Kristy Simmons, MSN, RN, CNOR

Pediatric Team Lead and Charge Nurse, Woman’s Hospital, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Vice President (One to be Elected)


Read Candidate Q&A

Kristy P. Simmons, MSN, RN, CNOR, is a pediatric team leader, perioperative ambulatory center charge nurse, and staff nurse at Woman’s Hospital, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She earned a diploma in nursing from Our Lady of the Lake College School of Nursing, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Loyola University, New Orleans, Louisiana; and a Master of Science in nursing from Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond.

Simmons has been a perioperative nurse for 41 years and a member of AORN for 36 years. She is a member of

  • AORN of Baton Rouge Area (2014-present),
  • the Louisiana State Council (2014-present),
  • the Pediatric Specialty Assembly (2014-present),
  • the Leadership Specialty Assembly (2018-present), and
  • the Integrated Health Practices Specialty Assembly (2022-present).

Simmons has attended Congress 10 times in the past 10 years, each time as a delegate.

Simmons has received

  • an AORN National Outstanding Achievement in Mentorship Award (2023);
  • Nurse of Year Honoree, AORN of Baton Rouge Area (2022);
  • Nurse of the Year, Woman’s Hospital (2018);
  • an AORN National Outstanding Achievement in Perioperative Evidence-Based Practice Award (2014); and
  • an AORN National Outstanding Volunteer Leadership Award (2014).

Highlights of Simmons’s service to AORN include that she is

  • a member of the Board of Directors Legacy Member and Engagement Taskforce (2022-present);
  • a member of the Silent Auction Committee (2014-present);
  • co-chair of the Pediatric Specialty Assembly (2014-present);
  • a member of the Ways and Means Committee, AORN of Baton Rouge Area (2014-present);
  • a member of the Member Engagement Task Force (2022-present); and
  • a member of the Legacy Nurses Engagement Task Force (2022-present).

She has been

  • a member of the Board of Directors (2018-2022),
  • a member of the Nominating Committee (2015-2017),
  • chair of the AORN National Membership Committee (2014-2015), and
  • president of AORN of Baton Rouge Area (2015-2016). 

In other leadership roles, Simmons is

  • a nurse champion for the Competency & Credentialing Institute (2014-present).

She has been

  • chair of the ANCC Magnet Champion Committee, Woman’s Hospital (2014-2020); and
  • a member of Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (2014-2015).

In her community, Simmons is

  • chair of fundraising for Race for the Cure (2014-present),
  • a presenter for College and Career Day (2014-present), and
  • a camp nurse for Louisiana State University Medical Brigade (2018-present).

She has been

  • a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity (2014-2017) and
  • founder and chair of the Future Nurse Club (2014-2017).

Election Statement

“What do we need to do to encourage every perioperative nurse to become a member” and “What do our members want and need to help them engage with our organization?” These are the questions we must ask. We cannot succeed as an organization without member engagement. Member engagement is vital to the future of our organization. Our local chapters are the foundation of AORN, and we need to continue to support them at the national level.

The past experience I have at the local, state, and national levels enables me to represent the interests of our organization as a whole well as the true nucleus of AORN—the individual perioperative nurse. During my tenure on the Board, we had to make rapid decisions on unprecedented events on a weekly basis to ensure the financial future of AORN.

AORN needs to collaborate and form partnerships and unite with other health care, nursing, or quality/safety organizations to improve safe patient care. Through AORN I have had the opportunity to present and collaborate with ANA, AWHONN, ASPANN, surgical technologists state assemblies, ANCC Magnet and the World Society of Disaster Nursing.

At the chapter level our local chapter Board members visited every surgical facility in our city to invite them to engage in our local chapter, I believe AORN needs to have a stronger presence in the ambulatory setting. At the state level I have helped organize seminars to keep our state collaboration strong and our state members engaged.

Each generation, each chapter, and each member of AORN needs something different from our organization. Our future leaders need to be diverse and effective change agents, and have the ability to engage members to take an active part in AORN. As a member of the Baby Boomer generation, colleague of Generation X, mother of the Millennial generation, and grandmother of the latest generation, I speak the diverse languages of each group on a daily basis.

With my past experience I know I am ready to perform the duties of the Vice President. I will continue to strive to maintain our values and our mission, along with maintaining our financial and operational success. If elected, I will continue to represent our members working at the forefront by listening to present issues, taking part of active debate and being our members voice in the Boardroom. I will use my experience to represent you!