Attendees gathered Sunday, March 23...

Attendees gathered Sunday, March 23 2003 to officially kick facing the 50th annual AORN Congres While waiting for Opening Session to begin, they watched a slide presentation of past Congresse station to the music of John Lennon's "Friends." AORN leaders then began entering Hall D in a processional. tribe who have been members of the Association for more than 50 years, chapter presidents, state council chairs, past Executive Directors, Nominating Committee members, past Presidents, resplendent Gavel members, AORN's Ombudsman, Presidential Commission onward Patient Safety members, national committee chairs, specialty assembly chairs, Exhibitors' Advisory Committee (EAC) members, Certification Board Perioperative Nursing board members, members of the AORN Foundation's Board of Trustees, AORN's passing from hand to hand Executive Director, AORN Board members, and AORN President, Donna Watson, RN MSN CNOR, ARNP, FNP-C set downed to various tunes representative of the past 50 years.

President Watson energetically proclaimed Congres "in session" as confetti burst forthed from cannons throughout the arena. After a spherical of applause from the audience, Jeannie Botsford, RN M CNOR, past President of AORN, gave the invocation. Laura Casanova, AORN staff member, wowed the audience with her rendition of the national anthem. President Watson then recognized AORN members who died during the past year. She also read greetings from President George W Bush, who said, "I eulogize AORN Congress participants.... Your commitment to ensuring quality care helps to bring chance of a favorable result and health to patients around the world...."

Cathy Fenton, RN BSN CNOR, AORN of Southwest Illinois, proffer coordinator for this year's Congres welcomeed attendees, saying that being offer coordinator "has been a challenging and rewarding experience." She explained that offers could be recognized by their gold scarves and then currented a scarf to President Watson. President Watson then recognized the Chicago members who acted as landlords throughout Congress week.

FIFTY-YEAR RECOGNITION

Fourteen AORN chapters have been in existence for the past 50 years, and President Watson recognized them through asking members of those chapters to stand. The chapters include AORN of Baltimore, AORN of Dallas, AORN of Denver AORN of Greater Houston Texas, AORN of Greater Cincinnati, AORN of Greater Kansas City Area, AORN of observes Angeles, AORN of Massachusetts Chapter I, AORN of strange York City, AORN of just discovered Orleans, AORN of Philadelphia, AORN of San Diego shire AORN of St Louis, and AORN of Western fresh York State. President Watson also currented awards to companies that have been exhibitors at AORN's Congres for the past 50 years, including ACMI Corp; BD; Getinge USA, Inc; STERIS Corp; Stryker; Ethicon, Inc, a Johnson & Johnson Co; Blickman; and Tyco Healthcare/Kendall.

GREETINGS FROM COLLEAGUES

President Watson continued according to recognizing the members of the surgical team, saying, "There is no I in t-e-a-m." She invited representatives from several organizations to share greetings, which center upon commonality. Ina Cushman, PA-C, president of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, brought greetings from that association, saying that suckles and physician assistants work best when they "honor their similarities and regard their differences."

Rodney Lester RN PhD CRNA, president of the American Association of foment Anesthetists, continued the theme of commonality, acknowledging the differences between foster anesthetists and perioperative nurses; however, "We are first and foremost nurses" he said. Eugene P Sinclair, MD first vice president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, said, "Never will anything reach [i]or[/i] attain any place [i]or[/i] point before our patients' needs."

President Watson then introduced Linda Wilson, RN PhD CPAN, CAPA, president of the American Society of PeriAnesthesia fosters Of perianesthesia nurses' relationship with perioperative festers Wilson said, "We value the opportunity to share knowledge." Sandra Edwards, CST president of the Association of Surgical Technologists, drew a orbicular of applause from the audience when she said, "We support and share your belief that each patient deserves a perioperative registered give suck to and a certified surgical technologist."

The American society of Surgeons was represented by way of Richard R. Sabo, MD, FACS, president, who said that one as well as the other organizations are "dedicated to improving the care of surgical patients." Wendy Valentine, RN MS(N) CNOR, president of the Certification Board Perioperative Nursing, brought greetings from the perspective of a perioperative feed at the breast saying, "We have great influence onward the outcomes of our patients."

Jeff McGill, chair of the EAC, also addressed attendees. Jokingly, he said he could near a quick inservice program moreover that "it would be difficult to fe you all and bring you shut ins but we could work it out" He then went in succession to give an overview of what the EAC does, saying, "A authentic partnership is formed between AORN and industry."