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Delegates try new keypad voting system, listen to task force reports, and vote on workplace safety statement; Monday, March 23, to Thursday, March 27, 2003 - Business Sessions - Association of periOperative Registered Nurses conference

AORN Journal, June, 2003 by Nancy K. Kuehl

Delegates at the 50th AORN Congress were kept busy this year as they learned a new keypad system for voting. In addition, they discussed a number of items, including, among other things, the number of members-at-large (MAL) delegates, student recruitment, the AORN "Position statement on workplace safety," and task force reports.

FIRST FORUM

The first Forum of the 50th AORN Congress convened on Monday, March 23, at 8 AM. Two items on the amended agenda that garnered a lot of attention were audience response keypads and changing how MAL delegates are allocated.

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Keypad voting. Sue Harkness, RN, CNOR, chair of the Delegate Recognition Task Force, initiated members in the use of the new keypad voting system. Keypad devices were used for voting on position statements and Association business at this Congress. Results tabulated from the devices were immediately shown on overhead screens. Janet Lococo, RN, CNOR, speaking for AORN of New Orleans, said, "I commend the committee for making this wonderful, long-needed improvement."

Members-at-large. Rick Barber, RN, MS, CNOR, served as the resource for the discussion on reevaluating the formula used to choose MAL delegates. He noted that MAL representation in AORN is 9.7% of the total membership; however, the formula used to determine the number of MAL delegates is different than that used to determine the number of chapter delegates. He asked the House of Delegates to consider changing the MAL delegate formula to the one used for chapter delegates. This would result in MAL being allowed to seat 115 delegates at Congress.

Barbara Diamede, RN, CNOR, asked that the number of allocated MAL delegates be compared to the number of delegates for the largest chapter. Nathalie Walker, RN, CNOR, said that AORN's largest chapter has the right to seat 24 delegates; MAL, based on a new formula that was approved in 1995 but not implemented until this year, have the right to seat 27 delegates.

Sharon Robinson, RN, CNOR, Glens Falls, NY, said, "I am concerned that members-at-large could overwhelm the states with smaller delegations." Michele Hughes, RN, CNOR, Virginia Beach, Va, said "I implore" the membership that an increase in MAL delegates not affect the number of delegates each state gets. Rae Fierro, RN, CNOR, Philadelphia, said she was concerned that MAL and e-Chapter were diluting the viability of local chapters. Chris Rosenthal, RN, CNOR, Anderson, SC, said, "We must recruit members any way we can, and if that means that we must change by enlarging the MAL and e-Chapter member groups, so be it."

President Donna Watson, RN, MSN, CNOR, ARNP, FNP-C, called for a straw vote using the new keypad system. The vote showed that 61% of the delegates were in favor of increasing the number of MAL delegates if the 1,500 delegate cap is expanded; 35% voted no, and 4% abstained.

Other business. Another item discussed during the first Forum was the AORN Bylaws. The Bylaws Committee found that changing AORN's state of incorporation would require creating a new nonprofit corporation in the chosen state. According to Michelle Burke, RN, MSA, CNOR, the committee found that reincorporating would cost at least $50,000 and possibly two to three times that amount, with most of the cost related to reviewing existing legal documents. Based on this information, the Board of Directors has approved maintaining AORN's articles of incorporation in New York state.

Deborah Spratt, RN, BSN, MPA, CNOR, CNAA, gave a quick review of the Workplace Safety Task Force. She said the task force developed a position statement on workplace safety. This position statement was voted on during the House of Delegates session later in the week (Table 1).

During her presentation on the endorsement of common guidelines between AORN and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) to eliminate wrong site surgery, Patricia C. Seifert, RN, MSN, CNOR, CRNFA, FAAN, liaison to the ACS' committee on perioperative environment, told attendees that "members and patients need consistent policies and procedures to minimize the possibility of error." The work with the ACS led to adoption of a statement that says all surgical team members will conduct a final verification to confirm the correct patient, procedure, and surgical site.

During her presentation on the Web Site Redesign Task Force, Anita Shoup, RN, MSN, CNOR, told attendees they could preview the new web site in the AORN Resource Center. The web site went live in April.

FIRST SESSION: HOUSE OF DELEGATES

The first session of the House of Delegates convened on Monday, March 23, at 1 PM. Based on a discussion during the first Forum, the agenda for the House session was changed to include a motion related to the development of a new task force on MAL and e-Chapter members, and the report of the President was moved from the second session of the House of Delegates to the first. Other agenda items included the Treasurer's report and the Foundation report.

Members-at-large task force. Susan Renee Guerra, RN, MN, CNOR, CNAA, presented a motion from the floor that the Board appoint a task force to examine the definition and purpose of MAL and e-Chapter delegates and in this context, examine delegate allocation. Barber, who introduced this topic during the first Forum, said that he did not support the motion as stated. "Members-at-large have demonstrated not only that they are a growing and viable part of the Association, but also that they are desired and needed." He suggested that MAL and e-Chapter members should not be singled out, but that all categories of membership should be examined. A vote was called for, and the motion was approved.

Health Care Industry

Delegates try new keypad voting system, listen to task force reports, and vote on workplace safety statement; Monday, March 23, to Thursday, March 27, 2003 - Business Sessions - Association of periOperative Registered Nurses conference

AORN Journal, June, 2003 by Nancy K. Kuehl

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