Rupinder Khotar has been an OR nurse for over 20 years and focused on perioperative nursing standards. She served as the President of the Operating Room Nurses Association of Canada (2013-2015) and as the Secretary of the International Federation of Perioperative Nurses (2015-2018).
Rupinder taught perioperative nursing for a decade before becoming the Supervisor of the Surgical Suite at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, BC. She has been involved in surgical care in low- and middle-income countries since the late 90’s and has worked with several NGOs to support short term surgical missions to India, Guatemala and Uganda. She also participated in outreach plastics clinics in Bella Bella, a rural, indigenous community in British Columbia.
The MGSC has piqued her interest in promoting surgical care in low resource settings with a particular focus on growth within a local community through education and advocacy. She hopes to sustain an ongoing collaboration with partners in India, including the President of the Society of Perioperative Nurses (India), to establish their perioperative nursing standards. She would also like to continue to study global surgical care, build a network of associates and seek opportunities to support surgical care in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs).