Committees & Task Forces

Minimum Requirements

None.

Purpose

Select the recipient of the AORN Award for Excellence.

Initiatives:

1. Score the Award for Excellence applications.
2. Review scoring rubric and revise, as needed.
3. Explore legacy project to represent past AFE recipients, presentations and their contributions since inception of the AFE.

Minimum Requirements

None.

Purpose

Promote excellence in perioperative nursing through recognition of individual members and groups (i.e. chapters) who have demonstrated distinction in service.

Initiatives:

1. Review and assess current awards to determine if the categories are still relevant, the online award application process, and the scoring mechanism and provide recommendation for change to the Board, including the dates applications open.
2. Promote Individual Awards Process in Periop Today and on AORN Facebook to increase awareness / participation.
3. Promote Chapter Awards Process in coordination with Senior Manager of Chapter & State Relations
4. Score Chapter Award submissions and select recipients.

Minimum Requirements

None.

Purpose

Review new and existing clinical nursing practice issues and develop strategies to assist perioperative nurses to implement successful practices.

Initiatives:

1. Revise the AORN Position Statement on Criminalization of Human Errors.
2. Revise the AORN Position Statement on Healthcare Equity and Racial Justice.
3. Revise the AORN Toolkit Future of Perioperative Nurses.

Minimum Requirements

Degree required: Must have BSN or MSN or higher to apply.

Purpose

Utilize a peer review process to review applications from constituents and non-constituents using the ANCC criteria.

Initiatives:

1. Peer review continuing nursing education applications from constituents and non-constituents using ANCC criteria.
2. Using ANCC criteria, provide feedback to applicants in a timely manner.
3. Provide customer support regarding the approval process.
4. Identify and suggest topics to AORN staff for webinars and to the AORN Journal from topics being requested.
5. Educate membership on the AORN CEU approval process; provide a roadmap to successful submission to encourage more uptake, ideas include (not limited to) webinars, checklist, short videos etc.
6. Conduct a review of the performance improvement activities and make revisions in processes as appropriate.
   1. Evaluate the effectiveness of the overall approval unit.
      • Consumers (i.e. applicants)
      • CEAC Members (aka nurse peer reviewers)-inter rater reliability
      • Nurses attending an approved activity
   2. Evaluate user feedback for the online application
   3. Incorporate changes to the ANCC criteria to the application process, as required.

Minimum Requirements

Must be a FAORN.

Purpose

Identify and select members as AORN Fellows.

Initiatives:

1. Promote the AORN Fellowship in AORN communication and media channels.
2. Monitor and evaluate the selection process for the 2027 FAORN class.
3. Make recommendations for modifications to the process, as appropriate.
4. Make recommendations to the Board for modifications to the application qualifications, as appropriate.

Minimum Requirements

None.

Purpose

In collaboration with international colleagues, identify potential education sessions for a global education track at AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo 2027.

Initiatives:

1. Review needs assessments of international participants and members.
   1. Discuss "hot" international topics and feedback from 2026 attendees.
   2. Recommend speakers for global track who will represent the 2026-27 theme.
   3. Review proposals submitted by international attendees.
   4. Ensure two clinical practice areas are addressed, i.e. exploring the use of checklists, cultures of safety, or other important issues.
2. Members attending the conference to serve as hosts and moderators for the global track sessions.
3. Provide any feedback from global attendees through an electronic survey following the AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo conclusion.
4. Encourage members from outside the U.S. who attend Expo to participate in the business of the association by voting for elected leaders, attending the Forums, and voting in the House of Delegates.

Minimum Requirements

None.

Purpose

To serve in an advisory capacity to the AORN staff when planning educational programs for the AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo.

Initiatives:

1. Evaluate the need to revise and revamp proposal review/evaluation process to streamline the process for committee members, revise as needed.
2. Review education needs assessment and feedback from education sessions held in 2026.
3. Identify key categories of desired/requested content from needs assessment.
4. Achieve goal of 25% of first-time presenters for Expo program.
5. Collaborate with marketing to develop a plan to encourage members to submit Research, DEI, Innovation, Clinical & Process Improvement, poster and podium abstracts for the 2027 AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo.
6. Provide feedback regarding poster abstracts by evaluating their alignment to the AORN Mission, Vision, Values, and "AORN Guidelines for Perioperative Practice".
7. Utilize the poster evaluation tool to select the Outstanding Clinical, Research, Innovation, Improvement/Innovation, and DEI submitted for the 2027 AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo.

Minimum Requirements

* Degree required: Masters prepared.

Purpose

Reviewing, obtaining and providing input, and arriving at consensus on relevant, evidence-based Guidelines for Perioperative Practice.

Initiatives:

1. Review and critique draft documents, provide input, review public comments, and arrive at consensus on the following Guidelines:
   • Moderate Sedation/Analgesia
   • Flexible Endoscopes and Manual High-Level Disinfection
   • Preoperative Patient Skin Antisepsis*
   • Laser Safety
   • Prevention of Retained Surgical Items
   • Surgical Smoke Safety
   • Information Management*
2. Transition the following Guidelines to the Living Systematic Review Process:
   • Medical Device and Product Selection
   • Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS)
   • Moderate Sedation
   • Environmental Cleaning and Hygiene
   • Surgical Energy Devices
   • Local Anesthesia
   • Artificial Intelligence in Perioperative Practice
   • Autologous Tissue Management
   • Surgical Specimen Management

Minimum Requirements

None.

Purpose

Develop educational materials to meet the needs of AORN members.

Initiatives:

1. Revise the AORN Position Statement on Orientation of the RN and the CST.
2. Revise the AORN Toolkit for Colleges of Nursing – Faculty.

Minimum Requirements

No champions -- Members will be utilized based on states where legislative action is taking place. Board Liaisons:

Purpose

This group is a membership assembly convened via monthly conference call by AORN Government Affairs staff to coordinate and support AORN's health policy initiatives. The National Legislative Forum is open to all AORN members with an interest in health policy and legislative affairs.

Initiatives:

1. Health Equity
   

   Improving surgical outcomes requires promoting equitable frameworks for care delivery and institutional investment in the safety and well-being of all patients. AORN urges extraordinary action to curb and eliminate all disparities in health care delivery and ensure appropriate health care for all, including transition-related care and unrestricted access to reproductive health care.

2. Public Health
   

   AORN encourages funding and support for public health initiatives including viral testing, vaccine mandates, PPE availability, and public health precautions and investment related to communicable disease and the mental health of all health care providers.

   AORN supports improved access to mental health services and meaningful legislation and regulatory efforts to address the public health crisis caused by gun violence.

3. Surgical Smoke Evacuation
   

   AORN leads efforts to enact laws requiring facilities to adopt and implement policies addressing evacuation of surgical smoke for all smoke-generating procedures to prevent ongoing exposure to the hazardous carcinogenic and mutagenic cells contained in surgical smoke and to ensure the health and safety of all surgical team members.

4. Perioperative Safety and Practice Support
   

   AORN advises and collaborates with regulatory and standard setting bodies to ensure access to essential PPE, public health readiness, and adequate mental health support and compensation for nursing services.

   AORN encourages legislative and regulatory efforts to establish an accountable, trusting patient safety culture in the perioperative setting, including robust whistleblower protections for health care providers and mandatory reporting of safety incidences, such as surgical site infections and wrong site surgery. In addition to surgical smoke-free operating rooms, perioperative nurses deserve fatigue prevention resources, strong workplace violence protections, safe patient handling programs focused on injury prevention, and protections from prosecution for medication errors.

5. Perioperative Practice Issues
   

   RN Circulator. AORN works to ensure every surgical patient has a dedicated perioperative registered nurse circulator for the duration of each operative and invasive procedure. Our team also actively promotes laws and regulations to ensure the supervisory presence of the perioperative RN in the perioperative setting.

   RNFA. AORN supports the expanded role of the RNFA by actively working to achieve reimbursement parity for RNFAs. RNFAs work in collaboration with the entire surgical team to achieve optimal patient outcomes nationwide and yet private payer reimbursement is only guaranteed in 17 states.

   Professional Practice. AORN protects the perioperative registered nurse’s scope of practice and patient safety by engaging in legislative, regulatory, agency, and other stakeholder approaches to RN education, certification, supervision, roles, competencies, and duties.

Minimum Requirements

None.

Purpose

To serve as a resource and consultant to AORN regarding perioperative research.

Initiatives:

1. Plan and execute an annual virtual research program focused on perioperative nursing:
   1. Including presentations, posters and other methods to disseminate research and quality improvement projects.
2. Review:
   1. And accept individual Research and Evidence Based abstracts for poster session at 2027 Expo.
   2. and judge and determine "winners" for Research and Evidence Based posters at Expo 2027.
3. Provide feedback regarding the 2026 AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo research poster abstracts by evaluating their alignment to the AORN Mission, Vision, Values, and "AORN Guidelines for Perioperative Practice".
4. Choose the 2026-2027 AORN Foundation Research Grant recipients.

Please note: As a member of the Scholarship Committee, you are not eligible to apply for grants or scholarships from AORN.

Minimum Requirements

None.

Purpose

Evaluate and identify qualified AORN Scholarship recipients.

Initiatives:

1. Review and score academic scholarship applications consistent with evaluation criteria matrix.
2. Review and score applications for Professional Development Grants, including:
   1. CNOR/CSSM/CNAMB grants
   2. Expo grants
3. Highlight current and past scholarship/grant recipients and their accomplishments (i.e., Periop Today, Outpatient Surgery Magazine, AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo, etc.).

Minimum Requirements

None.

Purpose

To serve as a resource and consultant to AORN on the member insight and perspective regarding Expo with a focus on continuously improving the overall conference experience.

Initiatives:

1. Review the 2026 Expo attendee feedback survey and provide suggestions for key improvements regarding overall conference experience.
2. Provide feedback for the AORN staff regarding the following:
   1. member recognition and awards at Expo
   2. social events at Expo
   3. overall flow of general sessions and concurrent sessions

Minimum Requirements

None.

Purpose

To review the purpose of the AORN Fellowship and potential impact of Fellows to the work of AORN.

Initiatives:

1. Review the purpose of the AORN Fellowship as a guide for any recommendations.
2. Survey other professional associations that have Fellowships and understand how Fellows ensure ongoing contributions to the association and profession.
3. Make recommendations to the AORN Board of Directors for strategies to integrate the AORN Fellows in the ongoing member work of the association to ensure AORN Fellow contributions.

Minimum Requirements

None.

Purpose

To conduct a comprehensive review of the AORN Bylaws and make a recommendation for any revisions to be approved at the 2027 House of Delegates.

Initiatives:

1. Complete a comprehensive review of the AORN Bylaws and identify any recommended updates.
2. Present any proposed changes to the Board of Directors for approval prior to the 2027 House of Delegates.
3. Present Board-approved proposed changes for membership approval at the 2027 House of Delegates.

Minimum Requirements

None.

Purpose

Assess the needs of military perioperative nurses and recommend how AORN can address them.

Initiatives:

1. Conduct a needs assessment focused on individual nursing in the military.
2. Conduct a needs assessment focused on the organizational needs of the Department of Defense in relation to nursing education and practice.
3. Make recommendations to the AORN Board of Directors for strategies outlining how AORN can meet both the individual and organizational needs of nurses in the military.