Karen Knapp has 39 years of OR experience, 26 years as a CRNFA and 14 years as a travel nurse (CRNFA)/consultant working in settings such as ASCs, critical-access and large acute care hospitals. She has perioperative clinical experience in orthopedics, spine, neuro, vascular, open heart, general and endoscopy.  Knapp has been very active within AORN, starting with her chapter in 1992, to serving on the AORN Board of Directors in 2013, Nominating Committee Chair in 2018, and eChapter Board of Directors in 2022. Knapp currently sits on the Board of Directors of National Assistant at Surgery Certification as Secretary.

Knapp is an avid supporter of AORN Guidelines, sharing her expertise with colleagues and promoting perioperative clinical excellence, all while being a traveling nurse/CRNFA.

Knapp’s second outstanding contribution to direct patient care is through the promotion and certification of many more CRNFAs. She helped create the new CRNFA portfolio for certification. The direct impact on patient care is in the positive influence on outcomes that have been proven through certification.

She states: “I am planting a garden around the country of well-educated, professional, certified nurses that will continue to grow the legacy of best-practice and high-quality patient care.”