Board discusses entry into practice, other Congress issues At its fall meeting, the AORN Board of Direc- tors considered some of the issues that will be presented at the AORN Congress in St Louis, March 4 to 9. The Board met Nov 30 to Dec 3 in Denver. The Board Budget and Finance and Long-Range Planning Committees met Nov 29.

The Board meeting was preceded by a con- ference on entry into practice with Lorene Fischer, chairman of the American Nurses' Association's (ANA) Task Force on Entry into Professional Practice. Meeting with the Board, the AORN ad hoc Committee on Entry into Practice, and staff, Fischer discussed the im- plementation of the ANA resolutions on entry into practice and answered questions. This conference will be reported in the Pre- Congress Journal.

The AORN ad hoc Committee on Entry into Practice will prepare a statement on the ANA resolutions to be presented at the House of Delegates at Congress. The AORN Board be- lieves the baccalaureate degree in nursing for entry into practice is essential to operating room nursing as well as all of nursing. It urges the membership to prepare for a discussion at Congress.

The Board reviewed a resolution concerning the nurse as first assistant, which had been drafted by the Nursing Practices in the OR Committee. The Board agreed to the concept of the resolution, but requested additional clarifi- cation and refinement from the Committee. In light of the lack of a medical definition of first

assisting, the Board and the Committee be- lieve it cannot be defined as nursing. However, we agree that the most qualified nonphysician to serve as first assistant is a registered nurse who possesses knowledge and technical skill appropriate to that role. Because of the com- plexity of the issue, time will not allow for publi- cation in the Pre-Congress Journal. However, delegates will receive the final statement in the delegate's packets. We will also attempt to publish the statement in the February AORN Newsletter.

The Project 26 Task Force, which met Dec 1 and 2, is developing a master plan for im- plementation of the perioperative role with long-range implications. The Task Force is planning to meet in January to complete the master plan, which will be in the delegate's packets. If possible, it will be included in the February AORN Newsletter.

The perioperative role and the AORN publi- cation The Surgical Experience: A Model for Professional Nursing Practice in the 0 R will be presented to deans from different types of nursing programs at an invitational conference at AORN Headquarters in June or July. Feed- back from this conference will assist in the implementation of the perioperative role in the core curriculum of undergraduate and grad- uate programs.

An update of the AORN certification process was presented by Board Member Judith Pfis- ter. The certification examination will be of- fered first in November 1979. Six certification seminars have been scheduled for 1979 and 1980: March 1 and 2, St Louis; April 5 and 6, San Francisco; May 3 and 4, Richmond, Va; and tentatively, Nov 19 and 20, San Diego; Feb 7 and 8, 1980, New York City; and April 24 and 25, 1980, Houston.

AORN Journal, January 1979, Vol29 , No 1 19

dministrators to receive A AORN Newsletter.

The regions of the National Membership Committee and the National Committee on Education were restructured so they would be the same for both committees. The Commit- tees are now based on representation from the same eight regions.

Reports from Michael D Corky, assistant executive directoribusiness, indicate that at this time advance registration for the 1979 Congress is comparable to last year. As of Dec 1, 97.4% of the exhibit space had been sold. Plans for the Congress are progressing on schedule, and the 1979 Congress promises to be another milestone in AORN's Congress his- tory. Sites for future Congresses include 1980-Allanta, 1981-Dallas. 1982-Ana- heim, and 1984-Atlanta. A site for the 1983 Congress has not been confirmed.

AORN will be writing to all members with information for letters to the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare regarding the proposed changes in the Medicare regulations that would permit technicians to circulate. Members should receive this letter in January.

The First World Conference of OR Nurses in Manila, the Philippines, Oct 17 to 20, was suc- cessful, with 1,127 OR nurses attending. Plans are underway to host a Second World Confer- ence of Operating Room Nurses in 1980 in Europe.

The Board approved an AORN newsletter to be sent to hospital administrators four times a year in February, May, August, and No- vember. The first issue will be in May 1979. The newsletter will communicate information about operating room nursing and issues with which administration should be familiar.

The next meeting of the Federation of Spe- cialty Nursing Organizations and ANA will be hosted by ANA in Kansas City, Kan, on Jan 26

and 27. A meeting of the liaisons of ANA and specialty nursing organizations will precede the Federation meeting. AORN President Jean E Davis, President-elect Barbara J Gruendemann, Board Member Judith Pfister, and Executive Director Jerry Peers will attend the meeting.

A draft of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals nursing service standards was received by the Board. Julia A Kneedler, assistant director of educationicon- tinuing education, represents AORN on the committee revising these standards.

Joseph Radzius, AORN's consumer repre- sentative on the Board of Directors, attended this session. The Board realizes the impor- tance of input into AORN activities from a con- sumer's viewpoint.

A highlight of the fall Board meeting was an open house for the new Education building attended by many members and friends of AORN.

The Board will meet again before and after the St Louis Congress.

Nancy L Meham, RN Vice - President

20 AORN Journal, January 1979, Vol29, No I