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

Karen Y. Edwards (White) is a high-performing, strategically thinking professional with more than 13 years of experience in the management of perioperative and ambulatory services. She been a perioperative nurse for 33 years and a member of AORN for 31 years, and currently serves as the nursing director for the Main 3 and Dunn 6 Perioperative Services, at Houston Methodist Hospital. She has served in many leadership roles that have helped determine patient safety, and the quality of care being provided by nurses in the perioperative setting. She is currently a member of the AORN National Board of Directors and serves on the finance and audit committee. In the past, she has served on the board of Competency and Credentialing Institute (CCI), where she has also served as president and vice president. She has received several awards recognizing her excellence in nursing mentorship, teaching, and leadership. She has been recognized by the Houston Chronicle as one of the top 150 nurses in Houston, and in 2017, she received Houston Methodist Hospital's, I CARE AWARD! In 2022, out of the 28,000 employees at Houston Methodist, she was one of the 4,000 exceptional employees systemwide to receive the Humanitas award, which goes to staff members who demonstrated “human kindness” during the COVID-19 pandemic.