48th AORN Congress Wow! Awesome event
Article Outline
- ARMY NURSE CORPS' 100TH ANNIVERSARY
- EDUCATION, CONGRESS FOCUS
- OTHER EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
- CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
- AORN FOUNDATION'S ROLE
- LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
- NOTES
- Copyright
SHEILA L. ALLEN
In this issue, we celebrate our 48th annual Congress, “A Nursing Odyssey: Legend to Legacy.” The connections we make with nursing colleagues from other nursing organizations, Headquarters' staff members, industry partners, and each other during Congress rekindle our spirit and sustain us through the challenges and opportunities of the coming year. From the opening strains of “2001: A Space Odyssey,” the energy and passion for perioperative nursing apparently was alive and well at Congress 2001.
ARMY NURSE CORPS' 100TH ANNIVERSARY
In June, I always take time to reflect on the sacrifices and contributions that have been made so that we may enjoy our freedom and the opportunity to join together. Last year, my husband and I toured the new D-Day museum in New Orleans. The pictures and narratives told the compelling stories of men, boys, and nurses whose courage earned them a place in history.
At Congress, we highlighted the nurses of the Army Nurse Corps for their 100 years of service. “The colors were posted by the US Army Nurse Corp Ft Hood and Ft Sam Houston.”1 Brigadier General William Bester remarked that “OR nurses have played a key role in the nurses' continuing evolution in the Army.”2 We honored the Army nurses and paid tribute to the nurses who served in all branches of military service.
EDUCATION, CONGRESS FOCUS
At Congress, nondelegates could earn a total of 36.8 nursing continuing education contact hours and delegates could earn a total of 26.8 continuing education contact hours. The contact hours were earned by attending face-to-face education sessions and reviewing the research and clinical improvement/innovation poster displays. Education activities were offered Sunday through Thursday. Additional contact hours could be earned by taking education activities that were offered on the exhibit floor. Our industry partners are keenly aware of our need for ongoing education, so they graciously offered workshops for 13.5 contact hours and study guides for a total of 35 contact hours.
Congress also is a place where ideas are born. In addition to videotapes and audiotapes, chapter members concocted creative ways to take educational sessions home to be shared with local chapter members.
OTHER EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
Chapters also appreciate the opportunity to use AORN's approval unit to provide members with continuing education, according to Jane Flowers, RN, MSN, CNOR.3 Thomas Stringer. RN, CNOR, newsletter editor for AORN of San Antonio, Texas, highlights the chapter's use of the approval unit with each program description in the monthly newsletter.
For me, the importance of the circular relationship of members, staff members, and industry partners working together to provide educational opportunities for AORN members is exemplified in the following letter from Jane Alcock, RN, CNOR, and Tina Reggie, RN, CNOR, CRNFA, of AORN of Southwest Louisiana. I include the letter in its entirety as it communicates more than just words. It communicates the initiative and ingenuity of our members. The seminar described was a dream of Alcock's after AORN afforded her the opportunity to hear Leah Curtin, RN, MS, MA, DSc, FAAN, a nurse she admired.
“Success means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is in the doing, not the getting—in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard—reaching for the highest that is in us—becoming all that we can be. If we do our best, we are a success.”4 This, in all essence, describes the educational offering presented by AORN chapter 1903 in Lake Charles, La. “Creating a Hope-Filled Sustainable Future” was presented as a one-day 6.2 contact hour seminar. It was held at the Lake Charles Civic Center in one of its banquet rooms. Leah Curtin gave an informative and enlightening presentation with the aid of a [Microsoft] PowerPoint projector, which displayed various scenes and portions of her material on a large screen before the audience. The attendees were seated at banquet-sized tables, both for the purpose of taking notes and for comfort. Our target audience was registered nurses and other interested health care providers. Our total number of attendees was 67, consisting mostly of perioperative registered nurses. Also in attendance were staff nurses and nurse managers both from local facilities and the surrounding area.
Thanks to the tremendous financial support of the medical industry and health care colleagues, what was a dream actually became a reality. Industry exhibits provided those in attendance with an invaluable learning experience. With the generosity of sponsors, we were successful in providing a quality educational presentation.
The seminar was divided into four sessions covering various topics, including new knowledge of what creates and inhibits health and professional leadership in turbulent times. Questions by the audience were addressed as they arose. The overall purpose of this seminar presentation was to have this nationally recognized speaker in an intimate atmosphere in order that she might enlighten us on the current and future trends in health care and a means of survival throughout them all.
Having Leah Curtin, RN, ScD, FAAN, editor-in-chief of Nursing Management for 20 years, publisher of the newsletter Curtin Calls, and author of seven books, as the guest speaker for our seminar was truly a dream come true for our chapter members. This was particularly true after having experienced a presentation given by her at a General Session at the AORN Congress in San Francisco. Though we have only mentioned some of Ms Curtin's accomplishments, it gives a glimpse of the tremendous impact she has made on the nursing world. As a prominent nursing leader, Leah Curtain is truly regarded as one who “walks the talk”!
Her topic, coping with the present in order that we may have a hope-filled and sustainable future, was applicable to many aspects of our lives, especially nursing. We feel the experiences and knowledge Leah Curtin shared with us were so worthwhile that they will remain with many of us. In fact, many of our members still find themselves commenting on this highly informative speaker.
Simply having a nationally renowned, exceptional speaker in our presence was awesome in and of itself. Having been able to work with such a dynamic speaker and have her formulate a seminar solely for our chapter was a very moving and exhilarating, as well as educational, experience for our chapter members. We were able to move forward from this experience with much hope and a renewed sense of what perioperative nursing is really all about.5
As you can see, this experience epitomizes what we can accomplish by working together. The connections that were forged during this effort have lasting value. The circle began with the connection to Dr Curtin at Congress. It moved forward as chapter members connected to industry partners for a win/win opportunity for all parties. The circle of connection continued as the seminar was presented and members connected in an atmosphere of positive synergy and professional growth. This circle of care was completed as attendees were strengthened by personal growth, rejuvenated, and prepared to more fully meet the needs of their patients.
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
In addition to other means of obtaining contact hours, AORN is proud to have a university certificate program. The certificate program is conducted in cooperation with the University of Colorado School of Nursing, Denver, and it is designed for clinical educators, regardless of specialty. Nurses earn contact hours and academic credit simultaneously. Education offered in distance learning modalities creates new and exciting opportunities for members to continue personal and professional growth.
AORN FOUNDATION'S ROLE
The Foundation provides assistance for AORN members to fulfill the education component of the Association's mission. During the last three years, the Foundation has helped chapter leaders from an average of 300 chapters per year participate in the AORN Leadership Conference. During the past three years, funding was awarded for
When we support the Foundation, we assist our peers and ourselves. Education is one of the primary values of AORN to members. By supporting the endeavors of the Foundation, we become an integral part of the mechanism that encourages and fosters advanced education, continuing education, and education through research. Contributors from outside the Association consider member contributions an important factor in their decision to support the Foundation. In their eyes, member contributions demonstrate commitment to the goals and values of the Foundation.
At Congress, member and chapter contributions totaled more than $13,000. Seven state councils and 125 chapters generously donated. During this meeting, 614 new donor members gave to the Foundation, and 964 members contributed to the Every Member Campaign to date.7 It is clear that the members of AORN value the services provided by our Foundation and appreciate the dedication and commitment of its Board of Trustees, which is composed of nursing, business, and industry leaders.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Suzanne C. Beyea, RN, PhD, CS, AORN research director, reminds us that
Perioperative nurses must stay alert and remain well positioned to address the economic, social, political, environmental, and technological forces at work in surgical settings…. There has never been a more critical time to examine and validate the contributions of nurses to quality patient care and positive patient outcomes regardless of the setting or specialty.8
The commitment to life-long learning can be readily seen at Congress, as members seek to sharpen their knowledge and skills for their personal and professional growth. During the Jerry G. Peers Lectureship at Congress 2001, speaker Keith Harrell gave us a “pumped up” attitude tune-up. He reminded attendees that nursing is a profession that is “second to none.” He energized, positively reinforced, and infused us with the joy of perioperative nursing.9
NOTES
- “48th annual AORN Congress launched at Opening Session,” . Congress News . 12 March 2001;1
- Ibid.
- J Flowers interview by Sheila Allen, Baton Rouge, La, December 2000
- . In: The Best of Success: A Treasury of Success Ideas . Lombard, Ill: Celebrating Excellence Publications; 1992;p. 291
- J Alcock, T Reggie personal communication with the author, Baton Rouge, La, January 2001.
- T Barlow personal communication with the author, Baton Rouge, La, February 2001.
- Ibid.
- . “Recent changes and current issues in perioperative nursing,” . In: Dochterman JM , Grace HK editor. sixth ed. St Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2001;p. 206
- K Harrell “Attitude is everything,” Jerry G. Peers Lectureship, AORN Congress, Dallas, 13 March 2001.
Editor's note: PowerPoint is a trademark of Microsoft Corp., Redmond, Wash.
PII: S0001-2092(06)61817-6
doi:10.1016/S0001-2092(06)61817-6
© 2001 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc All rights reserved.
