MAY 1996, VOL 63, NO 5

P R E S I I) E N1’ ‘ S M E S S A ( i E

Member involvement drives AORN and promotes perioperative nursing‘s visibiliiy

M embers are the heart of AORN, and it is through our activities, energy, and willing-

ness to be involved that AORN has developed into a premier nursing organization. As the indispensable, fundamental cornerstone of the Association, we must seize every opportunity to be active, involved members and spread the word about what we do as perioperative nurses. We can accomplish these goals by being involved in activi- ties external to AORN and in national and local AORN activities.

EXTERNAL ACTIVITIES National committee involvement

is just one of many ways for AORN members to show their commitment and dedication to AORN and to perioperative nursing. Being in- volved in community activities, promoting AORN membership and CNOR certification in our work- places, joining state OR nursing councils, and writing the initials RN after our names every time we sign documents (including checks!) pro- vide opportunities for us to discuss nursing, perioperative nursing, and health care reform issues with con- sumers and policymakers. Even more important, these activities let others know how proud we are to be perioperative nurses.

Gabriele Inbar-Metrokin, RN, MS, CNOR, OR nurse manager at Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attle- boro, Mass, provides an example of effective workplace promotion. Inbar-Metrokin believes that AORN membership enhances the professional performance of RNs in

her department. She advocated AORN membership with Sturdy Memorial Hospital administrators and successfully negotiated an additional 0.5% merit increase for each staff nurse who was an AORN member. Perioperative nurses at Sturdy Memorial Hospital can earn an additional 0.5% merit increase by passing the CNOR certification examination. Inbar-Metrokin’s goal is for all perioperative staff nurses to be AORN members and CNOR certified.

AORN ACTIVITIES Within AORN, we can be

involved in a multitude of activi- ties, including national committees, the new Member Ambassador Pro- gram, local chapter activities, and specialty assemblies. In this “Presi- dent’s Message,” I will focus on opportunities for involvement in national committees, the Member Ambassador Program, and local chapter activities.

National committee involve- ment. Many members view AORN chapter involvement as a stepping stone to national AORN committee appointments. I became acutely aware of how important national committee appointments are to AORN members when I assigned members to serve on committees during my year as the steward of our association. Many members shared with me that national com- mittee appointments fulfill their personal and professional goals. I understand and appreciate this desire to serve AORN on the national level.

Ambassador program. The Member Ambassador Program is designed to expand

working base, promote mem- bership in a variety of periopera- tive work settings, and strengthen partnerships between local AORN chapters and the national AORN structure. Every AORN member is an ambassador of the Association; however, we can become “official“ ambassadors by calling the chapter relations manager ([800] 755-2676 x 261) at Headquarters. Official AORN ambassadors receive diplo- matic pouches that contain valu- able information about member recruitment, membership benefits, and “passports” for use in work settings. Ambassadors will receive a $5 coupon for each new member recruited and can use these coupons when purchasing AORN products and services. At the 1997 Congress, we will celebrate the success of the Member Ambas- sador Program by hosting a diplo- matic reception for every perioper- ative work setting that has 100% AORN membership.

Chapter involvement. AORN has 366 unique chapters; some are small, others are large, some thrive, and others struggle. Some chapters serve members who live in densely populated areas, which facilitates members’ regular attendance at chapter meetings. Other chapters’

AORN'Snet- LINDA K. OROAH

840 AORN JOURNAL

MAY 1996, VOL 63, NO 5

members live in sparsely populated areas, which requires more exten- sive travel for them to attend meet- ings. Chapter activities run the gamut from internal projects, such as raffles that generate money to send delegates to Congress, to involvement in community events. At the 1996 Congress, Ellen K. Murphy, RN, JD, CNOR, FAAN, presented President’s Awards to two chapters that displayed innova- tion in patient education projects during 1995. One chapter, AORN of Massachusetts Chapter I, is a large chapter. The other winning chapter, AORN of South Palm Beach, is one of AORN’s small chapters.

Massuchusefts. Members of AORN of Massachusetts Chapter I called their 1995 project the “You Need and Deserve a Perioperative Nurse Program.” A task force of chapter members developed three distinct programs to target chapter members, consumers, hospital administrators, third-party payers, nurse executives, nursing faculty members, and legislators. Part one was a membership networking and development day that focused on educating and empowering chapter members. Members learned about chapter activities, identified and learned techniques to use when relating to the media, and net- worked with other members through focus group meetings.

The chapter’s Project Alpha committee developed part two of the project, which was a compre- hensive consumer education pro- gram that members can use to edu- cate consumers about the need for intraoperative care by RNs. This 30-minute program includes a 10- minute narrated videotape, hand- outs, and presentation materials. The Project Alpha committee mem- bers conducted informal training sessions during OR Nurse Week to help chapter members develop pre- sentation skills. Each member of the chapter’s board and Project Alpha

committee were charged to present the consumer education program to at least one group between Novem- ber 1995 and March 1996.

Part three of the project was a legislator recognition and provider awareness program to educate leg- islators, health care administrators, third-party payers, nurse executives, and nursing faculty members about the need for RNs in intraoperative settings. Two other AORN chap- ters, AORN of Worcester County Massachusetts and AORN of Southeastern Massachusetts, were cosponsors of this legislator pro- gram. The program included recog- nition of a Massachusetts legislator who has supported nursing’s agen- da in health care legislation at the state level; an address by AORN Past President Jane C. Rothrock, RN, DNSc, CNOR; poster sessions; and the showing of a consumer awareness videotape.

Florida. The other winning chapter-AORN of South Palm Beach-is only 18 months old and has only 69 members, but it is a robust chapter. By placing adver- tisements in local newspapers, dis- tributing a patient education brochure titled “Your Perioperative Registered Nurse Welcomes You to the OR,” and marching in com- munity parades, members of this chapter have contacted and educat- ed thousands of health care con- sumers. Chapter members created a banner with the AORN logo, pur- chased balloons, and marched in the 1995 Christmas parade in Boca Raton, Florida. As they marched in the parade with their family mem- bers and their pets, these members heard spectators shout “We love you nurses!”, “Keep up the good work!”, and “Thank you for being there.” Members of this small chapter also created a 30-second videotape that aired on the Public Broadcasting System during the 1996 Congress in Dallas. This videotape promotes the message OR nurses are there to support you

through your surgical experience. (To obtain more information about these two chapters’ activities, call the chapter relations manager at Headquarters.)

These are just two examples of how AORN chapters are develop- ing perioperative nursing leaders. As involved AORN members, we must acknowledge our past accomplishments, enthusiastically share our present activities, and energetically move into the future. Let us make a concerted effort to identify how we make a differ- ence in our communities, our chapters, specialty assemblies, and state OR nursing councils. Please send me your examples so I can share them in future “Presi- dent’s Message” articles.

CONCLUSION

ing, each of us must believe, prac- tice, and promote our profession at every opportunity. We owe it to our profession, our patients, and our- selves to speak out for what we know is the essence of perioperative nursing-the care that we provide every day. Caring is the essence of perioperative nursing, and we must not lose this essential quality. The two chapters that received the Presi- dent’s Awards seized the challenge of promoting perioperative nursing, developing leaders within their chapters, and serving as role models for all AORN chapters. These chap- ter members are rekindling their passion for perioperative nursing and providing opportunities for other perioperative nurses to carry the torch. Plato, the Greek philoso- pher, wrote that those who carry torches light the fire for others.’ I challenge each of us to carry the torch in 1996.

As leaders in perioperative nurs-

LINDA K. GROAH RN, MS, CNOR, CNAA

PRESIDENT

NOTE 1. Plato, The Republic.

842 AORN JOURNAL