Influential Woman · Retired RN

Rochelle Simmons

Registered Nurse retired, Retired

Kansas City, MO

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Diploma in Nursing from School of Nursing Cert Registered Nurse (Diploma)

Her Story

About Rochelle

I had an amazing 48-year career in nursing that took me through so many different areas of healthcare. I started in rehab nursing, which I really enjoyed because it was more patient-oriented and hands-on, with great teamwork and collaboration. I worked on the same unit where I had done my CNA training. Over the years, I did about 10 years of floor nursing and outpatient work at Menorah, including research at two hospitals under the same umbrella, and then spent 20 years doing floor nursing at the VA. I also did home health nursing back in the 80s when it was just starting out, doing home infusion with Hickman catheters and Triple Lumens, dressing changes every three days, and wound assessments. I'm a diploma nurse and when I hit that 30-year mark, everything was changing to require a BSN, but I was divorced with children and I made the choice not to go back to school because I was not going to be a workaholic. I wanted to be around for my children. The way I avoided burnout was by switching to different departments and specialties throughout my career. Now I'm retired and focused on what matters most - my family, my grandkids and great-grandkids, and enjoying my retirement with a little traveling.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Rochelle

01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

The best career advice I ever received was to accept every challenge that they can give you. Don't be blind to it, just try it, and if you like it, you can go ahead. Accept every educational certification challenge that they can give you, because the more certifications you have, the vast majority of job prospects you can obtain. You don't have to be stuck in one area, you can go to different areas and different avenues.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

Get some good shoes, because concrete has torn my knees up. And now that we have overhead lifts for lifting patients, I praise that. Back in the day, we had Hoyer lifts that were hand pump that you had to pump. Accept every challenge that they can give you. Don't be blind to it, just try it. Accept every educational certification challenge that they can give you, because the more certifications you have, the vast majority of job prospects you can obtain. You don't have to be stuck in one area - you can go to different areas and different avenues. There are opportunities to go further, you can always increase yourself by doing your CEUs, getting your certifications, going back to school. There are so many opportunities available now, education-wise, and having their BSN and going on and on.

03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

There are so many opportunities available now to go further. You can always increase yourself by doing your CEUs, getting your certifications, and going back to school. There are opportunities available education-wise, having their BSN and going on and on. They started mentorships about 5 to 10 years ago, whereas when I graduated, you got to work with a nurse maybe 3 days, then you're on your own. Now they have 6 weeks on every floor, in every area, for a year. The advancement of technology has been wonderful - you get access to labs quicker, to a doctor quicker, everything is real-time. To me, it is wonderful because it helps with the workload.

04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

Family is at the center of everything for me. It's all about family - my life, and now my grandkids and great-grandkids. I made the choice not to be a workaholic because I wanted to be around for my children when I was divorced and they were getting prepared for school. Because a job, they can fire you, and with Missouri being at will, they can fire you for no reason whatsoever. I saw that in research when they got rid of a whole evening crew - everybody in that surgical crew had 20 years like I did, and they hired new grads in so they could pay them less and not give as much benefits. But family, that's what's important, because family will always be there.

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