Guidelines Workshops

Speakers

Deborah Ebert, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, CNOR, CPAN, CAPA

Nurse Executive Award

Deborah Marie Ebert is an innovative healthcare executive and mentor with 20+ years of experience in Leadership, Strategic Operations, Surgery, Perianesthesia, and Critical Care.

Zachary Wargolet

Edith Dee Hall Award

Zachary Wargolet, has worked in healthcare since 2015 starting out as a CNA on a med surg unit. He made his way into the OR in 2021 at a small community hospital and knew that OR nursing is where he found his home.

Rachel M. Edens, BSN, RN, CNOR, CPAN

Outstanding Achievement in Perioperative Nursing Management

Rachel Edens served in the Nurse Manager role of the Operating Room at Baton Rouge General Hospital. During her tenure she guided a team of 120 and oversaw the daily clinical operations of 15 OR suites.

Megan Nolan, MSN, RN, CNOR, NEA-BC

Outstanding Achievement in Perioperative Nursing Evidence - Based Practice

Megan Nolan, Senior Director of Nursing and Patient Care Operations at Boston Children’s Hospital, is an award-winning nurse leader with over 18 years of experience in perioperative services and operating room management.

Dave Picardo Calubaquib, DNP, MBA, MA, RN, CNOR, CNAMB, CSSM, CPAN, CV-BC, MEDSURG-BC

Outstanding Achievement in Nursing Clinical Practice

Dave Calubaquib is a nursing leader with extensive experience in multiple clinical areas

Leah Goldberg MSN, RN, CNOR

Outstanding Achievement in Perioperative Education: Clinical

Leah Goldberg is a proud UCONN School of Nursing alumni (2011) and recently completed her MSN in Nursing Education at the University of Hartford.

Lindsey K. Joyce MSN, RN, CNOR-CARD

Outstanding Achievement in Perioperative Education: Academic

Lindsey Joyce is currently a scrub and circulating nurse in the CVOR at St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield, MO.

Ruth Plotkin Shumaker, MS, BSN, RN, CNOR

Outstanding Achievement in Mentorship - AORN Leadership

Ruth Plotkin Shumaker is an Executive Consultant and partner for Perioperative Consulting. She is a past national President and recipient of the Award for Excellence in Perioperative Nursing.

Mary C. Russell, MN, RN, FNP-BC, CNOR

Outstanding Achievement in Mentorship - Perioperative

Mary C. Russell continues to serve her chapter on the BOD, founded her state's council, and served nationally on many committees and was elected to the NLDC. Mary also serves AORN as chair of the CEAC committee.

Daphny Peneza, MSN, RN, CNOR, CSSM, FAORN

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives of the Year Award

Daphny Peneza is a leader in perioperative nursing recognized for her contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in healthcare.

Kathryn Schroeter, PhD, MA-Bioethics, MS, RN, CNE(Ret), CNOR, FAORN

Award for Excellence

Kathryn Schroeter currently works as a Nurse Scientist and Ethicist at Froedtert Hospital - a Level I Trauma Center in Milwaukee, WI, where she has also been a perioperative nurse and educator for 23 years.

Barbara Lee Nalley, CNOR, RN

Outstanding Volunteer Leadership

Barbara has been perioperative nurse for over 20 years and is a lifetime member of AORN. She currently practices as the Lead nurse practitioner/RNFA for Urogynecology for University of Maryland health systems.

David Wyatt, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, CNOR, FAORN, FAAN

CEO and Executive Director of AORN

David Wyatt leads AORN as CEO. Previously he held executive perioperative leadership positions at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, HCA Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center and the University of Kansas Hospital.

Colette Palmer, MBA

Vice President of Sales and Marketing

Colette Palmer, MBA, serves as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for AORN as well as the leader of our philanthropic arm, the AORN Foundation.

Hung-Fu "Charlie" Lin

MSN, APRN, NP-C, CRNFA, CNOR-PEDS, CNAMB, FAORN

A cancer survivor & Nurse Practitioner/RNFA, Lin’s periop nursing centers on improving clinical outcomes, particularly in kids. He gives back to the surgical community as an RNFA faculty, international speaker, & provider of humanitarian surgical care.

Ray-an B. Talatala

DNP, RN, CNOR, NPD-BC, FAORN

Talatala’s leadership in evidence-based QI projects has advanced health equity for underserved populations, reinforced patient safety, & driven nursing excellence locally, nationally, & globally. In 2023, AORN named him an Emerging Nurse Leader Under 40.

Rodney W. Hicks

PhD, RN, FNP-BC, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN

Hicks is internationally renowned for patient safety research & advancing the science of safe medication use. Hicks’ leadership & work as an author led to AORN’s creation of medication safety standards that affect more than 65 million patients a year.

Vangie Dennis

MSN, RN, CNOR, CMLSO, FAORN

Dennis' passion is to uphold the integrity of the periop profession. Her contributions with laser, electrosurgery, surgical smoke and leadership with organizations provided periop nursing with evidence-based practices for safety.

Julie Cahn

DNP, RN, ACNS-BC, CNS-CP, NPD-BC, CNOR, FAORN

Cahn's career is dedicated to evidence-based practice and research to promote quality and safety for perioperative patients and personnel. She has implemented evidence-based practice initiatives, updated guideline recommendations, and performed research.

Kay Ball

PhD, RN, CNOR, CMLSO, FAORN, FAAN

Kay Ball, AORN Past President, is recognized nationally & globally for her passion for surgical smoke evacuation and laser technology. Her research, many articles/books, and frequent presentations on workplace safety are valued throughout the world.

Page 1 of 10