Building a new organizational framework - Governance Task Force

AORN Journal, April, 2002 by Charlotte Guglielmi, Linda Groah, Donna Watson

Editor's note: Beginning in 2000, AORN's Governance Task Force (GTF) was charged with evaluating the ex/sting governance structure and systems of the Association and recommending improvements. This is the second of two articles highlighting the work of the GTF (the first was published in the February issue). The views expressed in these articles are those of the GTF and do not represent the "official" position of AORN or AORN's Board of Directors. The GTF has made several recommendations to the Board of Directors that will be brought to the House of Delegates for consideration at Congress in Anaheim.

There has never been a greater need for health care associations to change than there is today. In 1888, Florence Nightingale wrote,

   There is no magic in the word Association.... We must never forget that the
   "individual" makes the Association. The Association depends on its members.
   A Nurses' Association can never be a substitute for the individual nurse.
   It is she who must, each in her own measure, give life to the Association
   while the Association helps her. (1)

The challenges most health care associations face today do not lend themselves to adaptation because the very needs for which these associations were developed have changed. Health care is changing rapidly, and members and potential members are placing different demands on their associations.

If health care associations are to survive, their members must proactively shape the future of these associations rather than attempt to adapt to an identified future scenario. This article is meant to establish a foundation for member discussions about the issue of access to AORN and to help members understand the rationale for the committee structure bylaws change discussion, which will be held during the 49th AORN Congress in Anaheim, Calif.

MEMBERSHIP BARRIERS

Consider the following three scenarios.

* A potential AORN member works 3 to 11:30 PM and cannot attend local AORN meetings. She cannot be a member-at-large because there is a chapter in her area. She has no interest in joining e-Chapter. This individual decides she will not join AORN because she does not want to waste her money.

* An AORN member, while working full time, returns to school to obtain her bachelor of science in nursing degree. Local chapter meetings are the only way she can be an active member, so she drops her membership, although she has every intention of rejoining when she finishes school.

* A member moves out of state and finds that the chapter in the area where he now lives has a point system for choosing delegates to Congress. It will take him at least three years to build up the points necessary to be considered as a delegate. He drops his membership and joins another specialty association with open access.

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar? Several of AORN's policies create barriers to access for current and potential members. Professional perioperative nurses require open access to the Association. They need to have the opportunity to access AORN at noon, 2 AM, or 8 PM to be connected with Association business, comment on issues, and voice concerns regarding professional issues.

Responses to surveys completed and focus groups held in 2001 frequently use the phrase "chapters are struggling" to describe the status of AORN chapters. Members of the AORN Governance Task Force (GTF) have heard repeatedly that the number of participants at chapter meetings is shrinking, and that the same few people attend each month with no new faces or younger members. When GTF members talk with younger members and former members, they hear, "I don't have time to attend the monthly meetings" or "I want to be a member, but AORN makes it too hard to participate."

CHANGING ACCESS OPTIONS

The GTF proposes that open access to AORN could occur in several different ways, including

* individuals could join as a member-at-large, regardless of where they live;

* e-Chapter could be the chapter of choice identified by the member; and

* AORN could offer options for joining with alternate fee structures based on benefits the member chooses (eg, electing not to receive the AORN Journal as a benefit would result in a reduced fee).

If, however, AORN creates opportunities for members to choose where and how they will connect to the Association, alternative revenue sources for chapters will need to be explored.

When exploring access issues, GTF members acknowledged generational differences among members and in the workforce. Each of the generations has different needs and desires regarding how they want to connect to AORN. What GTF members have heard from all generations is that AORN must provide open access to ensure that all perioperative RNs have a connection to and a voice in their Association.

WHY A CHANGE IN COMMITTEE STRUCTURE?

Several key questions have guided the GTF in critically reviewing AORN's committee structure and recommending that volunteer work groups be simplified and redesigned to increase member participation, enthusiasm, and overall outcomes. The task force explored the following questions.