Merle W. Tochterman, RN — (Retired) RN Infection Preventionist

Naples, FL— Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Merle W. Tochterman is acknowledged as a Most Trusted Healthcare Professional for her contributions to the field of Cardiology Management and Nursing.

Ms. Tochterman began her educational journey at Gluster County College where she earned an Associate degree in nursing and continued to Rowan University where she received a Bachelor’s degree in School Nursing.

Ms. Tochterman launched her nursing career at Rancocas Valley Hospital as an emergency room nurse from 1984-1985. She later served as Cardiology Manager at SouthWest Medical in Las Vegas from 1988-1989 where she managed 24 employees, as well as physicians. In this leadership role, she was responsible for the budget; patient care; the non-invasive cardiac care unit; patient education; and developed an anticoag program for the patients. The nurse’s current post since 2004 is as an RN infection Preventionist and Cardiology Manager with Virtua Health, a certified home care agency, where she is responsible for providing education; surveillance; acting as liaison for the visiting nursing staff and physicians; implement the flu program; performing fit testing; and PPD skin tests. As an RN Infection Preventionist, she also monitors any trending of infections.

A revered practitioner in the medical field, Ms. Tochterman has more than 30 years of experience and is considered an expert in emergency room and home care, med surg, managing cardiology units, primary care, and long-term care. She is always seeking the latest advancements in her field, enjoys reading dental journals, and asserts that Mrs. Whirley is her professional mentor, crediting her with Ms. Tochterman’s attention to detail. A testament to her leadership abilities, she is also the former president of APIC and ANA and credits her personal philosophy for her success as an RN, which is treat your patients like you want to be treated.

Aside from her professional pursuits, Ms. Tochterman enjoys reading, cross stitch, volunteering, and vacationing in Williamsburg, VA. In the future, she would like to continue helping patients as long as possible. She would like to dedicate this honor to her mother, Sheila, in loving memory.

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