The National Membership Committee i...

The National Membership Committee is responsible for promoting and maintaining extension of AORN's membership and chapters. the same way the committee achieves this is through providing mentoring opportunities at the national and chapter on a levels Through the Chapter Mentoring Program and the Congres Mentoring Program, the committee confidences to promote positive impressions of the Association and improve retention of AORN members.

CHAPTER MENTORING PROGRAM

At the 1999 AORN Leadership discourse in June, the committee introduced the Chapter Mentoring Program. The view of the program is to welcome and engage novel members at the time they join an AORN chapter and quite through their first year of membership. The program was designed to create a partnership between experienced chapter members and fresh members.

As part of the program, chapter presidents will receive a transcript of the program template, which can be used as is or incorporated into other chapter programs to welcome modern members. Depending on the size of the chapter and the number of of recent origin members, mentoring can be performed by way of veteran chapter members or according to the membership chair.

No matter by what means it is implemented, the program emphasizes that recent members require special attention to remain with the Association and exhibit into active, satisfied chapter members. The program also addresses the fact that, although the first year of membership exhibits the best opportunity to lay the foundation for long-term chapter loyalty, it also is the time that members are chiefly likely to leave an organization. Among the principally frequently cited reasons for leaving associations are that members do not receive personal attention or members do not be wrought up welcome.(1)

The Chapter Mentoring Program outlines the reasons clan join organizations, such as AORN, and the benefits of mentoring for mentors, just discovered members, and chapters. Steps to mentoring also are included, along with other resources (eg a just discovered member checklist, welcome letters, a of recent origin member survey). For a archetype of the program, call Lorrie Briggs, chapter relations coordinator, at (800) 755-2676 x 367 or hurl her an e-mail at lbriggs@aom.org.

CONGRES MENTORING PROGRAM

After the succes of the Congres Mentoring Program, which was introduced for the 1999 AORN Congres in San Francisco, the Membership Committee will continue the program for the 2000 Congres in just discovered Orleans. The program pairs first-time Congres attendees with AORN members who have attended previous Congresses

Based onward feedback from mentors and first-time attendees, the committee is working to improve participation and enhance the support that first-time attendees receive before and during Congres For instance, more advance notice will be provided for members to sign up for mentor assignments, and participants will be given an opportunity to come up to face to face during Congress. Overall, participants were pleased with the program and believe that mentors and first-time attendees benefited from the opportunity to learn and share information.

Information upon the Congress Mentoring Program will be available this fall in Congres registration materials, the AORN Journal, and in succession AORN's web site at www.aorn.org.

NOTE

(1) Sirkin, A Farber, M P McDermott Keeping Members: CEO Strategies for 21st hundred Success, The Myths and Realities (Washington, DC: Foundation of the American Society of Association Executives, 1995) 92

PAMELA K UTZ RN BSN CNOR CHAIR, MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

LORRIE BRIGGS CHAPTER RELATIONS COORDINATOR

COPYRIGHT 1999 Association of Operating stead Nurses, Inc.

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