Saturday, March 20 to Thursday, Mar...

Saturday, March 20 to Thursday, March 25 2004

Networking was listed among the top six reasons for joining AORN, according to the AORN 2000 Member/Nonmember emergencys Assessment Survey. (1) Surprisingly, many AORN members are not aware of the networking opportunities available by means of specialty assembly memberships and the benefits they can gain through joining an assembly. In 1992 AORN began creating specialty assemblies to facilitate communications between specific specialty areas and the AORN Board of Directors. Each year at Congres specialty assemblies gather to share updates, and networking disposes meet to discuss common interests and the potential for forming of recent origin assemblies. This year, a special issue has been added to honor the specialty assemblies that have been serving their members for 10 years.

SPECIALTY ASSEMBLY CELEBRATION

Congres attendees are invited to join members of AORN's 13 specialty assemblies for a celebration upon Sunday evening, March 21, from 6:45 to 7:45 PM following time General Session. Specialty assembly members and anyone interested in learning about individual of the 13 existing specialty assemblies or forming a fresh specialty assembly are welcome to attend. The goals of the celebration will include to

* celebrate the specialty assemblies,

* showcase the individual assemblies, and

* confront as many people as possible. The celebration is designed to muster perioperative nurses from a variety of specialties simultaneously to allow them to exchange contact information. AORN members who attend Congres alone are especially encouraged to attend to disentangle contacts and facilitate their networking everywhere the rest of the week. Please contact Bonnie G Denholm RN M CNOR, specialty assembly coordinator, via the web page link forward AORN Online at http://www.aorn.org/Congress/Attendees/events.htm before Feb 6 2004 if you plan to attend.

SPECIALTY ASSEMBLIES

Specialty assemblies were formed to elevate communication among RNs with similar professional interests, provide a forum for networking, identify and explore patient care issues, forward specialized education, and support the mission of AORN. generally there are nine assemblies celebrating at least 10 years of activities and four assemblies that officially were formed between individual and seven years ago. (Table 1) Examples of activities in each specialty assembly's program of work include

* publishing newsletters;

* collaborating to proffer specialized educational events;

* producing a member directory;

* identifying runs and issues in their specialty and identifying safe practices in accordance with AORN's standards and attract favor toed practices, and

* developing strategies to participate in or increase awareness of AORN's legislative activities.

Each assembly has a governing council that is accountable to the AORN Board of Directors for fire activities and batch of the group. An orientation meeting is planned for governing council members and anyone interested in participating as a governing council member in the subsequent time Following is specific information about the assemblies and examples of possible discussions to be held during meetings at Congres give in charge to Table 2 for meeting times.

GOVERNING COUNCIL ORIENTATION. Approximately 75 specialty assembly leaders will be available to provide insight into their characters on the various governing councils. Please contact Bonnie G Denholm via the web page link upon AORN Online at http://www.aorn.org/Congress/Attendees/events.htm before Feb 6 2004 if you plan to attend.

AMBULATORY SURGERY More than 1250 members belong to this assembly to aid safe patient care through the application of AORN's standards and praiseed practices in the ambulatory setting. Potential discussions include updates in succession new projects (eg, ambulatory safety manual, identifying deeds for care of eye instruments) and updates onward the AORN Ambulatory Surgery Administrator Certificate course.

CARDIOTHORACIC. Approximately 750 members belong to this assembly. individual of the goals of assembly members is to encourage safe patient care and identify inclinations in the cardiothoracic perioperative setting. Potential discussions include reviewing publications about cardiac surgery web site planning, and education planning for that will be conferences.

INTEGRATED HEALTH PRACTICES. The newest assembly was approved on the AORN Board of Directors in July This assemblage will meet for the first time at Congres to discuss activities for 2004 Discussions will include topics like as file impact of increased consumer awareness about over-the-counter performances (eg, herbs, vitamins, minerals, aromatherapy) to perioperative nursing; integrating relaxation, nutrition, and mind-body imaging techniques in the pair inpatient and outpatient settings; and comparing practitioner experiences when Western medicine philosophies are integrated with Eastern medicine philosophies.

LEADERSHIP. The more than 1200 perioperative leaders who belong to this assembly act as a resource to dignify the highest professional standards of practice among perioperative leaders. Potential discussions include identifying safety and workplace environment issues related to the nursing shortage, effective coaching and mentoring opportunities to support strange leaders in AORN and in the work setting, and promotion of recently made known publications and education programs.