. After all, those are very significant days in their lives.”
Wall, a married mother of two who loves “doing anything on the water” during her free time, is also committed to compassionate care. Whether she’s battling for a critically ill patient or preparing a stable patient to go home, she keeps one thought in mind.
“Every patient is someone’s mother, father, son, daughter, friend,” she says. “They are loved – and they are so much more than their disease.”
We are grateful for local Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants who serve our healthcare community! Please let us know if there is an NP or PA you would like to see honored in a future edition. holly@hrphysician.com
