2003 Congress highlights: Saturday, March 22, to Thursday, March 27, 2003 - Congress Highlights

AORN Journal,  Jan, 2003  

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Gerardi's courses teach participants the principles of mediation and ways to better listen to other people and put the medical model of assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation to use in conflict management. The games she employs in each class have been a big hit; she once had a class laughing so hard that the police were called on a noise complaint. "There was just so much stress being relieved," Gerardi says, explaining the participants' outbursts. Class size is limited to 100 people, so register early.

SPANISH SESSIONS

AORN will offer select education sessions in Spanish for attendees. Along with these sessions, Spanish-speaking attendees are encouraged to experience all aspects of the conference. Events and sessions of special interest on Tuesday, March 25, include:

* 8 to 9:30 AM (1.8 contact hours [CH])--"Effective Leadership in the Perioperative Setting" (Spanish)--Illeana Fernandez-Delgado, RN, BAS, MSN;

* 10 AM to 3 PM--exhibits;

* 3:30 to 5 PM (1.8 CH)--"Jest for Success! Humor at Work" (English)--Karyn Buxman, RN, CSP, CPAE; and

* 8:30 PM to 12:30 AM--50th Congress Anniversary Barty.

Events and sessions of interest on Wednesday, March 26, include:

* 8 to 9:30 AM (1.8 CH)--"Pain as the Fifth Vital Sign" (Spanish)--Sylvia Perez, RN, MSN;

* 10 AM to 3 PM--exhibits; and

* 3:30 to 5 PM (1.8 CH)--"Critical Issues of Disinfection and Sterilization Practice" (Spanish)--Francis Boero, PhD.

An international reception will be held Sunday, March 23, from 6:30 to 7:30 PM, and an international hospitality lounge will be open throughout the week to provide networking opportunities for international attendees. For more detailed information on Spanish education sessions, see page 52 in this issue of the Journal.

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

Attendees will receive updates on what is being accomplished to drive our legislative priorities:

* patient safety--working to keep the RN in the OR by supporting federal legislation and monitoring and supporting state legislation that deals directly with issues pertaining to correct site surgery, preventable medical errors, and other emerging concerns;

* scope of practice--trying to ensure an RN is required in the circulating role and promoting educational standards for assistive personnel;

* professional nursing environment--working to identify solutions to the nursing shortage, such as collaborating with other organizations focused on this issue, supporting the federal Nurse Reinvestment Act, and working to address a safe nurse-to-patient ratio; and

* reimbursement--focusing our lobbying efforts on getting a Medicare reimbursement bill reintroduced in the House and introduced in the Senate and moving toward getting this legislation passed.

Government Affairs Department staff members also will coach attendees on how to become more involved in state and local politics from a grassroots perspective to try to drive the perioperative nursing agenda.

PERIOPERATIVE NURSE WEEK DISPLAY

Perioperative Nurse Week is Nov 9 to 15, 2003. This display will feature a preview of Perioperative Nurse Week 2003, as well as a salute to Perioperative Nurse Week 2002. The display is available for viewing Sunday, March 23, through Thursday, March 27.