The 45th Annual AORN Congress officially began on Sunday, March 29, 1998 in Orlando, FL. It was held in the recently completed Orange County Convention Center which extends three-quarters of a mile across the front of the building!
Opening Session began with President Jeannie Botsford, RN, MS, CNOR, leading the procession with her two grandchildren. This year there was not the usual presentation of colors. (They were already posted!) Also, the chapter presidents processed in by state, with one president holding the state's flag. President Botsford announced each state and the number of chapters within it. It is interesting to note that the size of the state is not necessarily indicative of the number of chapters. Jeannie's son, the Rev. Bob Botsford delivered the invocation. We were treated to a stirring encore rendition of the National Anthem by Robbie Britt. In addition to the usual greetings by the President of the American College of Surgeons and the Chair of the Committee on Anesthesia Care Team of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, there was also a video-taped message from President Bill Clinton. He provided greetings and wishes for a great meeting, and stated that nurses were the "hardest working people in America."
Following the rest of the introductions, President Botsford spoke about the importance of mentoring. She presented awards to two of her mentors; Mickie Burbank, who had hired her, and Nancy Mehaffey. She then premiered "Because You Care," a video tape from Canada which celebrates the dedication and skill that nurses possess.
The keynote address celebrated mentoring and how these experiences affected professional development. The speakers identified tools that perioperative nurses can use to have a positive affect on our future.
Nancy Lakier, RN, BSN, MBA, a consultant from Inova Health System in VA, said mentors must embrace the following skills:
Leann Strason, RN, DPA, FACHE, a senior consultant at Ernst & Young, shared some of her experiences as an OR nurse, emphasized that mentors can help you soar, and stated that mentoring was about building healthy relationships. She urged us to recognize our emotions and to let go - accept what we cannot change. She also encouraged us to find a mentor of our own.
The Jerry G. Peers Distinguished Service Award was presented at Opening Session. This award is presented each year to an individual who demonstrates commitment to AORN's missions and vision. Past President Ruth Vaiden was honored for her continuing involvement, her caring attitude towards AORN and perioperative nursing, and for mentoring those AORN leaders who have followed her. Vaiden has been an AORN member for 35 years, was President 1985-1986, has served on the Board, and has been chair, cochair, and member of at least 16 national committees.
The highlight of any AORN Congress is the Awards. I am pleased to inform you that AORN of Alameda County received the first ever Chapter Newsletter Award in the category for intermediate sized chapters. Our editor, Mary Ritchie, RN, CNOR, received a walnut plaque in recognition of her excellent efforts. WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU, MARY! (Be sure to e-mail your congratulations to our web mistress!)
There will be a complete listing of the awards in the post-Congress AORN Journal. (Be sure to look for Mary's picture!) Please note that many awards have been broken down into small, medium, intermediate, and large chapter categories so as to level the playing field. Restructured awards include Regional Legislative, Regional Membership, Chapter Newsletter, and Chapter of the Year Awards.
Members may wonder why our chapter has not been recognized for Outstanding Achievement in Continuing Education. After all, we have our own BRN provider number, we provide free contact hours at six to eight chapter meetings/year, and we sponsor one to two workshops/year. Criteria for this category are limited to AORN approved programs. We submit our educational activities on the annual Membership Survey. Maybe, someday, we will achieve the elusive Chapter of the Year Award!
Congress is always a time of renewal for me, and this Congress was no exception. I enjoy learning new things. Of particular benefit were the sessions I attended on Data Elements, perioperative implications for JCAHO's quality assessment and improvement expectations, nursing report cards, and partnering facilities. I spent a lot of time on the exhibit floor looking at the latest products for monitoring in-house sterilization runs and even tried to take advantage of some of the contact hours that were offered. Of particular interest were the ones I attended on leak testing of endoscopes and flash sterilization. These would make interesting programs for our chapter!
Submitted by Donna Benotti
The 45th AORN Congress House of Delegates started on March 31, 1998.
The roll call of states was memorable with a few declarations that drew gales of laughter. The state reporter announced the State of Maine was "home of the lobster and the way life should be." Ohio's state reporter drew the most prolonged laughter with, "Ohio - the home of the world's only geriatric astronaut." Utah was "Bill Clinton's winter playground." Utah also stated they "had a bone to pick" with whoever seated them next to Kentucky (their competitor in the NCAA playoffs - and the champions!).
Reports were given by officers and others. Some of the reports were:
The Second House of Delegates
The second House of Delegates convened on April 2, 1998.
AORN Foundation reported there was $553,000 awarded for scholarships and grants.
The revised RNFA (Registered Nurse First Assistant) Official Statement was ratified.
The Board of Directors will investigate forming a political action committee.
The Teller's Report was read with the election results as follows:
President:
Ruth Shumaker
President-elect:
Patricia Seifert*
Vice President:
Sheila Allen*
Secretary:
Betty Schultz*
Treasurer:
Sheri Voss
Board of Directors:
Vickie Fox *
Paula Graling*
Mary Jo Steiert^
Vivian Watson
Brenda Ulmer
Maryann Mawhinney
Donna Watson
Nominating Committee:
Susan Renee Guerra*
Jody Porter*
Patricia Thornton*
Jeanne LaFountain
Michelle Burke (chair)
* = newly elected
^ = re-elected
Submitted by Mary Ritchie
Traditionally, two general sessions are presented during Congress week. The first, held on Tuesday, is sponsored by the Exhibitors' Advisory Committee as part of Nurse/Exhibitors Day and is named the Jerry G. Peers Lectureship as a memorial to former national president and executive director Jerry G. Peers. This year's speaker was Carl Hammerschlag, MD. His theme was "Look again at everything you do." He feels this concept is important because "The way it was is not the way it is." In a moving way, and using examples from the Native American culture, Dr. Hammerschlag stressed the importance of coming to every day with joy and encouraging everyone to be connected with something or someone.
Submitted by Kathie Shea.
Not really, but it is one of my favorite plays and a lead in to this year's Congress Forums. Forums provide members with the opportunity to hear reports and discuss perioperative nursing issues in an informal manner. Two forums were held at the 45th annual Congress; one on Monday afternoon and the other on Wednesday morning.
The second forum addressed such varied topics as: the Task Force on Member options, perioperative clinical indicators, leadership criteria and competencies, the AORN award process, the Certification Boards, Inc. (CBI), and a discussion to change the name of AORN to better reflect our membership.
Submitted by Kathie Shea
The California luncheon on Monday, March 30 at the Orange County Convention Center was well attended, not only by California nurses but also by many candidates for national office.
After lunch, the speaker, Dr. Andrea Chonin, RN, MSN, Ed.D., presented "Soaring Into Space Nursing." She described the physiological changes that occur in humans living in micro gravity environments, identified the nursing implications of the micro gravity environment, and related the surgical/operating room nursing professional component to living and working in space. Dr. Chonin encouraged nurses interested in space to pursue a doctorate since nurses are not considered scientists and therefore, at this time, are not eligible for space travel.
The San Francisco-Marin AORN chapter requested helpers for the 1999 Congress in San Francisco and circulated a sign-up sheet.
Submitted by Beth Mar
At the town meeting on Thursday, members were given the opportunity to freely discuss topics of interest to them. these topics may or may not have been on another session agenda.
One member suggested that AORN pursue communications with television networks to serve as a resource for programs related to surgery.
It was suggested that all education videotapes conform to AORN standards (no masks hanging around the surgeon's neck, etc.).
Other subjects touched on were the HCFA proposals, state councils, and Congress costs.
Submitted by Beth Mar
(Editor's note: I couldn't resist including Beth's tongue-in-cheek idea for the AORN name change into the subtitle "AORN to PORN." PORN would be Peri-Operative Registered Nurse.)
Congress is always a time of renewal. My love and enthusiasm for OR nursing get a much needed boost at Congress. The classes, the networking, and the participation in our organization's business is a privilege. As I sat in class after class, I kept writing down ideas to take home to my OR. Congress is inspiring!
I attended a class ("Improving Competitiveness in Managed Care: Computers and Robotics in the OR") on March 30 given by Bob Harding, RN (a member of Alameda County AORN), Carlos Gracia, MD (a surgeon at San Ramon Regional Medical Center specializing in laparoscopic surgery), and Yulun Wang, PhD (founder of Computer Motion and inventor of Aesop, the voice-activated camera holder). This was a dynamic presentation. It was thrilling to see one of our own members as a presenter at Congress. Dr. Wang showed us the future with a surgeon sitting comfortably in front of a computer screen using the equivalent of joysticks to operate on a patient who was across the room. The robotic camera and instrument holders mimicked the micro-motions of the surgeon manipulating the "joysticks" across the room. Imagine my surprise when I went to Universal Studios the evening of March 31 (for only $10 thanks to the exhibitors who paid the remainder of the steep admission price!). We saw Terminator Two which was a 3-D film set in the future and it showed a surgeon operating remotely at a console just as Dr. Wang had shown! That scenario isn't too far away (operating remotely - not Terminator!).
And of course, the most exciting part of Congress was the winning of the Newsletter Award for the intermediate-sized chapter. I wrote extensively about this in the April newsletter, so I'll just say, "Thanks to everyone for all your contributions - because that's what makes a newsletter."
Another highlight of Congress was Robbie Britt singing the National Anthem. He's a gospel singer who has sung at Congress in Anaheim. He has a powerful and moving voice that brings tears and joy. It's a great way to start the week - with Robbie's fabulous voice!
With Congress in our back yard in 1999, I hope more people attend Congress. It's a great experience!
Submitted by Mary Ritchie
This year the posters were displayed so it was easy to view even though there was a crowd. There was room to step back a little so you could take in all the information presented. As always, it was hard to select a winner - they were all excellent!
Topics covered varied from "Latex Allergy" to "Caring Behaviors in Perioperative Nurses" to "Intraoperatively Acquired Pressure Ulcers" to "Birth Order in the OR: Impact on Perioperative Efficiency and Effectiveness." A total of 29 posters were displayed.
Contact hours were offered for evaluation of a minimum of six posters reflecting 90 minutes of learning time.
Submitted by Ann Kintz
As delegates to the 45th Annual AORN Congress “Soaring into the Future” in Orlando, we had 13 hours to talk, touch, see, and learn about things in the Exhibit Hall. There were over 500 booths. There were 60 Career Resource Exhibitors from Health Care Systems, Medical Centers, Traveling Nurses, Surgical Staffing and Nursing Management Services.
Lots of additional contact hours could be earned as 36 exhibitors had education activities at their booths (contact hours were provided by Education Design, a subsidiary of AORN). There were three formats to select from:
Thirty nine companies have participated in 30 or more AORN Congresses. AORN thanks you for your continued support.
Several things caught my eye as I walked (trudged) up and down the aisles. The exhibit area seemed smaller with fewer booths and I noted that many of the companies have merged and now only offer one booth instead of two or three. I found two products that I felt were new and innovative:
Submitted by Ann Kintz
Beverly Malone, RN, PhD, head of the American Nurses Association (ANA), was the keynote speaker for the closing session on April 3, 1998. Beverly was a dynamic speaker who drew the crowd in with her friendly, personable, and charming delivery. She addressed difficult subjects with just the right tone. She also opened herself to us, letting us know a little about her. She has a psychiatric nurse background and has a true passion for psych nursing. She is a member of the Black Nurses Association and the Psychiatric Nurses Association and feels nurses should belong to more than one organization. AORN meets our specific needs as perioperative nurses, but ANA membership would also support and benefit us.
Beverly asked some hard questions. Will we soar into our preferred future or will we drag our weary feet? We have a propensity for sleeping through things. Are we going to shape our future or let it run us down? Nursing is like a dead, tasteless chicken that needs Accent (flavoring) to wake it up. We need to find the Accent to sprinkle on our colleagues to wake us up. A vision must be shareable. Everyone must be able to contribute something to the vision.
Levels of organization in which ANA is active:
Supra Level
1. International nursing focus
Congressional Level
Organizational Level
To be a true professional nurse - belong to ANA and to a specialty organization. Beverly questioned if there was a way to join both organizations such as a having one dues structure. There must be bridge building among associations to eliminate fragmentation. There are 2.6 million nurses in the USA. 500,000 belong to any type of organization. 2.1 million are solo. There are 200,000 nurses in ANA and 300,000 nurses in specialties.
Dyadic Level (nurse to nurse)
This is informational power. We must "shift the sands of insanity." We think perfect nurses work days. The real patient care is delivered on days. The evening shift watches TV. The night shift staff is comprised of discharges from the psych unit. Does this make you angry? We say this stuff! This is nurses talking about nurses and it must STOP! There is back-stabbing and a definite lack of support for nurses from nurses.
There is role-strain between LPNs and RNs. We come to work for entertainment - not to deliver patient care. Beverly related a great story of a divided unit. It was LPN vs. RN and black vs. white. The division had gone on for three years before the manager sought assistance. The entire staff was divided and refused to help co-workers if they happened to back "the other nurse." Didn't this affect patient care? Yes. The situation was resolved but the staff missed the drama and the endless gossip the situation created. The moral of the story is - you don't have to love - or even like - one another to work together. Get back to basics - be polite, be cordial and collegial. You have to stretch. Being professional is not passing the state boards or receiving honors. Being professional is being conscious, deliberate, awake, and alert in all you do. Nursing is not a solo endeavor - it's collaborative. Is the "entertainment" in your OR affecting patient care?
Legitimate power is passing the state boards and getting a nursing license. We control our practice through our licensing. Charisma is showing the joy for our profession. It's the love of nursing.
Individual Level
We all need additional education. If an LPN wants to return to school - get a BSN. If you have an Associates Degree or a Diploma - get an MSN. There are programs for RN to MSN. If you have a BSN or an MSN - get a PhD or a Nursing Doctorate (ND).
If we're going to soar, we're going to need research to get qualitative data. Encourage your colleagues to get an advanced education. Advanced education nurses conduct research. Stop the negativity! Support one another. Nurses need to be present at every level of health care redesign. Get a nurse on the Board of Trustees (with the businessmen and physicians) where decisions are made.
Beverly Malone gives you permission to take care of yourself. There's a natural rhythm - work, rest, work, rest. A nurse's rhythm is - work, work, work, work, exhaustion. Give concern and respect to yourself. You deserve it.
Beverly received a standing ovation.
New President
The new Officers, Board of Directors, and Nominating Committee for 1998-99 were introduced. Then the new president, Ruth Shumaker, addressed the members. She vowed to reconnect with local chapters, have leadership training, political action, prevent chapters from disbanding, and have a speaker's bureau of AORN members.
The theme for the 1999 Congress is "Bridging the Centuries" ( in San Francisco). Bridges have strong foundations - just like AORN.
Ruth thanked her chapter (AORN of Central Mississippi) and her employer (Johnson & Johnson). J&J supports Ruth as the president of AORN and has agreed to let her devote 75% of her time to AORN along with donating her salary back to AORN. Thank you J&J!
As of Thursday, April 2, 1998 at 2 p.m., there were 6,931 health care professionals and 6,490 exhibitors for a total of 13,421 attendees at the 45th AORN Congress.
Submitted by Mary Ritchie
