Candidate for Board of Directors (Four to be Elected)

Read Candidate Q&A

James “Jay” Bowers, BSN, RN, CNOR, TNCC, is a Multiple Service Line Coordinator and Supervisor for WVU Medicine, West Virginia University Health System, Morgantown. He earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from West Virginia University, Morgantown.

Bowers has been a perioperative nurse for 33 years and a member of AORN for 31 years.

He is a member of

• AORN of North Central West Virginia (2015-present)
• the West Virginia State Council (2015-present)
• the Leadership Specialty Assembly (2015-present)
• the Clinical Nurse Educator Specialty Assembly (2015-present)
• the Pediatric Specialty Assembly (2015-present)
• the Sterile Processing/Supply Chain Management Specialty Assembly (2015-present)

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

Bowers has received

• an AORN Foundation Nurse Philanthropist Award (2023)
• an AORN Outstanding Achievement in Perioperative Clinical Nursing Practice Award (2015)
• George P. Heffner, MD, Medical Staff Member of the Year, Diabetes Camp of West Virginia (2016)

Highlights of Bowers’ service to AORN include that he is

• liaison for the AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo (2023-present)

He has been

• co-chair of the AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo Committee (2021-2022)
• a member of the AORN Bylaws Committee (2021-2022)
• a member of the AORN Board of Directors (2015-2019)
• president of AORN of North Central West Virginia (2023-2024)
• vice president of AORN of North Central West Virginia (2015-2016)
• a member of the AORN of North Central West Virginia Board of Directors (2015-2019)
• chair of the AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo Committee (2022)

In other leadership roles, Bowers is

• a member of Sigma Theta Tau Alpha Rho Chapter (2015-present)

He has been

• a member of the Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI) CNOR Test Development Committee (2022-2023)
• a reviewer for the CCI Certified Foundational Perioperative Nurse (CFPN) exam (2022)
• an item writer for the CCI Certified Surgical Services Manager (CSSM) exam (2018)
• a member of the CCI CNOR Item Benchmarking Committee (2020-2021)

In his community, Bowers is

• secretary for the Diabetes Camp of West Virginia (2015-present)
• a member of the Interplast of West Virginia Board of Directors (2020-present)
• a disaster nurse for the Red Cross (2020-present)
• a nurse for the West Virginia Special Olympics (2015-present)
• head nurse for mission trips with Interplast West Virginia (2015-present)

Election Statement

For the 22nd year, a Gallup poll rated nursing as the most trusted profession. As trusted professionals, nurses provide priceless insight and input concerning the future of health care; however, this recognition comes when nurses continue to face pressure associated with multiple demands and the ongoing nursing shortage.

Nurses face complex circumstances beyond our patient’s health. Safe nursing practice remains uneven and contributes to fatigue, stress, and burnout. The complexity of our practice requires critical thinking skills and a strong foundation. I use those daily at a large university hospital. Integrity and moral courage are the cornerstones of my nursing leadership.

AORN members must exercise their right to vote. I ask you to consider the candidate’s involvement in and outside AORN. My involvement is longstanding. I am active in my chapter, a past-President, and Board member. I have experience on AORN’s national Board, which provides a deep understanding of our organization. I’ve volunteered for international missions for 20 years and serve on the Board of the National Diabetes Camp.

When serving on your Board, I was honored to be your voice. AORN is a member-driven organization, and that is something you need to hear often. Our members must be the focus in the Boardroom. President Tolliver has chosen “Together We Rise” as her theme this year. I believe that together, we can and will rise. I will be a leader who advances our profession with humility and inclusivity. I respectfully ask for your vote as your Board member.