Board of Directors

I am currently working in the Intensive Care Unit at Saint Bernardine Medical Center and the Intensive Care Unit at Redlands Community Hospital. I am writing to be considered as an At Large member of the Board of the Inland Empire Chapter of the AACN.

I graduated in 2003 from Mt San Jacinto College with my Associate Degree in Nursing and began training on the telemetry unit at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. After a few years of floating throughout the facility and taking multiple classes offered, I began to feel there were gaps in my knowledge that I could only remedy with additional  experience. In 2007 I began working at the Cardiovascular Unit at Riverside Community Hospital, and enrolled in California State Fullerton’s RN to BSN program in 2009. 

After graduation I transferred to the Intensive Care Unit, and I returned to CSUF to pursue a MSN, graduating in 2015. Since then I have had roles in cardiac, medical, neuro, and trauma intensive care, ambulatory care roles in Corrections and Dialysis, and forays into Performance Improvement, Professional Development, Infection Control and Employee Health. 

In the spring of 2020 I saw the toll the pandemic was taking on my colleagues, and wanted to be part of the solution. I left my new role in outpatient dialysis and took a position in the Float Pool at Riverside University Health System Medical Center. I requested to orient in ICU so that I could float wherever needed. It was there that I met Jacqueline Hoogervorst, then the IEAACN Chapter President, as my preceptor on the unit. 

With her encouragement I became more involved in the chapter. As the chapter has grown it has become a fundamental joy in my practice, as each meeting reinvigorates my passion for learning and reminds me of why I started and continue in this profession. The people I have met through the chapter have all been invaluable in sustaining my career. I cannot emphasize enough how important the Chapter is to me, except to note that I was burned out even before the pandemic, and participation in the Inland Empire chapter sustained me through it and cemented my resolve to continue as a murse. I obtained my CCRN in 2020, after taking a class from our chapter Education Coordinator Nicholas McGowan. I had been too afraid to try prior to his class. 

I have been an active member of the Association of Critical Care Nurses since 2018 and proudly serve as the Treasurer of the Inland Empire chapter. With over five years of critical care experience, I bring a wealth of knowledge and leadership to this role supported by our community. Currently employed at Riverside Community Hospital, I am committed to further advancing my expertise. As Treasurer, I focus on enhancing care standards and promoting educational opportunities within the critical care community. 

I have been an AACN IE Chapter Board member for the past 10 years.  I currently work as a Part Time ICU Nurse with a Master’s Degree in Nursing Education. I am passionate about Critical Care and nursing education using a modern learning approach. I developed and launched an eLearning course that helps Critical Care nurses pass the CCRN exam. I believe in the mission of the AACN Inland Empire Chapter and I look forward to helping in whatever capacity I can to promote our vision for 2024. There are multiple challenges as well as opportunities on the horizon for our chapter and I believe that with the right leadership and board participation and engagement, we can achieve a new level of excellence for our members and our community.  

Marissa Vedder is the Redlands Community Hospital Critical Care Programs Manager and ICU Educator. Marissa Vedder started her career as a CNA during nursing school and after graduating with her BSN started at Redlands in the ICU New Grad program in 2016. She received her CCRN in 2018 and became a hospital wide Rapid Response Nurse. She has also been an active participant with multiple committees including the Chair of the ICU Professional Practice Council, Chair of the E-doc Committee, a member of the AACN since 2016 & IE chapter Board since 2022. Marissa is a wife, mother and loves being outdoors camping!

I am an ICU nurse at Pomona Valley Hospital. I’ve been a nurse since 2010, as LVN and went back for my RN in 2016. I’ve dabbled in skilled nursing/rehabilitation, subacute care, home health, IVIG, NICU, ER, and now ICU. I have a passion for learning and growing and helping others. 

I graduated from Chaffey College in 2005 and went straight to the critical open heart unit at SARH, which has been my passion for 18 years. After raising my daughters I went back to school and received my Masters in Nursing Education in 2019. I’m currently the critical care educator in the same hospital I started as a new grad, which I love! My hope is to connect my nurses at SARH with our AACN Chapter with onsite events and education. I would eventually like a larger role within our AACN chapter, however would like to start with the social media or secretary role. 

I've worn various nursing hats since 2012, starting as an LVN for 2 years and then transitioning as an RN in 2014. I am currently juggling work at RUHS in ACCU and Kaiser Ontario ICU. In addition to my regular roles, I've ventured into Home Health on the side to strive for the optimal work-life balance for both myself and my family. I have also done travel and registry nursing in the past. I am currently a Family Nurse Practitioner student, and I am thrilled about advancing to the next level in my nursing career. 

I have been an active member of AACN since 2018. This membership has been instrumental in keeping my nursing passion alive by providing opportunities to connect and network with like-minded professionals who are devoted to advancing our profession. I'm delighted to witness the ongoing expansion of our chapter and the positive influence we can have in our communities.

I have been in the medical field for 15 yrs. Started as an EMT running 911 calls, to working in an ER while I went to nursing school. Started my nursing career in the ICU, became a charge nurse in the ICU and now I’m the Clinical Educator at a local hospital.