Specialty assembly and group meetings provide networking opportunities

AORN Journal,  Feb, 2005  

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Saturday, April 2, to Thursday, April 7, 2005

In the AORN 2000 Member/Non-member Needs Assessment Survey, networking was listed among the top six reasons for joining AORN. (1) Surprisingly, many AORN members are not aware of the networking opportunities available through specialty assembly memberships and the benefits they can gain by joining an assembly. In 1992, AORN began creating specialty assemblies to facilitate communication between specific specialty areas and the AORN Board of Directors. Each year at Congress, specialty assembly members gather to share updates, and networking groups meet to discuss common interests and the potential for forming new assemblies.

SPECIALTY ASSEMBLY RECEPTION

Congress attendees are invited to join members of AORN's 16 specialty assemblies for a celebration on Sunday evening, April 3, from 6 to 7 PM. Specialty assembly members and individuals interested in learning about specialty assemblies or forming a new specialty assembly are welcome to attend. Specialty assembly leaders will be available at the reception to promote their individual assembly meetings to be held during the week and to help participants meet as many people as possible.

The reception is designed to convene perioperative nurses from a variety of specialties to allow them to exchange contact information. AORN members who attend Congress alone are especially encouraged to attend to make contacts and facilitate their networking through-out the rest of the week. Please contact Bonnie G. Denholm, RN, MS, CNOR, specialty assembly coordinator, via the web page link on AORN Online at http://www.aorn.org/SA/rsvp/default.asp before March 11, 2005, if you plan to attend.

SPECIALTY ASSEMBLIES

Specialty assemblies were formed to promote communication among RNs with similar professional interests, provide a forum for networking, identify and explore patient care issues, promote specialized education, and support the mission of AORN. Currently, there are 16 assemblies. Each specialty assembly communicates through periodic newsletters, collaborates to offer specialized educational events, and convenes governing council members who identify trends and clinical issues in their specialty. Anyone interested in participating on specialty assembly committees or governing councils should plan to attend the orientation for governing council members on Saturday, April 2, at 1 PM.

Following is specific information about the assemblies and examples of possible discussions to be held during meetings at Congress. Refer to Table 1 for meeting times.

GOVERNING COUNCIL ORIENTATION. Approximately 75 specialty assembly leaders will be available to provide insight into their roles in the various governing councils. Please contact Bonnie G. Denholm by e-mail at bdenholm@aorn.org before March 11, 2005, if you are not currently serving on a governing council and would like to attend this orientation.

AMBULATORY SURGERY. More than 1,350 members belong to this assembly to promote safe patient care through the application of AORN's standards and recommended practices in ambulatory settings. Discussions will include updates on new publications, the 2005 fall conferences, and the AORN Ambulatory Surgery Administrator Certificate course.

CARDIOTHORACIC. Approximately 700 members belong to this assembly. One of the goals of assembly members is to promote safe patient care and identify trends in cardiothoracic perioperative settings. Potential discussions include reviewing topics from recent networking sessions and specialty online discussion forums, ideas for upcoming newsletters, and education session planning for future conferences.

INTEGRATED HEALTH PRACTICES. This group, which was approved for formation by the AORN Board of Directors in July 2003, will report on its activities for 2004. Discussions will include topics such as the effects of increased consumer awareness of over-the-counter products (eg, herbs, vitamins, minerals) on perioperative nursing; integrating relaxation, nutrition, and mind-body imaging techniques in both inpatient and outpatient settings; and comparing practitioner experiences when Western medicine philosophies are integrated with Eastern medicine philosophies.

LEADERSHIP. The more than 1,300 perioperative leaders who belong to this assembly act as a resource to promote the highest professional standards of practice among perioperative leaders. Potential discussions include safety and workplace environment issues related to the nursing shortage, effective coaching and mentoring opportunities to support new leaders in AORN and in the work setting, and promotion of new publications and education programs.

MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY & LASERS. The 200 members who belong to this assembly serve as resources for other health care professionals who are interested in the latest developments in technology, lasers, and minimally invasive surgery. Potential discussions include safety issues regarding laser technology and issues and trends related to bariatric procedures and minimally invasive surgery in a variety of specialty areas.