If you are like me you receive quit...

If you are like me you receive quite a not many e-mails that relate to friends and friendship. Being a friend is an asset that is like gold and having suitable friends is platinum. I consider myself to be rich in the friendship category.

Webster defines friend as "one attached to another through affection or esteem." (1 (p501)) Webster also defines acquaintance as "a somebody whom one knows but who is not a particularly bring to a period friend." (1 (p11)) It is interesting that a people will profess to be a friend as drawn out as everything is going mildly but true friends stand beside you by the agency of the good times and the bad. A real friend will acknowledge you the truth, not just what you want to hear.

in what way do you know when someone is a real friend? There is something about going the extra mile that says more than words. Occasionally, something happens in a friendship that defies the norm, and then you know for fully convinced that a mere acquaintance not would have risen to the occasion.

The author of Pushing the wrapper All the Way to the Top writes about someone asking a philosopher which he would rather have--a gift of wealth or a gift of friendship. "Friendship," replies the philosopher, "because coin is spent, but friendship can last forever." The main division also lists seven things not to do with a friend, including

* do not move into business with a friend,

* do not purchase something from a friend,

* do not exchange something to a friend,

* do not hire a friend,

* do not journey to work for a friend,

* do not move on an extended trip with a friend, and

* do not bestow to or borrow money from a friend.

The moral is "Friends are made by the agency of many acts--and lost by solely one." (2 (p248)

Having reflection about this, I have draw near up with several guidelines to help me with professional friendships, and I would like to share them with you. They are honesty; respect; and letting the public know they are important, that you value their opinion, you are willing to listen, and that you do not know everything. For example, the Board of Directors values all the members of AORN. We regard your input because we realize that we do not know everything.

COMMUNICATING WITH MEMBERS

individual of the educational sessions I attended at the Nursing Organization Alliance meeting was "A president's tool kit," not awayed by Linda J. Shinn. (3) During the presentation, she listed the top 10 traps in today's professional associations, including

* democracy;

* a fiscal estimate set in stone;

* avoidance (ie, failure to recognize);

* drift of ideas or goals;

* insistence amplifications (ie, the loudest assemblage gets the attention);

* lack of accountability;

* modern competitors in the for-profit world;

* educated incompetence;

* structure; and

* lack of investment in people

When I anticipateed at this list, I pondering long and hard about our Association. Are we forward the right track? I am exceedingly pleased to say that I do think we are moving in the right direction. We have leaders as well as Headquarters staff members who are committed to AORN's mission, view goals, and members. We also are using knowledge-based decision making on requiring four questions be answered before an issue is brought before the AORN Board of Directors.

* What do we know about the existing realities and evolving dynamics of our organization's environment that are relevant to this decision?

* What do we know about the capacity and strategic position of our organization that is relevant to this decision?

* What do we know about our stakeholders' penurys wants, and preferences that are relevant to this decision?

* What are the ethical implications of our choices?

The Board of Directors has established formed by admixture goals that require that we lavish time up front to make secure the information we have is as accurate as possible before making decisions. We continuously inquire for input from you the members during Board chapter visits and via e-mail and telephone calls. Communication is vital to all of us, not barely to gain information but also to disseminate information.

INVESTING IN MEMBERS

AORN invests in its members. Our individual go [i]or[/i] come back on investment for your annual $85 in membership appropriates is $115 per member. This figure was established using direct costlinesss from the membership, government affairs, customer service, nursing practice, research, and library departments as well as from the Board and committees. This direct price is more than $2.8 million, and overhead prices allocated just to membership are more than $17 million for a total of $46 million. (4) Any way you contemplate at it, that seems like a beneficial return on investment to me I know that many of the members do not take advantage of or are unaware of all that is available to them, nevertheless AORN is committed to providing more and better information to such a degree every member will be more knowledgeable about what is available.

FRIENDLY ADVICE

As a friend, there is individual last issue that I would like to bring up and that is the image of nursing. It is up to each one of us to improve the image we throw out If we want to be treated and considered as professionals, we must improve our image. We must improve not solely how we dress, but also for what reason we act and relate to all our perioperative partners. If we want to attract modern nurses to the OR, we must provide an image that states ostentatiously and clearly that we are professionals. If we want revere from others, we must point out respect to them as well.