The AORN Board of Directors met Jul...

The AORN Board of Directors met July 14 to 16 2004 at AORN Headquarters in Denver before the 2004 Focus upon Leadership conference. Two goals promulgated by way of President William J. Duffy, RN BSN MJ CNOR, for this year are to celebrate the value of the perioperative profession and to reach revealed to grassroots members. In light of these goals, Board members encouraged committee and task force members who were in Denver for the Focus in succession Leadership conference to sit in upon the Friday session of the Board meeting. Many members took advantage of the opportunity to witness the Board in action.

BOARD AGENDA

During the meeting, the Board approved a recommendation from the Corporate Compliance Committee requiring that all AORN committees and task forces render free of access all meetings with a verbal disclosure of any potential conflict of interest members may have related to agenda items. In addition, at the recommendation of the Finance and Audit Committee, the Board approved the Dec 31 2003 auditor's report. The Board also addressed several other agenda items, including

* member access,

* an industry-sponsored patient education initiative,

* specialty assemblies,

* guidance statements, and

* Congress

Member access. In reply to a charge from the House of Delegates related to member access, (1) the Board reviewed recommendations from the Member Access Task Force. The Board approved a three-prong approach to begin work forward the first phase of an enhanced member access plan (Table 1)

Industry-sponsored patient education initiative. The Board also considered a petition for from Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Cincinnati, for AORN to endorse a fresh patient education initiative. The initiative, which is called the Smarter Patient Campaign, focuses in succession five points Ethicon believes each patient should know before surgery further may not know to ask about. After discussion, the Board decided not to endorse the initiative at this time because about aspects of the campaign related to reprocessing are not consistent with the "AORN guidance statement: Reuse of single-use devices." (2) Additionally, the Board was not clear forward how the campaign would comply with position statements upon reusable supplies disseminated by AORN's surgical partners. The Board did tender to collaborate on limited portions of the campaign. AORN Treasurer Paula R Graling, RN MSN CN CNOR, and Board member Susan K Banschbach, RN BSN CNOR, who are members of Ethicon advisory panels, abstained from voting onward this agenda item.

Specialty assemblies. The Board approved forming sum of two units new specialty assemblies, one for ophthalmology promotes and one for military/government perioperative cherishs Board members also approved a recommendation to decrease the suitables for the RN First Assistant Specialty Assembly to $15 by year, which would make the befittings for all specialty assemblies the same.

Guidance statements. Consistent with the Board's agenda regarding practice issues and ensuring that AORN is the indispensable resource for perioperative festers the Board also examined several issues concerning guidance statements. Board members

* approved the "AORN guidance statement in succession safe specimen identification, collection, and handling in perioperative practice settings";

* approved bringing the revised position statement "Resolution onward necessity for nursing student participation in perioperative nursing" to the House of Delegates in April 2005; and

* expanded the charge to the National Committee in succession Education to include all facets of orientation in its guidance statement.

Congres Board members also addressed having a Life-styles Pavilion at the 2005 Congres in fresh Orleans. Based on a review of the charge projections, the space available, and the proximity of the convention center to the Riverwalk and local vendors, the Board decided not to hem in this type of event in of recent origin Orleans. The Lifestyles Pavilion will be reviewed annually, however, as part of the Congres planning process

nearest MEETING

After adjourning the meeting, Board members had an opportunity to network with chapter leaders who attended the AORN reception and Headquarters tour as part of the Focus forward Leadership conference. This allowed Board members to support President Duffy's vision for the Association and reinforced their commitment to be accessible to grassroots members.

The nearest Board meeting will be held Nov 4 to 6 2004 in Atlanta. intimateed agenda items should be sent to President Duffy at Headquarters, 2170 s Parker Rd, Suite 400, Denver CO 80231-5711

TABLE 1

Board of Directors' Proposal for Member Access

The following is a brief outline of the first phase of an enhanced member access plan.

1 Create national suitables which will take away the multiple decisions members must make. These suitables would

a. include membership in a local representative visible form [i]or[/i] frame (ie, chapter, e-chapter) or as a member-at-large, if Bylaws criteria are met and membership in a specialty assembly;

b rebate a portion of the national becomings to the member's local chapter or e-chapter to support local perioperative nursing activities;