It's January 1997--only three years...

It's January 1997--only three years to the nearest millennium. What have you done to prepare yourself for the future?

The beginning of the fresh year is the time to take inventory and to determine what skills you ne to design your yet to be as a perioperative nurse. united of the first steps in this proces is to assess what is occurring in the health care arena at asking yourself the following questions. What directions are affecting nursing and, specifically, perioperative nursing? What knowledge and skills will you ne to maintain your general position or to enhance that position? in what manner do you envision yourself as a perioperative nurse? What strategies do you ne to achieve that vision? What assistance will you require? by what mode will you communicate this vision to your colleagues? by what means will you overcome obstacles that stand in your way? in what way can you become comfortable with the nontraditional ideas, activities, and actions that are part of the redesigned health care system? Is it worth taking the risks that are necessary for your subsequent time success?

Your first reaction to this challenge may be, "I don't have time for this. I'm barely keeping my head above water." My answer and advice is, "You can't afford not to plan for your future" Now is the time to make your recent Year's resolution--to chart the course of action to achieving your succes as a professional perioperative nurse

AORN LEADING THE WAY

Strategic planning and developing a preferr hereafter for perioperative nursing are top priorities for your AORN Board of Directors and Headquarters staff members. I discussed AORN's Strategic Plan in the June "President's Message," and in the October "President's Message," I reported the ends of the Think Tank, which brought together AORN leaders to cause to grow a preferred future for perioperative nursing.

At the November Board meeting, we discussed the successe that AORN has achieved and progres that we have made toward meeting the goals in the Strategic Plan. A synopsis of this discussion follows

Goal 1 help excellence in perioperative nursing practice. AORN's multisite clinical close attention of bloodborne exposures in OR personnel is nearing completion, and the data will be currented at Congress. AORN's codirectors of perioperative research are conducting couple additional studies: one is a thought of surgical gown flammability and strike by means of and the second focuses onward prevention of decubitus ulcers in the OR.

The issues subcommittee of the Data vital airs Coordinating Committee has revised AORN's patient consequence standards. Perioperative nurses can use these issue statements in conducting research about the relationship between patient issues and perioperative nursing interventions.

Surgical Services ManagemeNt now has more than 4100 subscribers and continues to gain recognition as the leading publication for managers of perioperative resources. The AORN Journal in a short time will be available on CD-ROM and will appear in replete text on the Internet.

AORN Online now contains more than 250 pages of information, ranging from AORN Journal clinical articles and answers to many times asked clinical practice questions to descriptions of AORN effects and services. Users now can search an online database of perioperative piece of work opportunities, enjoy a redesigned dwelling page, and obtain news and information about Congres Traffic to AORN Online continues to increase, with 8% of users coming from outside the United States. novel features planned for 1997 include specialty assembly pages, an online membership application, a restraint affairs section, a sponsored online clinical consulting feature, AORN's Perioperative Bookstore, a virtual OR, and the OR crops Directory.

AORN's international activities demonstrate our willingness to share perioperative nursing knowledge and exchange creative ideas with our colleagues in other parts of the world. The International cast Team has recommended organizing an international federation of perioperative nurtures and expanding AORN's international education and research activities. Headquarters staff members are investigating these recommendations.

At the 1996 Congres AORN agreed to sponsor succors in Kazakhstan who wanted to establish a feed at the breasts association in their country. In October, an AORN delegation visited Kazakhstan to formalize this relationship and provide consultation to the nourish at the breasts of Kazakhstan as they launched their association. AORN leaders quick in emergenciesed papers and attended meetings in Israel, Belgium, China, Puerto Rico, and Japan in 1996

Goal 2 Maintain organizational solidity and vitality. AORN has a of recent origin marketing director who is working with Headquarters staff members to market AORN productions and services. They are developing consistent, clear, powerful marketing strategies and programs that will bear the best return on investment and be congruent with AORN's mission.

We have discussed the possibility of joint membership between AORN and other nursing specialty organizations and state encourages associations. Headquarters staff members are pursuing the feasibility of joint memberships and discounts with other nursing associations.