Earn valuable contact hours by attending Congress 2006 education sessions

AORN Journal, Jan, 2006

Saturday, March 18, to Thursday, March 23, 2006

AORN's 53rd annual Congress offers perioperative nurses an opportunity to gather in Washington, DC, to learn, have fun, and become re-energized. Attendees can earn valuable contact hours by attending education sessions on a wide variety of topics and viewing research/evidence-based practice and clinical innovation/improvement posters. This article provides information on education opportunities offered at this year's Congress.

Education tracks are specified for each education session. The tracks identify the broad content area for each session. Most sessions have content that applies to more than one track. To help make your selections, review the description of each session. The following definitions are used to identify broad content areas.

A       Ambulatory
C       Clinical
I       Informatics
L/M     Leadership/management
L/MO    Management with a focus
        on operations
L/MWF   Management with a focus
        on work force
P       Professional development/
        issues
*       Perioperative safety trends

The letter (R) after a session number denotes a repeat session. The letters CH denote contact hours. You must attend 90% of the education sessions to earn contact hours.

Specific sessions that qualify for AORN risk management credit are denoted by a +. Earning four contact hours of AORN risk management credit annually qualifies AORN members for a 10% insurance premium credit. For details, call AORN's endorsed insurance administrator, Marsh Affinity Group Services, a service of Seabury and Smith, at (800) 503-9230.

The number of contact hours you can earn at Congress will depend on your program selection. Individuals who attend the AORN Ambulatory Surgery Program from 8 AM to 4:30 PM on Monday will earn 8 contact hours. Individuals who attend either the "Mindset of Creative Leadership" session or two concurrent sessions during the same time frame will earn 3.6 contact hours. Individuals who attend two sessions from the AORN Management Program on Tuesday and Wednesday can earn an additional 3.6 contact hours each day. Individuals who attend the Faculty Program on Wednesday can earn an additional 3.6 contact hours. Nondelegates who attend traditional education sessions can earn 27.1 contact hours, and delegates who attend traditional education sessions can earn 14.5 contact hours.

You also will have the opportunity to review Research/Evidence-Based Practice and Clinical Improvement/ Innovation posters from 7 AM to 5 PM, Sunday through Thursday. The number of posters of each type and the contact hours available for reviewing them will be determined by Feb 1. Visit the AORN web site at http://www.aorn.org/Congress /2006/attendees/program.asp for the most up-to-date information on Congress education sessions.

PRE-CONGRESS SESSIONS

Pre-Congress education sessions will be held on Saturday, March 18, in the Washington Convention Center. More programs have been added this year to meet the diverse needs of the AORN membership. Pre-Congress sessions are in-depth programs that will provide you with tools and skills that you can implement immediately. Half-day sessions or two half-day sessions that follow a similar theme are available. Whether you are employed in a hospital, ambulatory surgery center, or a physician's office, you will find information that you need.

SATURDAY, MARCH 18

8 TO 11 AM (3.4 CH)

P 9577+

PNDS: Jumping into the Real World--Kathie Shea, RN, BSN, CNOR; Paula Morton, RN, MSN; Cecil King, RN, MS, CNOR; Mary Salreno, RN, MSN

Integrating the Perioperative Nursing Data Set (PNDS) into everyday work practices can be a challenge. This workshop offers participants an opportunity to work in a small group with an expert facilitator to develop staff education; write policies, procedures, and competencies; build a novice nurse internship; or set up electronic perioperative record screens. Information about changes in the third edition of the PNDS textbook also will be shared.

P 9585+

* Patient Safety: Nurse Safety Summit, Part I--Donna Watson, RN, MSN, CNOR, ARNP, FNP

Is your facility talking the talk of patient and staff member safety but not walking the walk? Then this session is for you. This exciting session will focus on strategies to reduce harm to surgical patients and surgical nurses, particularly in high-risk/high-impact areas of perioperative care. Sessions will concentrate on practical applications and topics that can influence culture change, improve care for surgical patients, and enhance environmental safety for surgical nurses. Participants will attend a general session and then select from concurrent education sessions related to either patient safety or workplace safety. You can attend this session as a half-day or full-day session. Part II of this session will be held in the afternoon.

P 9586

Effective Public Policy Advocacy, Part I--Catherine Sparkman, JD; Additional speakers invited

This session will provide comprehensive, hands-on education and training in public policy advocacy and lobbying, including the mechanics of state and federal representative government and the legislative and regulatory process; grassroots organization and training; public policy advocacy from the perspective of the professional lobbyist; an overview of the Nurse in Washington Internship (NIWI) program and experience; and nursing initiatives from the perspectives of local, state, and national elected officials. Speakers will include AORN members, NIWI participants, grassroots organization experts, elected officials, government and professional experts in public policy, and professional lobbyists. You can attend this session as a half-day or full-day session. Part II of this session will be held in the afternoon.