Donna Doyle, DNP, RN, CNOR, NE-BC, FAORN
When her position as senior surgical advisor at Grant Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, was eliminated during the COVID-19 pandemic, Donna Doyle, DNP, RN, CNOR, NE-BC, FAORN, wasn’t ready to end her long perioperative career. Instead, after working in the perioperative field for nearly a half-century, she saw it as an opportunity to pivot and do something a little bit different.
So Donna started her own independent perioperative consulting practice, DJD Consulting LLC. In this role, she has written and presented continuing education programs at the local, state and national levels while consulting with industry partners on a wide range of perioperative topics. As a certified legal nurse consultant, Donna has also reviewed cases with attorney partners.
A New Pace, the Same Passion
Donna says she’s enjoying the slower pace of self-employment after working 60 to 80 hours per week in the perioperative nursing field for many years.
“I’ve considered totally hanging it up and retiring, but the problem is I don’t idle well,” she says. “I can’t imagine not being involved in perioperative nursing and continuing to contribute to the profession through advocacy, volunteering, writing and mentoring others. Now I have time for these kinds of things.”
A lifelong learner, Donna continues to immerse herself in all the new technology that’s emerging in the perioperative industry. “I always like a challenge, so if there’s something that’s new and cutting edge, I want to learn more about it,” she says. “I love attending AORN Expo and other conferences where I’m together with like-minded people who challenge me with new concepts and ideas.”
One of Donna’s biggest challenges in this new phase of her career is managing her newfound extra time. “Like I said, I don’t idle well so it can be difficult to say ‘no’ to some things. But what I’ve started doing is reframing things by saying, this might be a ‘no’ now, but not at a future time.”
Leadership, Advocacy and Recognition
Among the many highlights during Donna’s long perioperative nursing career was being selected to represent the American Nurses Association Ohio (ANA-Ohio) at the American Nurses Advocacy Institute in Washington, D.C., this past summer. This yearlong nursing leadership program is designed to build political competence and advocacy skills in registered nurses.
Another highlight was being inducted as a fellow of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) in 2024 and sitting on the AORN Fellowship Selection Committee. “In this role, I’ve been able to recognize other perioperative nurses who have really made a difference in this specialty,” she says. Donna also became certified in healthcare construction through the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) when helping construct a new surgical and heart center at Grant Medical Center.
Donna has also had numerous articles and research papers published in industry journals, newsletters and magazines, including the AORN Journal, ANA-Ohio News Journal, OR Manager and OR Today. She is currently a member of the AORN Journal editorial board.
A Personal Fight Against Surgical Smoke
One advocacy issue that Donna is especially passionate about is getting surgical smoke evacuation legislation passed in as many states as possible. “I continue to support states that are on the legislation journey as a means of making sure that workplace safety in their facilities is improved,” she says.
Getting smoke evacuation legislation passed hits home personally for Donna. In 2016, she underwent a right upper lobectomy to remove a lesion that she believes was likely caused by years of exposure to surgical smoke. “In 2007, I was diagnosed with medullary thyroid carcinoma,” she says. After having a thyroidectomy performed, Donna underwent surveillance CTs and lab work every six months. On one of the scans, a small lesion in the right upper lobe of Donna’s lung was discovered.
“I elected to undergo an open thoracotomy and a right upper lobe removal, which was the gold standard for curative surgery,” she says. “That was the impetus for why I’m trying to get legislation passed to protect other perioperative nurses from having to go through this.”
Donna worked closely with AORN and Kay Ball to educate Ohio legislators about the hazards of surgical smoke and the need to get legislation passed. Based on their experiences, Donna and Kay were integral in getting smoke evacuation legislation in Ohio signed into law in 2023.
Donna is currently on the planning committee of a “policy influencer bootcamp” through ANA-Ohio to help other nurses learn how to navigate the legislative process. She co-chairs a Bootcamp Engagement group to keep graduates involved throughout the year. “Two cohorts have attended this program and the third cohort will attend in January 2027,” she says.
Travel, Board Games and Giving Back
Since leaving full-time perioperative nursing, Donna and her husband, Chuck, have been able to indulge their passion for travel. They have taken trips to France, England, Egypt, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Iceland and Greece since 2020. Most recently, they traveled to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand in September. “It has been great meeting other people who are different from you and learning new cultures,” she says.
Donna and Chuck are avid board game players – they play backgammon every afternoon and Scrabble with their daughter Kristen and her husband on the weekends. “He’s really good so the rest of us try not to finish last,” Donna says. Donna also volunteers every month at a free clinic in Columbus for patients who don’t have insurance and can’t afford healthcare. “This is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done,” she says.
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