Summary
Carol Pehotsky, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, CPAN, is associate chief nursing officer of surgical services for Cleveland Clinic health system and senior director of surgical nursing at Cleveland Clinic main campus. She is responsible for leading the strategic direction of all surgical nursing services throughout the health system, as well as providing direct oversight and supervision for the surgical nursing areas within Cleveland Clinic main campus and its associated ambulatory surgery centers. Previously, Dr. Pehotsky served as interim senior nursing director for surgical services at Cleveland Clinic main campus. Prior to that, she was a well-known leader within Cleveland Clinic’s Office of Nursing Education and Professional Development, leading the perioperative education and professional development department from 2011-2017. Dr. Pehotsky is also the host of Nurse Essentials, a Cleveland Clinic Stanley Shalom Zielony Nursing Institute podcast.
Dr. Pehotsky began her nursing career in 2004, as a registered nurse on the Cleveland Clinic main campus surgical telemetry unit. Before becoming a nurse, she worked as a board-certified music therapist at the Cleveland Music School Settlement. A dedicated and experienced professional, Dr. Pehotsky is a member of several national nursing associations, holds certifications as an advanced nurse executive and a certified perianesthesia nurse, and presents on a variety of perianesthesia and perioperative nursing topics worldwide.
Education
- DNP, Chamberlain University, College of Nursing, Downers Grove, Illinois, 2015
- MSN, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, 2011
- BSN, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, 2008
- Associate of Applied Science in Nursing, Lorain County Community College, Elyria, Ohio, 2003
- Master of Music Education, Music Therapy Specialization, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 2000
- BA, Psychology, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, 1996
Certifications
- Board Certified Nurse Executive Advanced (NEA-BC), American Nurses Credentialing Center
- Certified Perianesthesia Nurse (CPAN), American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing Certification
Contact Information
9500 Euclid Avenue / E32
Cleveland, Ohio 44195
216.312.6814
pehotsc@ccf.org
Leadership
A known leader in her area of study, Pehotsky has spent much of her nursing career implementing and revising policies to ensure procedures reflect evidence-based practice and regulatory requirements. She has worked to provide professional development opportunities for nurses, surgical technologists, and surgical nursing leadership, in addition to advocating for surgical technology and perioperative nursing within the higher education setting. Some of her career highlights include the development of online annual competencies designed to increase knowledge among staff and promote flexible scheduling and streamlining the intraoperative nurse orientation process, which resulted in cost savings for the organization and a new hire retention rate of 93 percent. Pehotsky is active in shared governance and serves on numerous internal Cleveland Clinic Nursing committees and councils.
Clinical Practice & Teaching
Clinical Practice
Pehotsky’s clinical expertise lies within the areas of perianesthesia and perioperative nursing, with additional expertise in music therapy.
Teaching
Throughout her career, Pehotsky has served as a mentor and educator to nurses and nursing students. For six years she fulfilled perioperative education and professional development leadership positions at Cleveland Clinic. During this time, Pehotsky collaborated with organization departments to develop the curriculum for the surgical operations/surgical services nursing and perioperative departments. She also worked closely with area schools to create an ST-RN bridge educational program; developed partnerships with local colleges and universities to advocate for surgical technology and perioperative nursing; and, implemented a monthly educational series designed to support the professional development of Cleveland Clinic’s surgical nursing leadership.
Research & Publications
An avid speaker, Pehotsky has presented locally, nationally and internationally on a variety of clinical and professional topics, including perianesthesia nursing, perioperative nursing, diabetes and music therapy. She has been a featured speaker at national perianesthesia and perioperative nursing conferences. In addition, she has served as an author, contributor and reviewer for several national nursing journals and publications.
Professional Involvement
- Member, Association for Nursing Professional Development
- Member, Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses
- Member, American Society of Perianesthesia Nursing
- Member, Leadership Development Committee and Strategic Work Team – Evidence Based Practice
- Member, Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society
Honors & Awards
- Nursing Institute Professional Development and Education Award, Cleveland Clinic, 2013
- Stanley Shalom Zielony Advanced Practice Nursing Scholar, 2009-10
- Mr. and Mrs. Frank P. McMorrow Nursing Scholarship Recipient, 2007-08, 2008-09
