Board of Directors (Three to be Elected)

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Carole G. Mayes, PhD, RN, NPD-BC, CNOR, is the manager for Nursing Excellence and coordinator for the Institutional Review Board at Rutland Regional Medical Center, Vermont. She earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio; a Master of Science in nursing with an emphasis on education from Idaho State University, Pocatello; and a Doctor of Philosophy in nursing from the Catholic University of America, Washington, DC.

Mayes has been a perioperative nurse for 33 years and a member of AORN for 29 years. She is a member of

• eChapter (2014-present),
• the Nurse Scientist Specialty Assembly (2022-present),
• the Clinical Nurse Educator Specialty Assembly (2014-present),
• the Leadership Specialty Assembly (2014-present), and
• the Sterile Processing/Supply Chain Management Specialty Assembly (2014-present).

She has been a member of

• the Southern Vermont Chapter of AORN (2014-2015).

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

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

• chair of the eChapter Education Committee (2022-present),
• founding Board member for the Nurse Scientist Specialty Assembly (2022-present),
• chair of the eChapter Research & Evidence-Based Practice Support Committee (2020-present),
• founder of the eChapter Research & Evidence-Based Practice Support Committee (2020-present), and
• an AORN member mentor (2021-present).

She has been

• communication co-chair for the Nurse Scientist Specialty Assembly (2022-2023),
• a mentor for first-time attendees at AORN Expo (2023),
• a session moderator at AORN Expo (2015, 2017),
• president of the Southern Vermont Chapter of AORN (2014-2015), and
• co-developer of the AORN Guiding Principles for the Surgical Services Director Role (2022-2023).

In other leadership roles, Mayes is

• a member of Sigma Theta Tau National Honor Society (2017-present);
• primary developer and instructor for the Enhanced Operating Room Clinical Outplacement Program, Vermont Technical College (2021-present); and
• primary developer and instructor for the Operating Room Training Program and simulation lab, Rutland Regional Medical Center (2019-present).

She has been

• the primary research investigator on intraoperative team members’ decision making related to surgical attire guideline adherence (2019-2020) and
• the A3 process improvement lead for reduction of total knee arthroplasty surgical site infections (2021-2022).

In her community, Mayes is

• volunteer and recruiter for the Rutland Free Clinic (2023-present),
• volunteer and recruiter for the Vermont Medical Reserve Corp (2021-present), and
• coordinator for the Rutland Regional Medical Center Halloween Parade float (2017-2019, 2023-present)

She has been

• volunteer and recruiter for the Rutland Pride Festival (2023) and
• volunteer and recruiter for the annual Sigma Theta Tau Omega Mu Chapter-at-Large Walk to End Alzheimer’s (2022-2023).

Election Statement

In 1994, I found my home with AORN and later became a lifetime member knowing my perioperative nursing passion and dedication to AORN would never wane. Like you, I remain committed to perioperative nursing care excellence and even began pursuing research opportunities to enhance our science.

I want to represent you, your passion, and your dedication to excellence as a Board of Directors member. My advocacy for you was demonstrated at the 2022 House of Delegates. After you expressed your concerns based on the perioperative nurse turnover research results, I took these to AORN and collaboratively crafted a guidance statement on perioperative leader qualifications.

I will work with you to support AORN’s mission, vision, and values. Having found my voice advocating for perioperative nursing equity and patient safety, I will work with you to address these issues and others like global financial constraints, workplace incivility, and increasing student exposure to perioperative nursing. I will communicate your concerns, share your ideas, and connect with stakeholders who can facilitate innovative improvement strategies crucial to our organization’s future growth.

My service as a leader, educator, and mentor can be seen through my local, regional, and international chapter involvement and through international presentations where I shared our perioperative goals and concerns. With these demonstrated skills, I will help you and AORN propel our profession forward.

In closing, I am honored to be on the ballot and humbly ask to serve you, AORN, and our patients as a Board of Directors member.