Tamara Amundson, RN, Caritas Coach ®
WCSI Caritas Coach ®
KP CCEP Faculty
Tamara Amundson brings a unique blend of clinical expertise, leadership experience, and a deep commitment to holistic well-being to her Caritas Coach and Faculty member role. With over 13 years of experience as a Registered Nurse specializing in triage, advice nursing, and cardiology and 28+ years in holistic healthcare and business leadership, Tamara possesses a profound understanding of the challenges and rewards of healthcare work.
Before joining Kaiser Permanente full-time, Ms. Amundson worked at the Cardiovascular Center of Marin as an RN Care Team Coordinator specializing in anti-coagulation management, patient care coordination, transitional care, and patient teaching. She also worked in the ICU at Sutter Medical Center and, before that, held a paid externship at Kaiser Permanente San Rafael on the med surge/tele step-down unit.
Tamara is a seasoned Massage Therapist (CMT) with expertise in Swedish, Lymphatic Drainage, and Myofascial Release. In addition, she is a certified Thai Medical Massage teacher, trained in Thailand. As a staff educator and head massage therapist at Remedé Day Spa in Sausalito, she expanded her training by studying meditation techniques, leading her to a spiritual quest, taking her practice to India, studying with gurus, and performing lymphatic drainage massage for clients with post-surgery ailments and cancer diagnoses. This led to the successful founding and operation of a health and wellness center in Goa, India. This entrepreneurial venture allowed her to hone her leadership skills, foster a supportive team environment, and cultivate a deep understanding of the mind-body connection. While there, she narrowly avoided a helicopter crash where one of her clients was injured; Tammy spent time at the hospital learning physical therapy protocols to care for her injured client, which inspired her to become a nurse.
As an entrepreneur, she also founded a marine canvas business, which she managed for 16 years before successfully selling. She then earned her BSN through the nursing program at Dominican University, San Rafael, CA. There she worked in the Nursing Simulation Lab, running computerized simulations for the education of nursing students to teach critical thinking and nursing skills. She earned her RN and PHN degrees and graduated with Dean’s Honors for her senior project on recidivism and healthcare access within underserved populations and her community health work in the Marin County Jail teaching meditation to male inmates based on a Stanford study.
In her earlier career, Tammy was a Computer Systems Manager in New Zealand for a nationwide retail chain of women’s retail stores. Tammy implemented a computerized point-of-sale system and company-wide inventory tracking system while overseeing those functions and training all employees.
As a Caritas Coach, Tamara is passionate about cultivating compassionate and thriving healthcare environments. She leverages her expertise to guide individuals and teams in:
- Mindfulness & Stress Management: Developing mindfulness practices, stress reduction techniques, and healthy coping mechanisms.
- Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Enhancing communication effectiveness, conflict resolution, and team collaboration.
- Leadership & Team Development: Empowering teams to work together effectively, build trust, and achieve shared goals. Recognized for her Nursing Professionalism and Excellence, Kaiser Permanente.
- Holistic Wellness: Integrating mind-body practices, such as mindfulness and movement, into daily routines to improve overall well-being.
- Community Wellness: Fostering connections between individuals and their communities, promoting social responsibility, and contributing to the overall health and well-being of the community.
Tamara is committed to supporting the next generation of Caritas Coaches to develop the skills and knowledge to cultivate compassionate and thriving healthcare environments, foster individual and community connections, inspire wellness, and promote healthy communities. Beyond her professional pursuits, Tamara enjoys writing in her free time. She has created wellness journals and a mindfulness mandalas & mantras coloring book for adults and teens. She loves exploring and discussing remote work and the intersections of AI and healthcare. She enjoys an active lifestyle, exploring and hiking outdoors, cooking healthy meals, and spending time with her two adult children and three pets.