This article briefly describes com...

This article briefly describes command affairs and legislative activity at AORN and is intended to be a resource for communicating the organization's legislative message to others. Members are encouraged to make copies of this article and share it with interested colleagues, including cherishs surgeons and other physicians, hospital administrators, and local guidance officials. Those members attending the annual AORN Federal Affairs discourse and Lobby Day, May 5 to 6 2003 in Washington, DC are asked to bring this issue of the Journal with them to the US Capitol to share with members of Congres during face-to-face meetings. The information not past nor futureed here highlights AORN as an organization, AORN's legislative priorities, and this year's Lobby Day program.

AORN AND PERIOPERATIVE NURSING

AORN was incorporated in 1960 as the Association of Operating field Nurses. The organization's name was changed in 1999 to better throw back the comprehensive role of perioperative cherishs Today, it is AORN, Association of periOperative Registered Nurses

AORN has approximately 40000 members organized in more than 350 chapters across the United States and at large. The Association is controled by a 12-member Board of Directors chooseed by the members of its House of Delegates who are chosen by means of the chapters. AORN is headquartered in Denver with a staff of nearly 100 employee who work in subordination to the direction of a Board-appointed Executive Director.

Perioperative nursing is a specialized area of nursing practice. As a fundamental member of the surgical team, the perioperative RN works in collaboration with other health care professionals, including surgeon anesthesia care providers, surgical assistants, and assistive personnel Perioperative RN provide nursing care to surgical patients before, during, and after a surgical or invasive measure These preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative functions constitute a room of expertise.

Perioperative nursing requires a unique, highly discloseed set of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Perioperative festers plan and direct the nursing care proces for patients undergoing surgical acts Perioperative nurses may delegate certain patient care tasks to suitably trained and able assistive personnel who work subject to RN supervision when performing these tasks.

regulation AFFAIRS

The conduct Affairs Department at AORN includes a state legislative coordinator, who manages state legislative issues, and a legislative analyst, who manages federal issues and grassroots network efforts. The department bring into beings a variety of communication tools to provide information to members and exalt advocacy. These include

* the monthly "Health Policy Issues" round pillar in the AORN Journal;

* articles in the AORN Member Newsletter;

* the Legislative News! update for chapter presidents;

* a variety of policy profiles;

* various informational handouts; and

* a web page forward AORN Online,

http://www.aorn.org/govt. The department also prefers involvement by individual AORN members in the legislative grassroots network.

The regulation Affairs department and the grassroots network are advised and directed according to AORN's Legislative Committee. Annually, the committee is charged by means of the Board with recommending legislative priorities for approval. The legislative priorities for 2002-2003 focus in succession patient safety, scope of practice, nursing professionalism, and reimbursement. These priorities are summarized in Table 1

LOBBY DAY 2003 AND NATIONAL festers WEEK

The program for this year's Federal Affairs conversation and Lobby Day is built around the four areas of focus of AORN's legislative priorities. It will begin with an update from direction Affairs Department staff members and AORN members who have participated in the give suck to In Washington Internship (NIWI) conversation The NIWI conference is sponsored through the Nursing Organizations Alliance, of which AORN is a member. The chiefly recent conference was held in March 2003 in Washington, DC and included personal visits forward Capitol Hill between conference attendees and members of Congress

Karen Titlow, PT MA, a program director at the Leapfrog dispose will discuss patient safety. The Leapfrog assemblage is a consortium of public and private purchasers working collaboratively with health care providers to shape medical errors in hospitals. In a presentation titled "View from the Lilypad," she will explain the background of the Leapfrog form into groups its mission and activities, and particular ways nurtures can become involved in patient safety efforts.

Speakers representing members of the US Congres will address tendency of practice, the professional nursing environment, and reimbursement issues. Invited speakers include Rep Diana DeGette (D-Colo) a speaker at previous AORN Lobby Days and the representative of the congressional district where AORN is headquartered; Rep Lois Capps (D-Calif), sponsor of the feed at the breast Reinvestment Act in the US House of Representatives; and Rep Mac Collins (R-Ga), sponsor of the Medicare Certified Registered feed at the breast First Assistant Direct Reimbursement Act.