Karen White-Edwards, BSN, RN, MBA, CNOR

Candidate for Treasurer (One to be Elected)

Karen Y. White-Edwards, MBA, BSN, RN, CNOR, is a professional development leader at Houston Methodist Hospital, Texas. She earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of South Florida, Tampa, and a Master of Business Administration in health care management from Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio, Texas.

White-Edwards has been a perioperative nurse for 32 years and a member of AORN for 30 years. She is a member of

• AORN of Greater Houston (2013-present),
• the Texas Collaboration of periOperative Registered Nurses (TCORN) (2013-present),
• the Clinical Nurse Educator Specialty Assembly (2015-present),
• the Leadership Specialty Assembly (2013-present),
• the Ambulatory Surgery Specialty Assembly (2013-present), and
• the Sterile Processing/Supply Chain Management Specialty Assembly (2021-present).

White-Edwards has attended Congress 10 times in the past 10 years, eight times as a delegate.

White-Edwards has received

• a Good Samaritan Foundation Bronze Award for Mentorship in Excellence (2017-2019, 2021-2022),
• a Houston Methodist Hospital Humanitas Award (2021),
• a Houston Chronicle Top 150 Nurses in Houston Award (2017-2020),
• a Houston Methodist Hospital I CARE (Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence) Award (2017), and
• a Houston Independent School District Excellence in School Nursing special recognition (2015).

Highlights of White-Edwards’s service to AORN include that she is

• a member of the Board of Directors (2021-present),
• a member of the Finance & Audit Committee (2022-present),
• Board liaison to the Continuing Education Approval Committee (2021-present),
• Board liaison to the Sterile Processing/Supply Chain Management Specialty Assembly (2021-present), and
• a member of the Atmosphere Disruptors Committee (2022-present).

She has been

• a member of the Policy Committee (2021-2022);
• a member of the Board Membership Task Force (2021-2022);
• a panel speaker at the Chapter Officer Summit, AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo (2022);
• a member of the discussion panel on COVID-19 for the Clinical Nurse Educator Specialty Assembly (2020); and
• president of AORN of Greater Houston (2021-2022).

In other leadership roles, White-Edwards is

• a facilitator for the annual Perioperative Change in Patient Condition Seminar, Houston Methodist Hospital (2016-present);
• a facilitator for the OR Nurse Residency Program, Houston Methodist Hospital (2016-present); and
• a member of the Association for Nursing Professional Development (2015-present).

She has been

• president of the Competency & Credentialing Institute Board of Directors (2014-2015) and
• vice president of the Competency & Credentialing Institute Board of Directors (2013-2014).

In her community, White-Edwards is

• the first vice president and program chair of Alpha Alpha Kappa Omega Chapter (2022-present);
• a volunteer with the food pantry at Good Hope Mission Baptist Church in partnership with the Houston Food Bank (2019-present); and
• a volunteer deputy voter registrar for Harris County, Texas (2018-present).

She has been

• a volunteer for fundraising walk for St Jude Children’s Research Hospital (2022) and
• co-chair of Pink Goes Red Women’s Health Symposium for Women’s Heart Health (2022).

Election Statement

Health care continues to undergo radical changes that are occurring at an unprecedented rate. The cost of health care continues to grow at an astounding and remarkable rate. This has impacted both health care organizations and consumers. Leaders are charged with making sure our organization remains intact and viable, as we continue to evolve from the last three years of a global pandemic. Leaders in AORN are also charged with bridging the gap and reigniting our membership engagement, to a level that authenticates our existence as a professional organization. We must continue our focus on strengthening our knowledge, in recognizing health care disparities among the population that we serve. As Treasurer: I will keep the Board apprised of key financial events, trends, concerns, and the assessment of AORN’s fiscal health. Moreover, as Treasurer, I plan to be an asset to the Board while facilitating and encouraging the Board’s strategic thinking regarding both the short- and long-term financial vitality of AORN.

I have an MBA in Healthcare Management. I am also a past-chair of AORN’s Nominating Committee. I am an AORN Board of Director, and a member of the AORN Finance & Audit Committee. We discuss and vote on budgetary projections that keep our organization viable. To sum up my attributes: I am a past-President, Vice President, and Board of Director with the Competency & Credentialing Institute, which gives me a strong foundation. It will be my honor to serve as Treasurer. I will advocate for our members and our Association!