JUNE 1996, VOL 63, NO 6 P W E S I I) E: N ’ 1 ’s M E S S A (; E

Leadership conference demonstrates stewardship role and promotes commitment to AORNs Strategic Plan

am writing this as I retum from the annual Leadership Conference, which was held

in Denver April 13 and 14. Look- ing back over this dynamic week- end, I realize again what a privi- lege it is to be a steward of AORN. The title of this confer- ence was “Preparing for the Future” (or “Leading the Way,” as I fondly called it).

The individuals-chapter pres- idents, specialty assembly chairs, national committee members- who attended were there because you selected them for leadership roles in AORN. Their presence signified these individuals’ com- mitment to AORN and to periop- erative nursing and your belief that they can lead the Association in accomplishing our mission and goals. These men and women understand and accept their roles as motivators and volunteer repre- sentatives of other AORN mem- bers, and they model these roles through the enthusiasm they demonstrate about and for the Association. They promptly pro- tect and promote the Association at every opportunity.

leaders during the conference, I became aware of how cognizant they are of the needs of all seg- ments of our membership and of how they seek to balance these divergent interests when they are conducting Association business. During my visits with the national committees and chapter presidents, I could tell that the volunteer members do not focus on just their

As I spoke with these volunteer

own spheres of interest or respon- sibilities, but that they understand the importance and interdepen- dence of all AORN activities. Being leaders of an organization requires tact, diplomacy, forth- rightness, honesty, and risktaking. I observed all these traits in the members as they conducted the Association’s business during the Leadership Conference.

STRA TEGlC PLAN We structured the conference

agenda to provide information that attendees could use organization- ally, professionally, and personal- ly. The conference focused on nar- rowing the gap between what members need, want, and expect and what the Board of Directors believes the members need, want, and should have. We solicited the attendees’ comments on A 0 R ” s Strategic Plan (Table l), which had just undergone a major revi- sion. Using the Instantaneous Response Interactive System (IRIS)-a communications pack- age that records individual responses, quickly tabulates them, and displays group results on a screen-attendees provided input on the core statement and fist- level implications of the 1996- 1999 Strategic Plan.

ment of the Strategic Plan is “Market-driven reforms will require AORN to change and diversify.” The first-level implica- tions of this statement follow.

AORN members and their

Core statement. The core state-

needs will change.

There will be fewer dollars to spend. Revenue sources will change.

LINDA K. GROAH Industry needs will change. Traditional values will be chal- lenged. AORN’s mission will need to be reexamined. Practice and practice settings are changing. New partnerships and alliances are forming. More than 84% of the atten-

dees supported the core statement and the fist-level implications statements. This strong show of support was important because it served as the basis for the rest of the strategic planning process.

PrlOrlty !3ettlng. Attendees reviewed the entire 1996-1999 Strategic Plan and assisted in set- ting priorities for the activities that supported each of the goal state- ments. This input will help the Board and Headquarters staff members determine how to allo- cate the Association’s resources. National committees and specialty assemblies will base their work plans and budgets on the Strategic Plan.

Attendees also used IRIS to identify AORN activities, prod- ucts, and services that they believe are important to grass- roots members and to identify the products and services that

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members do not value. The Board and Headquarters staff members will review this input and possibly revise or replace products and ser- vices that members do not consid- er valuable.

PROJECT TEAMS At its meeting just before the

Leadership Conference, the Board approved three project teams to support the goals and activities in the Strategic Plan. The project team approach allows individuals with expertise to serve as team members and enables AORN to achieve desired outcomes within an appropriate time frame. The three teams are the International Project Team, the Industry Project Team, and the Professional Prac-

tice Issues Project Team. international team. Barbara J.

Gruendemann, RN, MS, FAAN, will lead the International Project Team, which will identify AORN’s potential growth, influ- ence, and leadership in periopera- tive nursing around the world. This team will develop a long- range business plan for A 0 R ” s international activities, conduct a regional assessment of intemation- al colleagues’ educational needs, explore research opportunities, and make recommendations regarding scholarships and grants for international perioperative nursing education and research.

Industry team. The Industry Project Team will explore mutual- ly beneficial partnerships and

alliances between AORN and industry colleagues. The team members will conduct an assess- ment of surgical services compa- nies to identify areas of interest and demand related to AORN’s products, services, and data. The Board has asked the team mem- bers to develop a plan for collabo- rative responses to proposed regu- latory actions. The team members also will convene a summit of sur- gical services providers and indus- try partners to focus on the future, develop a mission, and establish a plan to enhance the future of peri- operative services.

Professional practice Issues team. The Professional Practice Issues Project Team will be empowered to form subgroups to

Table 1 AORN STRATECK PLAN 19961999

Goal 1 : Promote excellence in perioperative nursing practice.

Strategy 1 : Identify research activities to validate clinical and professional practice. Strategy 2: Collect, develop, and disseminate information on perioperative nursing practice. Strategy 3: Expand AORN‘s international growth, influence, and leadership in periaperative practice. Goal 2: Maintain organizational strength and viability.

Strategy 1 : Ensure that funds are available to meet current and future Association needs. Strategy 2: Facilitate partnerships and alliances that promote strong AORN leadership within perioperative practice. Strategy 3: Promote an organizational culture that supports quality and system improvements. Strategy 4: Develop a plan to ensure a viable membership for the future. Strategy 5: Competitively position AORN products and setvices. Strategy 6: Maintain a continuous process to assess members’ needs, expectations, and preferences. Goal 3: Provide innovative and effective education. Strategy 1 : Assess educational needs related to the delivery of perioperative care. Strategy 2: Design educational programming and delivery systems to meet the needs of perioperative patient caregivers

in the emerging perioperative environment. Strategy 3: Collaborate with other education providers. Goal 4: Identify issues affecting perioperative care.

Strategy 1 : Provide current and timely information on issues and practice concerns. Strategy 2: Position AORN as a pivotal player in influencing perioperative issues.

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work on specific issues, such as rn collaborating with other orga-

nizations to develop a standard set of definitions for surgical services,

rn investigating mechanisms for developing a perioperative nursing report card,

rn developing age-specific clini- cal guidelines,

rn working on a template for criti- cal pathways for perioperative patients, and

rn formulating AORN’s response to the recommendations in the Pew Health Professions Com- mission health care workforce regulation report.

Nf W COMMITTEE CHARGES

mittee will review the AORN “Competency statements in peri- operative nursing” for consisten- cy with the definition of periop- erative nursing and expand the statements beyond the intraoper- ative phase of care. The Scholar- ship Board will redesign the scholarship application and approval process and design a program through which chapters can receive financial assistance to conduct education workshops and seminars. The Nursing Research Committee will devel- op a mechanism to help chapters become more involved in research activities.

ership Conference, the Awards Committee developed the follow- ing criteria for the 1997 Presi- dent’s Award. D Describe the planning and

implementation of the activity. rn State the setting for the activity. rn State the number of chapter

members who were involved in the activity.

The Nursing Practices Com-

At its meeting during the Lead-

rn Describe the activity’s time frame (eg, ongoing, monthly, weekly).

m Describe your marketing tac- tics for this activity (eg, media contacted, media coverage obtained).

rn State an assessment of the activity’s impact, attaching let- ters from other sources if applicable.

The 1997 President’s Award will recognize the chapter that has the most innovative and effective activity that rekindles the passion in perioperative nursing for 1996- 1997.

SPECIALTY ASSEMBLIES The Board of Directors under-

stands the importance of the spe- cialty assemblies to AORN mem- bers and recognizes the role of specialty assemblies in developing members’ leadership skills. The Board members met with the spe- cialty assembly chairs to exchange ideas and explore new communi- cation methods. The Policy Com- mittee, chaired by Betty J. Shultz, RN, CNOR, CRNFA, and Spe- cialty Assembly Chairs Patricia A. Mews, RN, MA, CNOR, and Jeanne K. La Fountain, RN, BS, CNOR, CRNFA, will collaborate on strengthening the relationship and communication between spe- cialty assemblies and the Board of Directors.

THE NEXl STEPS Headquarters staff members

are identifying the resources required to support the activities in the Strategic Plan and including these costs in the proposed 1996- 1997 budget. After the Board reviews and approves the budget, staff members will assume respon- sibility for implementing specific

activities. The Executive Director prepares a quarterly report to keep Board members informed of the status of all activities related to the Strategic Plan, and committees submit recommendations to the Board semiannually and in their annual reports.

MISSION AND VISIONS All of these activities support

A 0 R ” s mission. It is this mis- sion-uniting members by provid- ing education, representation, and standards for quality patient care-that establishes our purpose as an organization. By using a col- laborative planning process at the Leadership Conference, the Board demonstrated its stewardship role. This planning process also pro- moted interest and commitment to the Strategic Plan at all levels of the Association. The Board expects chapters to help put the revised Strategic Plan into action by designing chapter activities that have outcomes congruent with the Plan.

Visions are personal under- standings that result from individ- uals thinking about the future. Visions are compelling glimpses of the future that give us reasons to keep going when the going gets tough. Visions give meaning and foundation to daily routines. Our shared vision includes our dreams and desires for perioperative nurs- ing. It is this vision that clarifies the exciting future that will result from our efforts and commitment. Most of all, our shared vision cre- ates a clear focus on and a collec- tive ownership of the future. This shared vision will rekindle our passion for perioperative nursing.

LINDA K. GROAH RN, MS, CNOR, CNAA

PRESIDENT

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