Miranda R. Nungester
Summary
Dedicated healthcare professional managing high-acuity patient populations in surgical settings and trauma. Expertise in coordinating surgical workflows, ensuring patient safety, and driving quality improvement while delivering exceptional preoperative and postoperative care.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Registered Nurse, Pre/Post Anesthesia Care Unit
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
Seattle, WA
06.2024 - Current
- Works as a primary charge nurse in collaboration with the OR charge nurse to coordinate daily staffing, optimize surgical workflow, and ensure safe, efficient patient care.
- Served as an Epic Superuser (May 2026), providing unit-level support, troubleshooting, and guidance to staff during electronic health record implementation and optimization.
- Performs comprehensive preoperative interviews and assessments to determine patient readiness for surgery and identify potential risks or contraindications.
- Communicates pertinent changes in patient health status and assessment findings to anesthesia and surgical teams to facilitate timely clinical decision-making.
- Establishes peripheral intravenous and implanted vascular port access for medication and fluid administration.
- Precepts and mentors new nursing staff, providing education on unit policies, procedures, workflows, and perioperative best practices.
- Provides Phase I and Phase II postoperative care for patients recovering from general, local, spinal, and monitored anesthesia care (MAC), including those receiving peripheral nerve blocks and regional anesthesia.
- Continuously monitors vital signs, level of consciousness, pain management, and surgical sites to identify complications and determine readiness for discharge or transfer to inpatient units.
- Collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to maintain patient safety, support efficient perioperative operations, and deliver high-quality, evidence-based care.
- Educates patients and families regarding postoperative expectations, pain management, discharge instructions, and recovery planning.
Travel Nurse Pre/Post Anesthesia Care Unit
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
02.2024 - 05.2024
- Converted from travel nurse to permanent staff nurse within the same unit as current position listed above.
Travel Nurse, Pre-op
UCHealth University Of Colorado Hospital
09.2023 - 12.2023
- Provided care in a Level I Trauma and teaching hospital environment, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to manage complex and high-acuity surgical patients.
- Conducted comprehensive preoperative patient interviews and assessments to ensure surgical readiness and identify potential risks or contraindications.
- Communicated significant findings, changes in health status, and pertinent medical history to anesthesia providers and the surgical team to promote safe patient care.
- Established and maintained intravenous (IV) access.
- Assisted the anesthesia pain service with the placement and management of regional anesthesia techniques.
Travel Nurse Pre/Post Anesthesia Care Unit
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
02.2023 - 08.2023
- Performed the same clinical duties and responsibilities as current staff nurse role during a travel nurse assignment within the unit.
Travel Nurse, Surgical/Trauma Intensive Care Unit
Harborview Medical Center
10.2022 - 01.2023
- Experience at the only regional Level I Trauma Center serving Washington, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho, within a large academic teaching facility.
- Skilled in caring for critically injured trauma and post‑surgical patients, including those with injuries from motor vehicle collisions, assaults, falls, gunshot wounds, suicide attempts, and skiing accidents.
- Experienced in managing complex orthopedic and neurotrauma needs, including patients with traction, external fixation devices, intracranial bolts, new-onset paralysis, and those requiring activation and management of massive transfusion protocols.
Travel Nurse, Intensive Care Unit
Christus St Michael Hospital
01.2022 - 04.2022
- Deployed through FEMA to understaffed healthcare facilities, adapting quickly to limited resources and high-acuity patient populations during COVID-19
- Managed the care of critically ill, injured trauma and postoperative patients
- Performed continuous patient assessments, hemodynamic monitoring, medication administration, and rapid intervention to identify and treat clinical deterioration.
Travel Nurse, Intensive Care Unit
St Joseph Medical Center, Dignity Health
08.2021 - 10.2021
- Deployed with FEMA to understaffed facilities with limited resources to provide care to critically ill patients infected with Covid-19 during pandemic
Travel Nurse, Intensive Care Unit
The Hospitals Of Providence Memorial Campus
11.2020 - 04.2021
- Deployed through FEMA to understaffed healthcare facilities with limited resources specializing in critically ill patients during the pandemic.
- Provided advanced nursing care to critically ill patients with sepsis, shock, gastrointestinal bleeding, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), substance withdrawal, and respiratory failure.
- Managed care for critically injured trauma and postoperative patients.
- Provided post-procedural care for patients following thrombectomy procedures, including management of EKOS catheter-directed thrombolysis therapy.
- Monitored and cared for patients recovering from cardiac catheterization and interventional cardiology procedures.
Travel Nurse, Intensive Care Unit
Rio Grande Regional Hospital
07.2020 - 08.2020
- Deployed with FEMA to understaffed facilities with limited resources working six 12-hour shifts each week
- Specialized in providing general care to critically ill patients infected with Covid-19 during the pandemic
Travel Nurse, Intensive Care Unit
NYU Langone Hospitals
04.2020 - 06.2020
- Provided comprehensive care in a Level I Trauma, teaching hospital setting, supporting high-acuity surgical, trauma, and critical care populations during pandemic surge.
- Provided Phase I and Phase II post-anesthesia care for patients recovering from anesthesia
- Served as overflow support for trauma and surgical ICU-level patients.
Travel Nurse, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit
Mayo Clinic
01.2020 - 04.2020
- Provided comprehensive post-anesthesia care in a Level I Trauma, teaching hospital, managing patients recovering from various types of anesthesia, including those with peripheral nerve blocks.
- Delivered specialized postoperative care across multiple surgical specialties, including orthopedic, colorectal, breast, OB/GYN, urology, ophthalmology, neurology, thoracic, ENT, kidney transplant, cardiac ablation, and interventional radiology procedures.
- Monitored and managed patients recovering from high-risk procedures, ensuring hemodynamic stability, effective pain control, and early identification of post-operative complications.
- Served as overflow support for surgical and trauma ICU patients as well as COVID-19 patients during periods of increased hospital census and acuity.
- Performed continuous assessments of vital signs, neurological status, surgical sites, and pain levels to determine readiness for discharge or transfer to higher levels of care.
Registered Nurse, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
05.2017 - 12.2019
- Level 1 Trauma, Teaching Facility
- Specialized in providing care to patients following orthopedic, colorectal, breast, OBGYN, urology, ocular and pediatric procedures
- Competent in providing care to patients who have received general, local or MAC anesthesia, including nerve blocks
- Recovery of patients post cardiac catheterization and interventions
- Experienced in caring for critically injured trauma and post surgical patients including motor vehicle/scooter accidents, falls, gunshot wounds, pediatric fractures/breaks
- Served as overflow for surgical ICU patients
Travel Nurse, Intensive Care Unit
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
01.2017 - 05.2017
- Level 1 Trauma, Teaching Facility
- Specialized in providing general care to critically ill patients as described in previous RN positions held (listed below)
Travel Nurse, Intensive Care Unit
Swedish Medical Center
01.2016 - 11.2016
- Served as a Resource RN in a teaching hospital, assisting with safe transport of critically ill patients to essential diagnostic imaging and supporting admissions of high-acuity patients.
- Responded to Rapid Response Team (RRT) activations, providing timely nursing interventions to stabilize patients experiencing acute clinical deterioration on inpatient units.
- Supported liver transplant team RNs with complex patient care needs, contributing to coordinated management of critically ill hepatology patients.
- Oriented and mentored new nursing staff to unit.
Travel Nurse, Progressive Care Unit
Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla
09.2015 - 12.2015
- Level 1 Trauma, Teaching Facility
- Specialized in pre/post op trauma patients, patients experiencing substance abuse withdrawal, neurovascular and spinal patients
Registered Nurse, Intensive Care Unit
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center,
11.2013 - 08.2015
- Level 1 Trauma, Teaching Facility
- Specialized in critically ill patients during the perioperative period with an oncology history
Registered Nurse, Progressive Care Unit
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
02.2012 - 11.2013
- Delivered care in Level 1 trauma teaching facility, ensuring high standards of patient support
- Administered specialized post-surgical nursing care for thoracic surgery, surgical oncology, and plastic surgery patients, closely monitoring those in clinical trials.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
The University Of Toledo
Toledo, Ohio03-2011
Skills
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support
- Basic Life Support
- Early Heart Attack Care
- Epic Superuser
- NIHSS
- Pediatric Advanced Life Support
Timeline
Registered Nurse, Pre/Post Anesthesia Care Unit
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
06.2024 - Current
Travel Nurse Pre/Post Anesthesia Care Unit
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
02.2024 - 05.2024
Travel Nurse, Pre-op
UCHealth University Of Colorado Hospital
09.2023 - 12.2023
Travel Nurse Pre/Post Anesthesia Care Unit
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
02.2023 - 08.2023
Travel Nurse, Surgical/Trauma Intensive Care Unit
Harborview Medical Center
10.2022 - 01.2023
Travel Nurse, Intensive Care Unit
Christus St Michael Hospital
01.2022 - 04.2022
Travel Nurse, Intensive Care Unit
St Joseph Medical Center, Dignity Health
08.2021 - 10.2021
Travel Nurse, Intensive Care Unit
The Hospitals Of Providence Memorial Campus
11.2020 - 04.2021
Travel Nurse, Intensive Care Unit
Rio Grande Regional Hospital
07.2020 - 08.2020
Travel Nurse, Intensive Care Unit
NYU Langone Hospitals
04.2020 - 06.2020
Travel Nurse, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit
Mayo Clinic
01.2020 - 04.2020
Registered Nurse, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
05.2017 - 12.2019
Travel Nurse, Intensive Care Unit
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
01.2017 - 05.2017
Travel Nurse, Intensive Care Unit
Swedish Medical Center
01.2016 - 11.2016
Travel Nurse, Progressive Care Unit
Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla
09.2015 - 12.2015
Registered Nurse, Intensive Care Unit
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center,
11.2013 - 08.2015
Registered Nurse, Progressive Care Unit
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
02.2012 - 11.2013
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
The University Of Toledo