Lashawnda Richardson, DNP, FNP-C, is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with more than 24 years of nursing experience and advanced practice expertise in skilled nursing, post acute care, acute care surgery, trauma, care coordination, and complex medical management. Her background combines direct patient care, case management, utilization management, clinical leadership, and regulatory knowledge, giving her a broad understanding of patient needs across the healthcare continuum.

Lashawnda currently provides primary and post acute care services in skilled nursing facilities, where she performs comprehensive assessments, manages acute and chronic medical conditions, prescribes medications, develops individualized care plans, and collaborates with facility staff, physicians, specialists, patients, and families. Her work emphasizes treatment in place, medication reconciliation, regulatory compliance, and reducing avoidable hospital transfers whenever clinically appropriate.

She also practices in Acute Care Surgery and Trauma Services at Duke University Health System, providing follow-up care for patients recovering from complex surgical and traumatic injuries. Her experience includes postoperative wound management, drain care, pain management, home health coordination, and specialty referrals for patients recovering from conditions and procedures including appendectomies, cholecystectomies, bowel obstructions, hernia repairs, ballistic injuries, and motor vehicle trauma.

Prior to becoming a Nurse Practitioner, Lashawnda built an extensive career in nursing leadership, case management, utilization management, emergency medicine, intensive care, and ambulatory specialty care. She has led multidisciplinary teams, coordinated complex discharge plans, managed specialty clinical operations, and worked extensively with Medicare, Medicaid, commercial insurance, medical necessity review, reimbursement requirements, and regulatory compliance. Her clinical background also includes transplant, nephrology, cardiothoracic surgery, vascular surgery, trauma, and critical care.

Lashawnda earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Gardner-Webb University, where her doctoral project focused on strengthening collaboration between case managers and providers during the discharge process. She also holds a Master of Science in Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Gardner-Webb University. She is currently pursuing additional certification as an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner.

Through her work with Post Acute Clinical Services, Lashawnda is committed to delivering compassionate, evidence-based care that promotes clinical stability, strengthens transitions and continuity of care, and improves quality of life for residents. She supports coordinated in facility care delivered 7 days a week by the provider network.