2003 slate of candidates - Candidates

AORN Journal,  Jan, 2003  

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I have heard your concerns about patient and workplace safety, nursing shortages, recruitment, retention, scope of practice, and professionalism, as well as many other issues. I have heard the health care community speak through its release of the Institute of Medicine report, which indicates that more than 98,000 people per year die from medical errors. The issues are real. It is time for action.

In addition to my 12 years of perioperative nursing, I bring years of experience in risk management, regulatory agencies, policy change, and patient safety. As a member of AORN's Patient Safety First Task Force, I have helped initiate our response to your needs by providing guidance, support, and products. We have made significant strides in responding to these issues; yet our work has just begun.

As a member of your Board, my passion, commitment, and expertise will promote change, clarify our vision of the future, and, most importantly, provide you with someone who will listen to your needs and take action.

SHERRON C. KURTZ, RN, MSA, MSN, CNOR, CNAA, is clinical educator at Valleylab, Inc, McDonough, Ga. She earned her diploma in nursing from Georgia Baptist Hospital School of Nursing, Atlanta; her bachelor of science in health arts degree from the College of St Francis, Joliette, Ill; her masters in administration degree from Central Michigan University, Mt Pleasant; and her masters of science in nursing degree from the University of Phoenix, Phoenix.

Kurtz has been a perioperative nurse for 25 years and a member of AORN for 17 years. She serves on the Workplace Safety Task Force (2002-present), and she was a member of the Scholarship (2000-2001) and Membership (1995-1997) Committees. She also served on the Congress Planning Task Force (1995).

Kurtz is a member of the Ambulatory Surgery (1995-present) and Nurses in Business, Industry & Consulting (2002-present) Specialty Assemblies. She also is a member of the Certification Board Perioperative Nursing (1996-present) and was its president (2001-2002).

Kurtz was a member of AORN of Tara, where she was chapter president (1993), treasurer (1996-1998), and parliamentarian (1994-1996). She was a member of the board (1998-2000; 1994-1995) and of the budget/finance (1996-1998), ways and means (1995-1998), bylaws (1995-1996), and nominating (1994) committees.

She is a member of her state nurses association (1995-present), the Georgia Council of Operating Room Nurses (1995-present), the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (1993-present), and Sigma Theta Tau (1999-present). She was a member of the American Society of Lasers in Medicine and Surgery (1993-2002) and the Society of Ambulatory Care Professionals (1995-2001). Kurtz has attended Congress times 10 in the past 10 years, three times as a delegate and three times as an alternate.

Election statement. Mandatory overtime, staff shortages, compensation, RN first assistant reimbursement, workplace environment, patient advocacy, and safety are important issues to AORN. The chaos surrounding these issues is with us today and will undoubtedly continue tomorrow. Change occurs so rapidly that we are writing the script as we live it. Today, nurses have the attention of the public--our patients. Patients trust nurses. They look to us to manage their journey through a cumbersome health care system.