In July 2000 AORN's Membership Comm...

In July 2000 AORN's Membership Committee launched eChapter, an online forum designed to provide an opportunity for AORN members who are unable to attend chapter meetings to participate more completely in AORN activities by being a member of a virtual chapter. The online chapter initiative was approved on the AORN Board of Directors in February 2000 as a one-year pilot project

During this pilot period, the main goal of eChapter tenders was to determine which online composings would best fit the requires of eChapter members and to bring out content for those components. Twenty-two AORN member offers were instrumental in determining the privations of eChapter members.

proffers determined that eChapter should have

* a chat room

* a bulletin board section with preselect topics,

* an online newsletter and

* an online directory of virtual chapter members.

offers also decided that eChapter should focus in succession a different theme each month to capture the variety of issues that relate to perioperative nursing and participating in AORN. The topics ranged from "Effective lobbying," and "Getting the in the greatest degree out of Congress," to "Perioperative nursing and the Internet." For each topic, eChapter provided real-time chats and bulletin board discussions, along with pertinent newsletter articles. As rely uponed some chat topics and bulletin board discussions generated greater interest and attendance than others. The topic "Billing issues for RN first assistants" was the in the greatest degree well received.

MEMBERSHIP

As proffers continued to develop the focus of eChapter, membership began to make progress At the beginning of the pilot throw out eChapter had approximately 50 members, including the 22 eChapter offers By June 2001, eChapter boasted approximately 800 members from many countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and Finland. When asked forward the eChapter registration form upon AORN Online why members pick outed to join eChapter, the top rejoinders included

* convenience (eg ability to network from home)

* accessibility (eg no local chapter, member-at-large designation), and

* have fruition of using technology to network.

ADDITIONAL TECHNOLOGY

With eChapter's increasing membership, the ne for a more efficient way for members to communicate arose. For this, eChapter offers decided an eChapter discussion list similar to AORN's MemberTalk should be disentangleed The discussion list allows eChapter members to chat with other members via e-mail, and it has the ability to handle a large convolution of messages. The discussion list also eliminates the ne for eChapter members to wait for other members to "meet" in the chat play for a discussion. With this technology, members can delegate questions or comments to the e-mail list, and messages then are carryed instantly to all members of the discussion group

APPROVED MOTIONS

During eChapter's first year, staff members in AORN's Center for Member Services placed several recommendations regarding the time to come of eChapter before the AORN Board of Directors for consideration. In February 2001 the Board approved couple motions:

* eChapter shall remain a primary choice for chapter designation and

* eChapter members must tread close upon standard chapter formation procedures, including developing bylaws, electing officers, attaining tax-exempt status, and seating delegates at Congress

The Board conclud that these deeds must be followed for eChapter members to be eligible for the rights and privileges that accompany formal chapter designation.

nearest STEPS

Based onward the Board's motions, eChapter members began the formal chapter formation proces in April 2001 In May, Center for Member Services staff members facilitated elections for positions forward the eChapter leadership group. The leadership group's charge is to coordinate chapter formation and exhibit a plan for chapter management and activities. This was the first time that AORN attempted online voting, and the technology was a resounding success

upon May 14, 2001, the following members of the 2001-2002 eChapter leadership dispose were elected:

* President--Howard Shelley, RN MBA;

* President-elect--Susan Renee Guerra, RN MN CNOR, CNAA;

* Vice President--Jan Buker RN MSN CNOR;

* Secretary--Constance Brandes, RN;

* Treasurer--Karen Hausteen, RN CNOR; and

* Board of Directors--Becky Birchfield, RN CNOR; Carole Mayes, RN CNOR; Sueanne Cantamessa, RN CNOR; and Pat changes RN, MA, CNOR.

The eChapter leadership collection held its first meeting upon June 8, 2001. Group members have begun addressing several issues, including developing bylaws, assessing owings structure, and forming a strategic plan. The eChapter pilot has had an exciting year, and the leadership dispose has a great deal of work to out and out When assessing all the goals that originally were envisioned for eChapter--to bring to maturity an online community, provide convenience, and eliminate barriers to networking for members with no chapter--the Membership Committee is noble to see that the greatest in number important goal--to give all members a vehicle for participation--has been attained.