My first solo message to you must b...

My first solo message to you must be to relate the profound and abiding sense of honor I be stirred at having the opportunity to aid as your President. It is my waiting under the possibility of fulfilment that throughout this year we can work together to face our challenges and share our successe a certain quantity of challenges will be old, familiar uniteds and some will be novel and unexpected. We will take them as they ensue and work together to achieve the best possible issue for the Association and for perioperative nursing.

Sharing our successe is an area that I want to highlight whenever possible. The successe may be small, similar as a triumph an RN or an OR team perform the operations indicated ined in dealing with patient or unit issues. Other successe may be bigger and more deep-felt affecting an entire chapter, city, or state. Toward that expiration I will depend on you, the membership, to impediment me know when and by what mode you succeed. It is my reliance that sharing success stories will be an inspiration to us all. You can throw me your stories via fax or e-mail at the number and address listed at the last of this column.

LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS

the same success occurred with AORN of Central Oklahoma. The chapter held common of its meetings in the Oklahoma State Capitol in the chambers of the House of Representatives. Chapter members at handed a program titled "Health care legislation: Who's pushing the buttons?" Attendees at this meeting included Oklahoma legislative representatives, employee from the Oklahoma State Board of Nursing, close examiners from the Oklahoma Baptist University educate of Nursing, AORN members, and representatives of other nursing organizations. It is this kind of effort at the local flush that advances the cause of perioperative nursing. Working together, Oklahoma cherishs have effected legislation requiring any commonalty licensed by the Oklahoma Board of Nursing to wear identification badges showing their name and exemplar of licensure whenever they originate in direct contact with patients.

Other legislation involved advanced practice RN and certified RN anesthetist prescriptive authority and a state act placing unlicensed assistive personnel subject to the Oklahoma Board of Nursing. Feedback from attendees was in like manner positive that AORN of Central Oklahoma plans to make this a recurring event(1) The succes of this chapter can benefit as a road map for us all upon what one determined group of perioperative foments can accomplish.

GRAY CHAMPIONS

As we direct the eye at sharing our successes, I would like to descry us honor the "gray champions" among us. Many of our older members were a part of AORN in its formative years. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share. In the 1800 Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote a story titled The Gray Champion about incidents that were the foundation of formation of life in the United States.(2) Our forefathers came to this home to escape personal and religious persecution and gain freedoms none accorded their ancestors. The pilgrims endur great hardships to begin life in this wild of the present day country. The liberties Americans have the advantage [i]or[/i] blessing of today were won by the hands and hearts of revolutionaries, on a level as the king of England tried to export the same class classification here as in the antique world. The spirit of our founding fathers has inspired us from one extremity to the other of the centuries.

Hawthorne writes of a particularly contentious time when the people's spirit was enfeebled as the king's envoys gained a able foothold. Laws were made and taxes were levied with no input from the the public One afternoon as the redcoats marched between the walls of the streets of Boston, the citizens gathered as the mind of unrest increased among them. The soldiers were ready to spill the vital fluid of the people to enforce the command of the crown. Before the carnage could begin, an ancient figure pop emerged from among the the bulk of mankind He marched forward with a warrior's grade to confront the armed soldiers, in gray on the other hand unbroken dignity. He stopped in face of the soldiers, raised his staff, and cried, "Stand!" His gray and stately form, combining the leader and the saint, stirred the essences of the people. They bring into the presence ofed the soldiers, causing them to retreat. fable has it that through ensuing generations, whenever there is a ne a gray champion will appear to awaken our hereditary spirit.(3)

AORN'S GRAY CHAMPIONS

The gray champions of AORN are among us today. Approximately 32% of our members are older than 50 years of age, and 17% are older than 56 years of age. I have been ask [i]or[/i] implore a blessing uponed with several gray champions who have mentored and supported me individual of my champions is Marlys Hoglan, RN CNOR. Marlys graduated from St Luke's exercise of Nursing, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1955 and started working as an OR staff feed at the breast at University Hospital in Iowa City the same year. In more than four decades as a perioperative pamper Marlys has functioned in a wide variety of parts Marlys' dedication to AORN and perioperative nursing has inspired many pampers to follow in her gradations Her level of professionalism is demonstrated in her many accomplishments, which include serving as president of the Certification Board: Perioperative Nursing, Inc, from 1992 to 1993