Ms Jacqui Simmons
SCPS Safety Chair
Senior Clinical Perfusionist University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW)
Jacqui was elected on to the Executive Committee of the Society of Clinical Perfusion Scientists in 2021.
Jacqui completed her first degree in nursing science and started her career in a haematology unit. Whilst she found blood, fascinating she was drawn to heart surgery and critical care. She started working at Walsgrave hospital in 1995 as a junior staff nurse in Cardiothoracic Critical Care and progressed to becoming a sister 3 years later. She remembers many nights with multiple arrests and open chests and thrived on the experience. She left nursing to further develop clinically as a trainee perfusionist, qualifying in 2003 and has experienced many different techniques, procedures, developments and experiences within her20 years in perfusion and 26 years in cardiac surgery.
As a more experienced perfusionist she was able to undertake the training and development of other trainees and was able to develop a competency based training package to augment and formalise their academic experience. Part of this programme involved formalising protocols for education which she has expanded to cover all elements of perfusion practise at UHCW NHS Trust validating through governance processes and making them available through intranet services. She has undertaken research and audit processes including blood conservation strategies and mycobacterium chimera management, with the chimer paper gaining publication. She undertook the examiner course in 2014 and has utilised her training and experience in conducting trainee exams. Academically, she completed a Masters in Health and Social Care Leadership and Management in 2012. Her thesis focused on perfusion safety and error with the application of simulation. This is a specialist area that she continues to be involved in with various elements of simulation being utilised to plan and develop protocols and procedures. Jacqui also runs a human factors programme through QIPs, which reviews cases and develops learning. From this programme her team has implemented the non-heparin guideline through the medicines management committee and drug and therapeutics. She completed a reflective review on PPE and Covid and presented that at stand-up. She aims to follow up with further reflections and publish. Jacqui has developed and implemented a TEG 6 algorithm with the project team across the surgical floor.
