Southern Surgical Group, Melody S. Heffline

Melody received her Associate of Science in Nursing from the University of South Carolina-Aikem in 1977. She continued her nursing education at the University of North Carolina, earning her Bachelor of Science degree, and the moving on the Medical College of Georgia and the University of South Carolina to even further her education. Melody has worked with Southern Surgical Group and also Lexington Medical Center since 1995.

Education

University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC: Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA: Master of Science Adult Nursing
Clinical Nurse Specialist Track
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
University of South Carolina - Aiken, Aiken, SC: Associate of Science in Nursing, with Honors

Credentials

North Carolina Registered Nurse
Georgia Registered Nurse
South Carolina Registered Nurse
South Carolina APRN
Certified Postanesthesia Nurse
Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist-Medical/Surgical
Certified Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Basic Life Support Instructor
Advanced Cardiac Life Support Instructor
Pediatric Advanced Life Support Instructor
Advanced Cardiac Life Support Affiliate Faculty
Pediatric Advanced Life Support Provider

Professional Affiliations

America Society of Peri-anesthesia Nurses
Georgia Association of Perianesthesia Nurses
Vice President, GAPAN – Augusta district
Chairman Workshop Committee, GAPAN – Augusta district
Chairman State Nominating Committee, GAPAN
GAPAN representative to GNA convention
North Carolina Post Anesthesia Nurses Association
President, GAPAN – Augusta district
Eat Tennessee Association of Postanesthesia Nurses
Sigma Theta Tau
Chairman, Research Committee, American Society of Perianesthesia Nurses
South Carolina Association of Perianesthesia Nurses
Governmental Affairs Representative, SCAPAN
Society for Vascular Nursing
Nurse Practitioner Focus Group of Columbia, member
Nurse Practitioner Focus Group of Columbia, contact hour coordinator
South Carolina Vascular Technologists
Journal of Perianesthesia Nurses, peer reviewer
Core Curriculum for Vascular Nursing, peer reviewer
North Carolina Vascular Nurses Association
President-elect North Carolina Vascular Nurses

Honors/Awards

Who’s Who Among Human Services Professionals, 1986-87, 1992-93
Leilee Ault Award for Outstanding Graduate Nursing Clinical Excellence, Medical College of Georgia, 1989
Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, 1989-90
Who’s Who in American Nursing, 1990-91, 1993-94
Graduate Student Association Excellence in Research Award, Honorable Mention,for “A Comparison of Radiant Heat, Meperidine, and Fentanyl in the Treatmentof Postanesthetic Shivering”
Best Thesis Award, 1990, “Effects of Radiant Heat, Meperidine, and Fentanyl in theTreatment of Postanesthetic Shivering”
Honorable Mention, 1989, Mary Hannah Journalism Award
Second Place, 1990, 1991, Mary Hannah Journalism Award
Honorary Member GAPAN, 1992
Lexington Medical Center Award of Excellence, May 2003
South Carolina Nurses Foundation Palmetto Gold Award 2003
United Who’s Who, 2003, 2005

Publications

Heffline, M. (1990) A comparison of radiant heat, meperidine, and fentanyl in the treatment of postanesthetic shivering: A preliminary report, Awakener, February 1990, 3-5.
Heffline, M. (1990) Exploring nursing interventions for acute pain in the postanesthesia care unit. Journal of Postanesthesia Nursing, 5(5), 321-328
Heffline, M. (1991) A comparison of pharmacologic vs. nursing intervention in the treatment of postanesthetic shivering. Journal of Postanesthesia Nursing, 6(5),311-320.
Heffline, M. (1992) Establishing the role of the clinical nurse specialist in postanesthesia care. Journal of Postanesthesia Nursing,7(5), 305-311.C
Heffline, M. (1992) Being a professional. Fort Sanders Nursing News,1(1), 1-2.
Heffline, M., et.al. (1994) Research priorities for all phases of postanesthesia nursing: A survey by ASPAN. Journal of Postanesthesia Nursing,9(4), 204-213.
Heffline, M. (1996) “Cardiopulmonary Care and Emergency Support,” Ambulatory Surgery Core Curriculum, Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders.
Heffline, M. (2006). “Preventing Vascular Complications after Gastric Bypass,” Journal of Vascular Nursing, 24(2), 2006.
Heffline, M. (2008). “Care of the Vascular Surgical Patient,” in Perianesthesia Nursing: A Critical Care Approach by Cecil B. Drain and Jan Odom-Foren, Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.

Southern Surgical Group is comprised of five board-certified physicians and a nurse practitioner specializing in Vascular, Endovascular, Thoracic, Laparoscopic and General Surgery.

The support staff at Southern Surgical is led by an impressive management team; insuring that practice administration runs as smoothly as your surgery.