FEBRUARY 1997, VOL 65, NO 2 P R E S I D E N T ‘ S M E S S A G E

Congress 1997 I a time to rekindle the passion

s I peruse this Re-Congress issue of the Journal, I fondly A remember all the years I await-

ed the arrival of this special issue of the Journal. I would study the issues that would be discussed at the House of Delegates and identify “must see” vendors. Every year, I identified the education sessions that I wanted to attend and did some strategic planning with my coworkers who were going to Con- gress so we could cover all the edu- cation and business sessions. I would ponder ways to get more involved in AORN and daydream that some day I would run for AORN national office. I would look at an already-packed schedule and try to work in networking and social events. Ultimately, I would ask myself, “How can I possibly get it all done in one week?”

gress-my 30th AORN Congress. During these three decades, I have seen AORN evolve from an organi- zation with 8,000 members to one with 45,000 members and Congress attendance increase from 2,000 to a projected 7,000 in Anaheim, Calif. I find that my planning process for Congress week has not changed, but the choices have.

range and variety of activities have changed to meet our members’ needs. From my vantage point as a long-standing AORN member, and now as President, I have watched with pride as our members, leaders, and Headquarters staff members have maintained the Association’s status as a premier nursing organi-

Now it is time for the 1997 Con-

As AORN has grown in size, the

zation-a task not easily accom- plished. To do this, we have hon- ored the number one rule of change: when changes on the outside are greater than changes on the inside, an organization is subject to chaos and even collapse. To survive in a climate of external change, we have made intensive changes within AORN, and these changes have sig- nificant meaning for each of us as we attend the 1997 Congress.

THE 1997 PERlOfER4TlVE ENVIRONMENT

AORN’s membership used to be very homogeneous: most of us were graduates of diploma nursing pro- grams, most of our patients were hospitalized for a week after surgery, and most AORN members worked in traditional roles and OR settings. In 1997, our membership is very diverse in educational prepa- ration, roles, and practice settings. Biomedical engineers are members of many surgical specialty teams, patients “shop” for health care facil- ities and professionals who can best meet their needs, and 74% of Amer- ican workers participate in managed health care p1ans.l

What we are witnessing is the awakening of a sleeping giant (ie, health care). This giant suddenly has realized that external changes were greater than changes within health care. In its desperate attempt to catch up with the outside world, health care is undergoing uneven, unregulated changes (eg, mergers, acquisitions, downsizing, rightsiz- ing, practice model changes). This uneven change is why AORN

members in some parts of the country (eg, the Midwest) may be experiencing fewer of these changes than members On the West or East

LINDA K. GROAH

Coasts?

IMPACT ON INDUSTRY These changes in health care

systems have had a significant impact on the companies that manu- facture and distribute surgical sup- plies and equipment. In response to market changes, our industry part- ners have had to consolidate and standardize their programs. In the late 1980s, they began to focus more on research and development of new products and examine their expenditures on other items (eg, marketing, client entertainment).

With this necessary shift in industry’s priorities, we began to see changes in Congress social events. At the same time, many AORN members were having to economize in their practice settings, and they began to question the elab- orate Congress parties when they realized that these events ultimately were paid for by patients and third- Party payers.

GENESIS OF THE FOUNDATION Recognizing the potential

impact of these changes on the Association, the AORN Board of Directors established the AORN Foundation in 1992. Through the Foundation, our industry partners

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FEBRUARY 1997, VOL 65, NO 2

can make tax-deductible monetary contributions to help AORN mem- bers obtain education and conduct research. AORN members have asked me if the Board or Headquar- ters staff members requested our industry partners to contribute to the Foundation rather than sponsor social events at Congress. My answer to this question is “No.” Our industry partners have made these decisions based on their companies’ missions and marketing plans.

The Foundation also depends on members’ support, so I hope you will come to this year’s Congress prepared to answer the Chapter Challenge. We all reap the benefits of the Foundation, if not directly then perhaps as recipients of care provided by perioperative nurses who have received Foundation funds for research or education.

PERIOPERA TlVE NURSING KALEDOSCOPE

These external changes have stimulated a variety of responses within AORN. If we compare our responses to a kaleidoscope (ie, a myriad of patterns, shapes, designs, and colors in a single concept), we see an infinite variety of practice settings and roles, along with oppor- tunities for retrenchment, survival, or growth. Our responses to these changes are just as unique as our individual perceptions of a kaleido- scope. At the 1997 Congress, this diversity of perceptions and opin- ions will add color and spirit to our discussions of current issues and to our decisions about perioperative nursing’s preferred future.

CONGRESS ACTIVITIES This year’s Congress activities

are designed to accommodate our diverse needs. We will have eight different education tracts (ie, ad- vanced management, management,

NOTES

clinical, educator, informatics, research, professional issues/ trends/developments, legal issues). We have invited colleagues from other nursing specialties to con- tribute to our ongoing education, and several of these colleagues will present education sessions and pro- vide us with different perspectives of perioperative patient care.

Perioperative nurse managers and administrators have expressed the need for advanced management education, which previous AORN Congresses did not provide. This year, there is an advanced adminis- tration activity for senior-level health care leaders. Renowned speakers will challenge attendees to interpret the forecasts for future health care delivery and define the challenges of managing penopera- tive care in these environments.

Town meeting. AORN members have asked Board members to be more accessible at Congress, so we will have a Town Meeting in addi- tion to the two Forums at Congress. The Town Meeting will be an unstructured session during which members, Board members, Head- quarters staff members, and nation- al committee members can discuss professional issues and concerns in an informal setting. Look for the gold Town Meeting cards located in the registration area and use them to submit your questions and concerns for this interactive session.

Exhibits. Based on input from focus groups and discussions with leaders in industry and health care organizations, we have made sever- al key changes in this year’s Con- gress exhibits. Attendees will be able to earn continuing education credit by participating in learning activities on the exhibit floor; browsing through publishers’ row; taking part in a market research

Advanced administration activity.

evening on Wednesday of Congress week; and exploring technical, sci- entific, and perioperative career resource exhibits.

before Congress begins, we will celebrate perioperative nursing heroes at an awards dinner. During this celebration, we will present individual and chapter awards and recognize AORN members who have contributed their personal and professional resources to further the Association’s mission.

Social events. This year’s Con- gress will be a family-oriented event with tours and child care available for members who want to bring family members. Space for these events is limited, so attendees should register early. The social highlight of the week-Disney- land-will occur on Tuesday evening. Come prepared to spend an enchanted evening with Walt Disney characters, exhibitors, and AORN colleagues.

Networking. One of the Con- gress activities that I value most is networking with members from other parts of the country. This is a great way to gain creative ideas to solve current practice and profes- sional challenges and to glimpse the future. Plan to take part in the net- working groups and specialty assembly meetings at Congress.

Awards. On Saturday evening

SEE YOU AT CONGRESS This year’s Congress offers each

of us opportunities for personal and professional growth. Come pre- pared to renew your passion for and your commitment to perioperative nursing. There is no better way to prepare for the challenging times ahead. I look forward to seeing you in Anaheim, Calif.

LINDA K. GROAH RN, MS, CNOR, CNAA

PRESIDENT

“Where have all the nurses pone? Final results of our - 1. R Toner, ‘‘Harry and Louise were right, sort of,”

2. J Shindul-Rothschild, D Berry, E Long-Middleton,

patient care survey,” American Journal of Nursing 96 (November 1996) 25-44. The New York Times, 24 Nov 1996, sec 4, 1.

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