Erin Kyle DNP, RN, CNOR, NEA-BC, EBP-C

Dr. Erin Kyle is the Editor‑in‑Chief of AORN’s Guidelines for Perioperative Practice, where she leads interdisciplinary guideline development that clinicians, engineers, designers, and administrators rely on to keep surgical care safe, and these principles can be applied to remain resilient during disruption. Her portfolio spans guideline authorship and editorial leadership, with a consistent focus on operational continuity, utility reliability (water/steam quality), and infection prevention in the built environment. Dr. Kyle serves as AORN’s liaison to the Facilities Guidelines Institute (FGI) for hospital and outpatient design standards and to AAMI across sterilization committees, bringing the perioperative nursing lens directly into national codes, consensus standards, and water/steam quality guidance (including ST79 and ST108). Her AAMI work includes recognition with a technical committee award tied to water quality for processing medical devices, underscoring her expertise in “back‑to‑basics” infrastructure and monitoring that keep sterile processing resilient when utilities fluctuate. Why this panel matters to her: Resilience in healthcare environments is inseparable from perioperative safety. Dr. Kyle’s career centers on turning evidence‑based guidance into reliable operations—from humidity management to water and steam quality monitoring, emergency drills, and interdisciplinary coordination—so perioperative teams can prepare, adapt, and recover during natural disasters and man‑made crises while ensuring optimal patient outcomes. Her publications and guideline work reflect a sustained commitment to practical, achievable actions that link design, utilities, and workflow to nurse‑sensitive outcomes and continuity of care - including for resource‑limited settings (ASCs, CAHs) and marginalized communities, protecting patients and teams when systems are stressed.