About Cheryl
Cheryl Herrmann, RN, MS, APN, CCRN, CCNS-CSC/CMC has dedicated her life to excellence in critical care nursing with a focus in cardiac care, especially cardiac care for women. Cheryl has 28+ years of nursing experience; 15 years as a bedside nurse in SICU, Neurosurgical ICU and CVICU and 17+ years as a cardiac clinical nurse specialist (CNS). As a Cardiac CNS, she influences cardiac outcomes by providing expert consultation to nursing staff and implements improvements in health care delivery systems. Cheryl is an essential resource to colleagues across the disciplines. She influences the care of cardiac patients from hospital admission, through cardiac procedures and surgery, recovery in CVICU, progressive care and upon discharge. In addition, Cheryl is a Pre-hospital RN for the local ambulance service and serves on the speaker’s bureau for the area emergency medical system (EMS). She has a passion for cardiac nursing and is an advocate for heart health, particularly in raising awareness of heart disease in women.
In 2008, she published an article on "Raising Awareness of Women and Heart Disease–A Woman's Heart is Different" in the Critical Care Clinics of North America. She is a popular presenter at the American Association of Critical Care Nurses NTI, other national nursing conferences, and for local EMS groups, nursing colleges, church and service groups.
In addition to providing expertise in the complex hospital environment, Cheryl provides substantial contributions in the complex environment of community health in developing countries. As a volunteer, she has been a coordinator and team leader of over 40 medical missions to provide vital medical services, supplies, and training to the poor and disadvantaged in Mexico, Ethiopia and Indonesia.
Cheryl was honored with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Circle of Excellence—Excellent Clinical Nurse Specialist Award, the Twenty-Five Women in Leadership Award in central Illinois and Alumni of the Year Award at University of Illinois-Chicago, Central Illinois Region. Her nursing career has also been profiled in Advance for Nurses.
Cheryl believes that learning should be fun and stimulating. She has created numerous educational puzzles and games for nurses, three of which have been published in AACN News. She presents material in a way that all health professionals caring for the cardiac patient, regardless of where they are in the continuum, take home valuable knowledge and new skills.