Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
Leadership Experience
Timeline
Generic

Gwendolyn Simmons

Opelika

Summary

CCRN-certified Critical Care RN with 10+ years of experience in medical, surgical, and cardiovascular ICUs, cardiac step-downs, and frontline COVID care. Expert in high-acuity patient management, emergency response, and treatment implementation. Proficient in Cerner EMR. Detail-oriented, adaptable, and committed to delivering exceptional care in both routine and critical settings.

Overview

14
14
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Registered Nurse

East Alabama Medical Center
Opelika
11.2021 - Current
  • Medical-Surgical ICU - Continued caring for complex, critically ill patients with diverse diagnosis, not limited to sepsis, respiratory distress/failure, post cardiac arrest, overdose, renal failure, electrolyte and cardiac disturbances, diabetic ketoacidosis, gastrointestinal bleeds, CVA, renal failure, gunshot wounds, gastrointestinal, urological, and vascular repairs
  • Occasionally encountering obstetric, gynecological, and pediatric patients
  • Analyze and communicate lab and hemodynamic data to multiple specialties
  • Aid in initiating and managing life support measures such as mechanical ventilation, vasoactive, sedative, paralytic, thrombolytic, and antiarrhythmic infusions, as well as dialysis
  • Covid ICU - Tested in this Covid ICU caring for critically ill Covid patients and the ensuing sequelae of respiratory failure, ARDS, pulmonary embolisms and hypertension, pneumothorax, deep vein thrombosis, renal failure, and respiratory and cardiac arrest
  • Extended expertise in ABG interpretation and modes of mechanical ventilation, consistently assisted in procedures such as intubation, endotracheal tube exchanges, chest tube, central, and arterial line insertions while titrating multiple vasoactive, antiarrhythmic, sedative, anticoagulant, and insulin infusions
  • Paralyzed and proned patients using train-of-four to monitor neuromuscular blockade
  • Compassionately communicated with families regarding the status of their loved ones
  • Covid Infusion Center - Infused monoclonal antibodies to Covid positive, as well as high-risk members of the community
  • Educating patients, obtaining consent and past medical histories, reconciling medications, pre-medicating, IV insertion, infusing monoclonal antibodies, monitored vital signs, and recognizing and treating transfusion reactions according to protocol
  • Quality Analyst - Recorded all mortalities and hospital acquired conditions, reviewed all unplanned returns to the operating room, recording summary of events and keeping a spreadsheet broken down by reason for return, physician, and specialty
  • Managed TCAR registry

Registered Nurse

Grandview Medical Center
Birmingham
07.2018 - 10.2021
  • SICU - Continued to observe and recover postoperative patients having undergone surgeries such as whipples and colectomies or who had become septic from anastomotic leaks, fistulas, or pneumonia
  • Performed CCRT for patients in acute renal failure
  • Encountered trauma patients necessitating mass blood transfusion and obstetrical cases requiring vasopressors
  • Managed pain utilizing PCA pumps and epidurals

Registered Nurse

East Alabama Medical Center
Opelika
08.2014 - 07.2018
  • Critical Care Float - Mainly needed in CVICU but floated back to mixed Medical - Surgical ICU as needed
  • CVICU - Extended my knowledge in critical care and solidified my understanding of hemodynamics by training to care for postoperative cardiothoracic patients
  • Obtained and interpreted hemodynamic data from pulmonary artery catheters and arterial lines, monitored drainage outputs from myocardial chest tubes and multiple blake drains, utilized epicardial and transvenous pacemakers to increase cardiac output, occasionally administering reversal medications to extubate, mobilizing
  • Mixed ICU - Furthered my knowledge of disease processes and honed my critical thinking skills by working in this mixed Medical-Surgical ICU
  • Ultimately gained a more comprehensive view with a greater understanding of physiology and compensatory mechanisms
  • Learned to utilize life support systems such as mechanical ventilation and invasive therapies such as intra-aortic balloon pumps, EKOS, impella, target temperature management, transvenous pacemakers, and pulmonary artery catheters
  • Administered and titrated vasopressors, inotropes, sedation, and paralytics while under pressure

Travel Staff

Medical Solutions & Flexcare Agencies
Spokane, WA & Santa Cruz CA
02.2014 - 07.2014
  • Cardiac Step-Down - Demonstrated autonomy and flexibility while caring for patients with CHF exacerbation, respiratory distress, post - op CABG, pre - and post - cardiac catheterization care, accelerated hypertension, and heart rhythm analysis
  • Monitored vital signs, administered injections, and provided assistance with medical procedures.
  • Administered medications, tracked dosages, and documented patient conditions.
  • Assessed, planned, implemented and evaluated nursing care for assigned patients.
  • Collected lab specimens, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests and lab results.
  • Maintained thorough, accurate and confidential documentation in electronic medical records.

Registered Nurse

Medical City Dallas Hospital
Dallas
07.2011 - 12.2013
  • Cardiac Step-Down - Consistently exposed to advanced cardiovascular diseases including myocardial infarction, heart failure, arrhythmias, deep vein thrombosis, and endocarditis
  • Coordinated respective treatments such as cardiac catheterization, cardioversion, ablation, pacemaker, defibrillator insertion, cardiac medications and infusions
  • Ensured preop preparations and proper documentation were completed on surgical candidates

Registered Nurse

Bay Medical Center
Panama City
02.2011 - 07.2011
  • Medical- Surgical - My basic nursing skills were shaped on this Medical - Surgical Unit
  • These skills included patient care and assessment of up to seven patients, documentation, time management, safe and effective communication, coordinating patient care, and providing discharge education

Education

ANE 695

Barry University
01-2024

General Chemistry I

Portage Learning Via Geneva College
01-2024

Bachelors of Science - Nursing

Chamberlain College of Nursing
10.2013

Associates Degree - Nursing

Gulf Coast State College
12.2010

Non-degree seeking - Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, Gen Chem II

Portage Learning

Pre-requisites - Nursing

Chipola College

Skills

  • IV insertion
  • Telemetry monitoring
  • ABG & Lab interpretation
  • Ventilator management
  • Vasoactive gtts
  • Sedation, Paralytics, & TOF
  • Hemodynamic Monitoring
  • PA catheters
  • Chest tube & drain output monitoring
  • Assisting intubation & line insertions
  • Pacemakers
  • IABP
  • EKOS

Certification

  • Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN), American Association of Critical Care Nurses, 02/29/28
  • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), American Heart Association, 06/01/25
  • Advanced Care Life Support (ACLS), American Heart Association, 03/31/27
  • Basic Life Support (BLS), American Heart Association, 03/31/27
  • Registered Nurse (RN), Alabama, MSL #1146233, 12/31/25

Leadership Experience

  • ICU Unit Council, Vice President
  • Serves as relief charge nurse and precepts new employees
  • Volunteered in Covid Infusion Center infusing monoclonal antibodies to the community
  • CARE Humane Society, Volunteer

Timeline

Registered Nurse

East Alabama Medical Center
11.2021 - Current

Registered Nurse

Grandview Medical Center
07.2018 - 10.2021

Registered Nurse

East Alabama Medical Center
08.2014 - 07.2018

Travel Staff

Medical Solutions & Flexcare Agencies
02.2014 - 07.2014

Registered Nurse

Medical City Dallas Hospital
07.2011 - 12.2013

Registered Nurse

Bay Medical Center
02.2011 - 07.2011

ANE 695

Barry University

General Chemistry I

Portage Learning Via Geneva College

Bachelors of Science - Nursing

Chamberlain College of Nursing

Associates Degree - Nursing

Gulf Coast State College

Non-degree seeking - Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, Gen Chem II

Portage Learning

Pre-requisites - Nursing

Chipola College

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