Promises To Keep
Habitat House
Surprise! It’s a “Happy! Happy! Happy!” article about a fun project instead of a boring old ORNCC report (that will come in the next issue!), When my husband Ed heard about the Habitat project planned during the AORN 2000 Congress, he was ecstatic. “I’ve always wanted to do that! Will they let spouses help? Call and find out and sign me up - I can hardly wait!”
I felt like Huck Finn in the fence painting episode. We both went out to the house Saturday afternoon - Ed in his tool belt and me in one of his “loaner” shirts (he was in Student Affairs at CSUH and had a lot of leftover vendor shirts). When I looked down at the shirt, I saw its logo was “Disability Awareness Day” - an omen of things to come. We were given a brief overview of the house blue prints - small - but with five bedrooms - and were told it was being built for a woman with nine children. Of course there were snickers and some comments like “Boy, could she use a tubal.” After that we volunteers went to find a work station. Ed immediately immersed himself in the project, doing everything and anything while I stood there trying to figure out what I could do. A foreman put me to work helping build a frame for a wall which went pretty well and we actually got to raise it into position. By then I was feeling pretty cocky so I started on another wall when - bam! - the hammer smashed down on my finger! Oh, the pain! Medic! Ice! So I wrapped up my finger and went to the sidelines for awhile. There I met Ms. Williams, the woman we were building the house for. We struck up a conversation and I found out that all of her children are grown and gone but she is caring for the epileptic daughter of her single parent son and is also parenting eight nieces and nephews who are teenagers and young adults. That input shed a whole different light on the soon- to-be new owner of the house we were building. Plus it reminded me of my very own words to my nursing students, “Before you make a nursing diagnosis and care plan interventions be sure you’ve done a thorough assessment.” I only worked that one Saturday afternoon but Ed worked all day Sunday and Monday while I was at meetings and thoroughly enjoyed every minute - even Sunday when it rained all day! The main foreman also appreciated having Ed and several other spouses who had some know-how about building on hand to orient and oversee neophytes like me. The experience is highly recommended so if you ever get the chance, take it. I had a picture board at our May and June meetings but be sure to look at the June 2000 AORN Journal Post-Congress issue for more pictures and information on the Habitat project.
Submitted by Pam Reuling, non-delegate
Editor’s Note:
If this article has inspired you to join in this worthwhile cause, here is the information for the East Bay Habitat for Humanity.
Web site with comprehensive information: www.eastbayhabitat.org/home.shtml
East Bay Habitat for Humanity Office Location:
2619 Broadway #206, Oakland, CA 94612
Telephone: (510) 251-6304
Fax: (510) 251-6309
E-mail: [email protected]
Linking Nursing, Quality, Public Policy
The speaker, Virginia Trotter Betts, RN, has recently been appointed as a senior advisor on nursing and policy to the Secretary and Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services. She is also a Past President of the American Nurses Association (ANA).
Betts discussed how the 1991 Nursing Agenda, 1992 ANA Political Action Committee (PAC), Health Security Act of 1994, 1995 Managed Care, and the Patient Bill of Rights have affected the present U.S. health care system. She said quality care is a complex issue because of the aging population, dramatic change of ethnicity, number of children in poverty, serious/fatal infectious diseases, large growth of the health care industry, consumer population education and their expectation of care. Because of the complexity, there is a need for a model of care and not a payment model. As nurses, we can effectively help develop a model by getting involved in policy and political matters locally, statewide, and nationally. We need to educate our colleagues and be united as one with a strong voice to serve our patients best. It is important for nurses to know what they want and how to get it.
Betts challenges for nurses are:
* commitment for credentials/education to be in parity with other professionals (with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing to be the entry level education).
* ability to attract young nurses and clinical expertise
* there are many needs for advanced practice nurses such as Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Certified Registered Nurse First Assistants (RNFAs).
The greatest challenge for perioperative nurses at this time is the Health Care Finance Administration (HCFA) issue on the RN as a circulator.
Submitted by Clenia Yadao, delegate
Congress Personal Statement
First of all, I would like to thank the membership for the opportunity to attend AORN Congress as a delegate. Congress has always accelerated my passion for being a perioperative nurse. As a delegate, I worked hard to represent the chapter members. I have not attended Congress for the last four years. As a delegate for five years, I noticed a lot of changes in the format. One particular change was the candidates’ caucus which is less intimate.
The speakers at this Congress were very inspirational and offered a lot of challenges for the new millennium. The session that I particularly liked was “The Color Code: Inviting Change, Developing People, Creating Synergy.” It was full of humor and laughter, warmth and energy. It made me very aware of the differences of the people I work, live, and play with daily. His description of colors for different people and how they are motivated was very interesting and helped me understand our differences. I purchased a video of this session and I’m willing to lend the video to anyone who is interested.
Submitted by Clenia Yadao, delegate
Sandy’s Excellent Adventure
This was the second AORN conference I have attended. The classes in the 2000 Congress in New Orleans were fabulous. The class I enjoyed the most was the Rapid Heart Surgery. When I first started nursing, I was in the post open heart surgery unit. I especially enjoyed this unit because I have always loved to teach patients about what to expect after surgery, as well as to help patients accomplish a rapid discharge home. At the time I was working in that unit, a rapid discharge home was ten days - a far cry from the three day time line that we have now. Using the knowledge I learned from this class, I hope to inservice the staff at my hospital regarding the three day discharge. I have already talked to the CPU charge nurse as well as the cardiac nursing staff in the operating room regarding this novel change.
Another seminar which offered much knowledge to its attendees appeared to be the one entitled, "The Color Code: Inviting Change, Developing People, Creating Synergy." My peers were talking about who was a red, yellow, white, etc., as explained by the seminar's presenter, Taylor Hartman, PhD. I was unable to attend the class, so instead I decided to purchase the video (because I am a visual person). I can hardly wait to watch it.
The third seminar I really enjoyed was the "Leadership Within.. It's Easier Than You Think." It provided a comfortable forum in which I examined myself, my skills and challenges. I felt Mr. O'Connor did an excellent job of reinforcing the leadership aspects already within me. I felt I had a lot of qualities, but did not realize that I had exhibited them. Mr. O'Connor also helped to point out to me areas in which I can improve on my path to becoming an even better front-man.
After returning from the conference, I felt very rejuvenated. The exhibitors were again overwhelming, as they had been in previous years. However, I was also thoroughly excited to see all the new products on the market, and the variety of equipment from which to choose for various procedures. Even though we do not have some of the equipment at my hospital, including the Hermes, it was exciting to see how they operate and their total capabilities.
After having attended this conference in New Orleans, I had the opportunity to see some of the city on Friday. I took a city, swamp, and plantation tour on Friday with other AORN nurses. Seeing different perspectives and lifestyles enriches my life as a whole, but also enables me to serve as a better caretaker.
Submitted by Sandy Kim, non-delegate
Opening Session and the Procession
Sunday morning April 6, 2000 I found my way through the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center to the room where the opening processional members were assembling. State presidents had their state name on the chair as well as a 9"x11" state flag to wave on our way through the crowd to our assigned places. We were given strands of colored beads either gold, purple or green. We were instructed in the proper technique for the "princess wave" which we learned at the leadership conference last June. You can see the mood was very jovial. We were already very excited and anxious to get off to a great start.
Opening Session
President Seifert introduced her family and prominent people attending and announced that 22 countries were represented at this years’ Congress. The Jerry G. Peers Distinguished Service award recipients were Bette Clemens and Jane Rothrock. I had met Bette Clemens on the shuttle bus from the airport the day before. She had told me she was an invited guest and that she had an assigned seat. We talked about the pictures of past presidents lining a hall at the headquarters building in Denver. She was asked by Edith D. Hall years before to store those pictures and other archives of the organization until the headquarters building was in place. She also wrote the article in the Congress journal (January issue) about early operating rooms.
Keynote Speaker
The keynote speaker at the opening session was Cathy Ray, RN, BSN, MS, an award-winning news anchor for ABC television network Las Vegas affiliate KTNVTV. Her talk was entitled "Time to Speak Out." She recounted many experiences from her 20 years in broadcasting. She stressed the importance of nurses maintaining professionalism and for us to think about what we want the public to know about our profession. She suggested ways nurses could make the public aware of our duties, the need for nurses in the OR, and that perioperative nurses are just as important as nurses in other areas. She showed slides of interviews with famous star impersonators asking them, “What is a perioperative nurse?” She said nurses should use the media to better the grassroots image and educate the public of what our role is and how we make peoples lives better. “Most nurses step away from the limelight - now is your time to step forward,” she said. AORN has available a Media Relations manual. Ray closed by saying “Never let your memories of what we were become bigger than the dreams of what we can be.”
Intraoperative Injuries
I was interested in attending the session entitled “Intraoperative Injuries” by Debra Fawcett, RN, MS, Ph.D, CNOR. Highlights from my notes are as follows:
Perioperative injuries - an overview
In Colorado and Utah, 29% of patients had some sort of adverse event, 3.7% in New York, 13% ended in death. Between 44,000-98,000 patients died due to hospital errors. Errors cost the hospitals between $17-29 billion dollars. Technical 44%, misdiagnosis 17%, failure to prevent 12%, and medication 27%. High risk areas are OR, ICU, and ER
Significance: Pain, disfigurement , loss of function, increased hospital stay, financial burden.
Cost of a pressure ulcer $3,000-$40,000. Peripheral nerve injury and vascular injuries from pressure caused by improperly placed safety straps, misplaced pillows, improper padding, and equipment - tourniquets (tourniquets should be released every one to one and one-half hours). Pressure ulcers are the result of sustained pressure for two to three hours. Pressure could be from incorrect alignment, mechanical pressure i.e. mayo stand or the team, incorrect use of positioning devices, incorrect padding, stretching and twisting of extremities, and shearing. Contributing factors of pressure injuries are nutritional status, electrolyte imbalance, environment, i.e. temperature, pressure, duration of surgery, and pooling of solutions. Equipment problems are due to design, lack of equipment i.e. rolled towels or blankets substitution. Personnel: knowledge deficit, inadequate orientation, new equipment. Time constraints: multitasking, off shift, lunch relief.
One case that was presented was of a 52 year old male who sustained an ocular injury. He had a thoracotomy. He was in a right lateral position on a bean bag for three hours. Three days later he had no vision in his left eye. It was found that this was due to retinal artery eschemia caused by pressure on his eye during the surgery. Another injury was due to a
tourniquet, inflated when no one realized it was inflated, resulting in kidney damage from blood with a pH change that quickly went back into circulation. This was in addition to the damage to the limb. Another was of an overweight diabetic woman who was pulled down on the table while in lithotomy position. Several days later she developed a pressure ulcer due to shearing. This session was interesting. A video of this presentation is available through AORN.
Submitted by Martha See, delegate
Exhibits
The technical exhibits are always a highlight of Congress. Our industry partners have their latest products and of course it is always exciting to be able to do a hands-on, almost side-by-side comparison of products. Each year more and more companies provide continuing education on the exhibit floor. This year there were 34 workshops for one half contact hour each and 27 study guides, which provided one contact hour each. This sounds almost too good to be true, and it is. You must carefully plan which workshops to attend, remembering that that the exhibit hall is immense and crowded and pushing people aside to get to the next offering that is scheduled to start in five minutes, would be frowned upon! Also, companies often
provide study guides to nurses who visit two to four stations within their exhibit area. After all, we are there to see what’s new and - better yet - purchase! (By Thursday there were 6,326 exhibitors registered to the 6,785 nurses.)
Something new on the exhibit floor, or maybe I just haven’t been aware of it, was a designated recruitment area. I was surprised to see several agencies taking advantage of the opportunity to lure perioperative nurses away from their facilities.
Submitted by Donna Benotti, delegate
Closing Session I: “It’s Not What Happens to You, It’s What You Do About It”
Powerful words when spoken by our closing speaker, W. Mitchell, who has used this philosophy to deal with two unrelated, devastating injuries and put himself back in control of his life.
Mitchell spoke of his life leading up to and following the near fatal motorcycle accident that turned him into a “human inferno” and the airplane accident that left him with a broken back. I cannot do his story (which can be found in a book by the same name) justice, but I will say that it was an incredibly heart wrenching story - a roller coaster ride full of emotions.
His message, told with warmth and humor, is one of courage and hope. Mitchell tells us that we must take responsibility for our own attitude if we are going to affect change, that we must stay focused on our goals and not let fear and nagging self doubts determine what we can or will accomplish. He reminded us of the incredible role we play in our patientsí lives-and he thanked nurses for our collective skills and caring.
Submitted by Donna Benotti, delegate
Closing Session II: The Gavel Falls
Closing session was different this year in that there were two separate parts - a speaker, W. Mitchell, in addition to the traditional video with the week in review followed by the presidential address. Because the first part ran over, our new President, Brenda Ulmer, modified her speech considerably. After taking time to thank those individuals who have played significant roles in her nursing career, Brenda said that the main goal for her presidency is to be “your perioperative ambassador” wherever she may go and whatever meetings she may attend, by spreading the word that “every perioperative patient needs and deserves a perioperative nurse.” She spoke of the “tipping point” when one drop of water will cause the glass to overflow. She challenged us to start our own revolution with “The Power of One, the Power of You.” We left the auditorium to the strains of her theme song, “I believe I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky.” I’m sure we will have an exciting year ahead of us.
Submitted by Donna Benotti, delegate
Notes From a Delegate
I want to thank you, the members, for the opportunity to represent our chapter at Congress this year. It was an exciting Congress to attend. At Opening Session we learned we won the Research Award for intermediate size chapter and that the poster of our project received special recognition. There were many sessions about the Perioperative Nursing Data Set (PNDS) and it was gratifying to know that our chapter, along with Kansas City, had demonstrated through our research project that it is very usable indeed. I learned a lot about perioperative patient safety and the National Committee on Patient Safety by attending educational offerings. While on
the exhibit floor, I was able to complete my product comparison assignments from work and even obtain contact hours from study guides.
But this Congress was different because of the charge we were given by the chapter, to amend the proposed guidelines for industry representatives in the operating room. While we did not accomplish our mission, our attempt to do so was professional, enlightening, and hopefully has increased awareness about perioperative nursing practice by those whom listened to the spirit of our message. Each nurse must know their state’s defined scope of practice, and the “direct and supervise” verbiage from Title 22 is apparently strictly Californian.
All week attendees heard how important the perioperative nurse is to the care of the perioperative patient and that we must be able to articulate how and why. The pendulum has swung again to the nursing shortage side. Few are choosing nursing for a career, fewer still, perioperative nursing. Schools continue to cut periop from curriculum, HCFA still wants to know why nurses are needed in the O.R., nursing colleagues don’t know what we do, and we continue to age. In a general session, Virginia Trotter Betts told us some of the things nursing needed to change. Political astuteness and activism for our patients and the profession is a must for professional nurses. We must be proactive, not reactive.
Attending Congress provides an opportunity to be challenged by the big picture, to learn what’s coming down the pike, to validate your practice, to be inspired by leaders who exemplify excellence, to share problems and successes with your peers. Most of all, it removes you from your everyday O.R. where you are doing more with less - less staff, equipment, supplies, time, etc. For five days you are put in touch with possibilities and are reminded why you chose perioperative nursing in the
first place.
Fulfilling the responsibilities of delegate may mean that you miss educational sessions offered during the House, Forums, and Meet the Candidates. However, serving as delegate provides a unique opportunity to participate in your specialty organization and to determine, through your vote, our national leadership, and thus, influence the direction of the organization. It is an opportunity that I would hope every one of our chapter members would take advantage of.
Submitted by Donna Benotti, delegate
The Jerry G. Peers Lectureship, April 4, 2000
“The Management of Crisis and Change” By General Colin Powell, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Patricia Seifert, AORN President, appeared at 6:17 to introduce Matt Cavanaugh who is the chairman of the Exhibitors Advisory Committee (consisting of 172 companies) who made it possible (along with 3M) for General Colin Powell to be present. Mr. Cavanaugh introduced General Powell with a touching (and professional) film. The film mentioned how General Powell rose from the streets of Harlem and aspects of his careers. The film then branched into the art and science of nursing and how what we do parallels the military (wearing uniforms, use of teams, and being well-trained). Florence Nightengale was mentioned and her connection with the military.
General Powell appeared at 6:25 to resounding applause and a standing ovation. He spoke for exactly 61 minutes and exuded warmth, wit, and wisdom. I was mesmerized. General Powell began his speech talking about his son who was in an accident and severely injured (he’s fine today) and how a Germany military hospital nurse’s warmth and caring helped him cope with the uncertainty of the immediate post-surgical period. As the General spoke about his son and the worst night of his life, he became quite emotional. I was surprised we didn’t all burst into tears ourselves. Instead, people broke into applause to show support. His son had a fractured pelvis and internal injuries and when his nurse came into the room to adjust his morphine drip and pulled out her Craftsman wrench to adjust his external fixator, she displayed such a brisk, upbeat attitude, the General said she made him and his wife feel like everything was going to be all right. We heard a bit about the nurse because she and his son started dating! Well, she married a doctor. But General Powell wanted us to know how nurses touch patients and their families (during the hospitalization - not the dating!).
General Powell then turned his attention to the film that we had seen. He said the little girl and Florence Nightengale had gotten more air time than he had! He said there were many things about him the film missed. Did we know he’d been knighted by Queen Elizabeth? Yes, it was quite an honor but it was a very simple ceremony (no sword on the shoulder due to his commoner status). He hadn’t let it go to his head but “Lady Powell” was another matter!
General Powell is a supporter of The Boys and Girls Clubs of America. All his energies are now directed toward youth programs. “Make a child of risk a child of promise.” He’s created “America’s Promise” which is the alliance for youth. The purpose is to create alliances to make resources available to youth. He’s working to get computers to schools and to clubs. He wants to be sure every child has a healthy start. There should be no child without access to health care and he’s working with the government to ensure this. He said we must invest in the communities where we live or else we’ll be taxed later to keep these people in jail. The General said Lens Crafters has invested in the community by donating 1000 free eye exams and one million pair of free glasses. After the applause died down, he mentioned the fact that Lens Crafters is also ensuring future customers by their good deed (Where will these people go in the future for glasses? To Lens Crafters!).
The General said he wanted to see mandatory community service in high school. He said people were against this saying you can’t force kids to do community service against their will. Well, they made him take algebra against his will!
General Powell related a story about his Hasbro action figure (“Not a doll!”) versus the action figure of Governor Jesse Ventura. He and Jesse Ventura were speaking together and Ventura said something about their different military careers (Ventura was a Navy Seal - the elite!) and the general retaliated with, “My action figure can beat your action figure!”
The General spoke about the various careers he’s had. He always wanted to be a soldier and was one for 35 years. For the first 28 years of his career, he practiced the strategy of containment (keep Communism from spreading). Then Mikhail Gorbachev came to power and things changed. Gorbachev told George Schultz, “I’m ending the Cold War.” And then he turned to the General and said, “General, I’m sorry, you’ll have to find a new enemy.” Months later the Berlin Wall fell and Eastern Europe and the Baltic States declared their freedom from Communism and Gorbachev let them. Now Powell has lived to see Gorbachev become his “enemy” again (he’s his biggest competitor on the speaking circuit) and to see Gorbachev in Pizza Hut commercials!
The General told a few great stories about Desert Storm. He’d get reports from Norman Schwarzkopf and then turn on CNN to see what was really going on. He said it was tough to run a war with three CNN reporters in a hotel in a foreign capital telling the world his every move (“Now what were the coordinates of that hotel?” “Just kidding!”).
He spoke of writing his book, “The American Dream.” He said what sold the book was really the American dream - how a poor kid from Harlem, with parents who came to this country on a banana boat, can succeed. He credits a strong family life. He had aunts in every other tenement building in Harlem. He said his aunts did nothing but hang out the windows all day just keeping track of his activities. He said they never moved - never ate, didn’t go to the bathroom, never shopped - just spied on him so he could never get into any mischief. He said he spent a lot of time at the library and the Boys Club. His parents were immigrants and wanted the next generation to do well (he succeeded!). And they worked toward that goal as a family.
General Powell wants to instill a sense of family and dedication in people - so that we all take care of one another. “Divine Providence said, ‘Be good stewards of the land and of others.’”
Information about General Colin Powell from “Ask Jeeves” encyclopedia.
Born in 1937, African-American U.S. army general, the highest ranking African American officer in U.S. history and chairman (1989-93) of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; born in New York City. He served two tours of duty (1962-63, 1968-69) during the Vietnam War and later served in both command (commander, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, 1976-77; commander, V Corps, Europe, 1986) and political (military assistant to the Deputy Defense Secretary, 1979-81, and to the Defense Secretary, 1983-86) positions. From 1987 to 1989 he was President Reagan's national security adviser. In 1989 he was made a four-star general and was appointed chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Powell played an influential role in the planning of U.S. strategy during the Persian Gulf War. In 1995 he declined to run for the U.S. presidency, despite widespread encouragement to do so.
Additional information from "60 Minutes" that aired April 16, 2000. There was a segment (negatively focused) about motivational speakers and Colin Powell was included (he charges $75,000 and a private plane for travel!). His reaction and answer to a fairly belligerent question was wonderful and I relived his presentation again. The 60 Minutes guys should attend Congress if they want to report about motivation! The entire week is motivational and inspiring.
Submitted by Mary Ritchie, delegate
First Forum – Monday Morning
1. Eligibility of candidates for national office.
Most of the comments were negative in regard to the proposed bylaws change to eliminate the requirement that nominees for national office be members continuously for two years immediately to being nominated. Most felt, as we did, that each member must assume personal responsibility to maintain continuous membership in AORN.
2. Revised resolution on The Role of the Scrub Person.
There was no discussion on this revised resolution. Everyone supports it.
3. Proposed statement on the Role of the Health Care Industry Representative in the Operating Room.
I presented the first two changes our chapter wanted to the statement. (That was all the Forum Agenda allowed for.) The first was to delete the words "whenever possible" in the sentence that read, "To achieve this, the RN should monitor the health care industry representative’s activities whenever possible and facilitate the representative’s service to the patient and the perioperative team. The second change was to change the word "facilitate" to "direct" in that same sentence. Vicki Fox and William Duffy, the co-authors, did not address the first change. The second change was strongly disagreed with by Vicki, William and Ellen Murphy, on legal grounds. We felt they did not understand what we were proposing and felt that we would be directing the rep with regard to their products (which, of course was not the case).
4. The virtual chapter (or eChapter).
This is a one-year pilot project that will hopefully serve to provide opportunities for greater numbers of members by providing networking, education and communication and by serving members-at-large. A free trial membership is available until July 1st. After that, it will cost $20 to join.
5. Medicare reimbursement for CRNFAs.
On March 15th HR 3911 was introduced by Rep. Mac Collins (R-GA). The bill has bipartisan support in both the House Commerce and Ways & Means Committees. So far, it does not have a sponsor in the Senate and must be attached to a broader health care vehicle. We are encouraged to write our congressmen and senators to support the bill.
6. Board decision on hiring a full time lobbyist.
For now the existing arrangement with the nurse anesthetists association and the law firm of McDermett, Will & Emery will continue in lieu of a full time lobbyist.
7. Report on updating the AORN logo.
A new design was presented. It depicts an outstretched hand with a flame in the center. No one liked the new design!
Submitted by Kathie Shea, delegate
Second Forum – Wednesday Afternoon
1. AORN’s Consumer Education activities.
The AORN Surgical Knowledgeable (SKB) will be available on the Web later this year at no cost. The SKB will contain information on 170 surgical procedures initially with more than 600 procedures when completed. The SKB will also include illustrations and a patient surgical directory. Anyone wishing to serve as a reviewer should call Susan Beyea (nurse researcher) at AORN.
2. Update on the Perioperative Nursing Data Set (PNDS).
The PNDS really took off at Congress this year with 4 different presentations on the topic. Presentations are also planned for other nursing groups including the ANA and NANDA. Negotiations are underway with software vendors to use the language.
3. Report on AORN’s work related to the reuse of single-use devices.
AORN is supporting the FDA in regulating third-party reprocessors and healthcare facilities and in developing a risk based categorization system.
4. Strategies for promotion of perioperative nursing in schools of nursing.
Surveys sent out by AORN indicate that perioperative nurses are using a variety of methods including observing, scrubbing, circulating and follow-through activities to introduce students to the OR. NCE member Kathy Gaberson stated that future directions for promoting perioperative nursing will be to identify best practices currently in use and to emphasize the value of perioperative nursing to faculty members. Sounds like Project Alpha for the 21st century doesn’t it?
5. Candidate selection, leadership skills, networking opportunities.
Many members have asked to know more about candidates and the Nominating Committee is re-evaluating the current system of disseminating information.
6. Discussion of a governance task force.
A task force of 10 people who represent the different facets of AORN membership will be appointed after Congress to assess AORN’s governance. Past President Kay Ball asked the task force to look at an affiliate membership category as a way to increase revenue.
Submitted by Kathie Shea, delegate
First House of Delegates – Monday Afternoon
* 1,367 delegates were seated at Congress this year.
* Highlights of reports included:
1. Financial Report – AORN finished the year in the red with a loss of $387,000. AORN and its for-profit subsidiary Association Technology Solutions (AST) performed well while Education Design did not. Total revenue for fiscal year 1998-99 was $21 million, an increase of 0.5% from
the previous year. A dues increase may be in store for next year if membership continues to decline.
2. Foundation Report – The funding goal for 1999-2000 is $1.3 million and as of March 24th they have just more than $1 million. The Foundation awarded Congress grants of more than $200,000 to 98 members and 66 chapters and 147 scholarships totaling $169,000 to members pursuing bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees. More than 300 members were funded to attend the Chapter Leadership Conference and it will fund this July’s conference. $12,000 in funds were given out as research grants.
Submitted by Kathie Shea, delegate
Second House – Thursday Afternoon
1. The proposed bylaws amendment to delete the 2-year continuous membership eligibility requirement (see First Forum) was defeated.
2. The revised resolution on The Role of the Scrub Person (see First Forum) passed without any discussion.
3. The proposed statement on The Role of the Health Care Industry Representative in the Operating Room was passed but not without an attempt by your delegates to amend the statement to add "opening sterile supplies or participating in direct patient care activities." The amendment was defeated after Vicki Fox described the amendment as a "laundry list."
4. The Tellers Report is as follows:
Office Candidates (winner[s] in bold) Number of Votes
President Elect: Sheila Allen (Louisiana) 918
Sheri Voss 436
Vice President: Betty Shultz (Ohio) 720
Vicki Fox 633
Secretary: Mary Jo Steiert (Colorado) 817
Cecil King 529
Board of Directors: Michele Burke (New York) 870
Sharon McNamara (New York) 654
Lorraine Butler (New Jersey) 499
Paula Graling 470
Jeanne LaFountain 441
Kathryn Schroeter 401
Leslie Blakley 389
Patricia Mews 295
Nominating Committee: Kathleen O’Toole (Illinois) 935
Pat Hickey (South Carolina) 858
Linda Savage (Florida 688
Nancy Fox 480
Sylvia Durrance 444
Ellen O’Connor Graham 376
Shirley Ann Norris 238
AORN OF ALAMEDA COUNTY WINS NATIONAL RESEARCH AWARD!
Our chapter won the Intermediate Chapter Research Award this year for our work on the Universal Perioperative Record. The award is a beautifully engraved oak plaque. Kathie Shea, Research Chairman, will bring it to the May and June chapter meetings.
AORN OF ALAMEDA COUNTY AND AORN OF GREATER KANSAS CITY CHAPTERS WINS NATIONAL RESEARCH POSTER AWARD OF MERIT!
Our joint chapter was a repeat winner of an Award of Merit (only five were given) for our poster on the pilot phase of the Universal Perioperative Record. Kansas City took the poster home but we will have it back in time for our September meeting.
Susie Kleinbeck will present results of the pilot at the September 2000 chapter meeting. Mark your calendars now for Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 6TH .
Submitted by Kathie Shea, delegate
General Session
As a delegate to AORN Congress, one of my assignments was to report on the General Session featuring Patricia Schroeder, BA, JD. Author of "24 Years of Housework And the Place is Still a Mess," Ms. Schroeder is perhaps best known for serving 24 years in the House of Representatives from the state of Colorado. She describes herself as a "recovering politician." To her credit, she was the first woman ever to obtain a seat on the Armed Forces Committee.
A working mother throughout her career, Schroeder has been an advocate for women's issues and family values. She believes that there exists a problem with women and power in this country. Her talk, entitled "Empowering Nurses: Political Action," addressed this issue with her characteristic wit, wisdom, and passion.
Ms. Schroeder stated that nurses are one of the few professions that are truly, truly respected by the public. Nurses also have good communication skills and should speak out on issues important to them and talk to patients’ rights groups. Another suggestion of hers was to "give me 5!" that is, encourage five people to vote who normally would not do so. Writing letters to our representatives asking if they would like to undergo surgery with no RN in the room was another option.
In summary, Pat Schroeder's message to take responsibility and take action
is one we should all take to heart. The time is now!
Submitted by Donna Rodgers, delegate
The Color Code
One Congress session I found particularly valuable was entitled "The Color Code: Inviting Change, Developing People, Creating Synergy." Dr. Taylor Hartman, PhD, detailed a new way of looking at people's personalities and understanding what motivates them. He categorizes people into four color groups, outlining both their strengths and weaknesses. As he described each group, I found it fascinating to think of the people in my life, myself included!
Those with red personalities are motivated by power and seek to control. They are very direct, no-nonsense individuals who like their interactions with others to be brief and to-the-point.
Blue personalities value intimacy. They are thoughtful and nurturing, though they tend to be worriers and are prone to feelings of guilt.
Kindness is the motivator of "whites." They are conflict-averse, independent, objective, quiet people. They generally withhold their opinions, but when asked, are the best people from whom to get feedback.
Yellow personalities are the party animals who love to have fun. Valued for their social skills and happy nature, they are not always the most reliable individuals.
This system gave me interesting insights to apply both at work and at home. I look forward to reading about the Hartman Personality Profile in greater depth.
It was important for me to attend Congress, since I hadn't been in a couple of years. I wanted to be appraised of the issues currently facing perioperative nurses on the political front, as well as new clinical advances and trends. New Orleans was a definitive bonus, as I have never been there.
Submitted by Donna Rodgers, delegate
There were 13, 238 total attendees (nurses, exhibitors, and others) at Congress. There were 1365 delegates to the 47th Congress with 1361 ballots cast. California once again seated the most delegates with 120 (we’ve seated over 130 in past years ).
Newly Elected National Officers:
Sheila Allen - President-Elect
Betty Shultz - Vice-President
Mary Jo Steiert - Secretary
Board of Directors -
Michelle Burke
Lorraine Butler
Sharon McNamara
Nominating Committee -
Pat Hickey
Kathleen O’Toole
Linda Savage
Memories of Meet The Candidates and the Candidates’ Caucus
Cecil King (running for secretary) gave a unique speech and spoke of Hermann Hesse and authentic leadership.
Leslie Blakley (running for Board) quoted Charles Darwin (and I’m not quoting!) - It’s not the smartest species that survives, it’s the one who’s most responsive to change. (And AORN must change to survive!)
Jeanne LaFountain (running for Board) made a cute analogy to a genie in a bottle (Get it? Genie and Jeanne?)
Sharon McNamara (running for Board) gave a strong, professional speech and ended it with donning a flower petal hat that I found hilarious (as did many others judging by the laughter).
Nancy Fox (running for Nominating Committee) seemed emotional right after her speech started. I didn’t understand until later when I was told she’d lost a contact lens at the podium! I liked what she said and it was unfortunate she lost a lens but I wish she’d told us!
Pat Hickey (running for Nominating Committee) said he developed many people skills from his travels. He presented a unique speech that was very good.
Kathleen O’Toole (running for Nominating Committee) made everyone laugh by ending her speech with, “Vote early and vote often.” She immediately corrected this to, “Vote early and vote Irish.” She had spoken about the Chicago tradition with Mayor Daly to vote early, often, and Irish.
The continuing officers are:
Brenda Ulmer - President
Bill Duffy - Treasurer
Board of Directors -
Sheila O’Connor
Anita Shoup
Donna Watson
Vivian Watson
Nominating Committee -
Charlotte Guglielmi
Nathalie Walker
Trish Seifert as advisor
The House
The Habitat For Humanity house was completed (by over 600 people!) and the keys were presented to the new owner Wednesday night (April 5). The new owner is a single mother of nine (She cares for displaced children who otherwise wouldn't have a home.)
The Run
Over 700 people participated in the 5K run in Audubon Park. That’s all I can tell you! I certainly wasn’t there! I was in the park for a zoo visit on Friday but not for running!
The Logo
The new AORN logo previewed at Congress was greeted with complete and total silence. I think we were all in shock! The logo was the word AORN with the “O” a solid blue color (which made the “RN” quite distinctive!). Inside the solid blue “O” was a raised hand with a flame inside the palm. The speech leading up to the unveiling of the new logo was quite impressive with detailed explanations of what each item in the logo signified. The hand was kept to signify care giving. Florence Nightengale's lamp was deemed significant (nursing heritage) so the flame from the lamp was taken and placed inside the hand. The flame symbolizes guidance, leadership and warmth. It was a beautiful speech and a disastrous logo!
A comment from someone sitting behind me was, “Camp Fire Girls!” Their symbol is a flame atop a log but their flame and our flame looked identical. Other people said it looked like State Farm Insurance, United Way, a symbol for burn nurses, and Pacific Gas and Electric. AORN spent $4000-5000 having this logo developed.
Photo of the logo now on the Congress Photo Page
It was announced we will retain our current logo. Resounding applause met the comment from someone who said AORN just said we were going to push for the RN to scrub more in the OR - so that new philosophy seemed in sharp contrast to eliminating our logo with the hand passing a scissor to another hand. I certainly understand the desire for a new logo since we are “perioperative” nurses and our logo really defines us as OR nurses (vs. perioperative) but... Many people said this was our heritage - our beginnings - what defines us. Our current logo does eliminate (or exclude) those outside the OR, but I don’t want to see it replaced with the flame in the hand that just doesn’t really define us.
The logo with the hands and scissor was developed in 1952 with revisions in 1955, 1961, and 1966. Jerry Peers suggested another revision to the logo in 1975 because it was too technically oriented.
Members also questioned why there wasn’t a logo contest open to the chapters. We have some talented nurses (as evidenced by the National Anthem singer at the Opening Session. She was a local AORN chapter member who sang acapella beautifully in a 10,100 seat hall. Her voice was stunning and her performance gave me goose bumps!). I’m sure AORN could have received many talented and usable ideas for a new logo from the membership. It was just remarkable to experience the total silence when the logo was presented and then to hear all the applause when a member stated into the microphone, “I don’t like it.”
We Won!
AORN of Alameda County won the Chapter Research Award for intermediate sized chapters! Thank you to Kathie Shea, Research Committee chairman, and to all the members who participated in the PNDS (Perioperative Nursing Data Set) study. AORN Alameda County has been part of it from the beginning with the Kansas City chapter and Dr. Susie Kleinbeck. We recently trialed it in OR records in various sized hospitals and we know it works and gives us measurable data. It’s exciting to be involved in the beginning of something like this.
It’s too bad we weren’t informed of this award because we would have been at the Awards Ceremony on Saturday night to receive it! We learned of this honor on Sunday morning in the Opening Session booklet where all the awards and winners are listed.
AORN Exhibitors Advisory Committee Sponsorship Winners
Sandy Kim and Mary Ritchie of AORN of Alameda County (and both of Summit Medical Center in Oakland) were two of the 21 AORN members who won a grant from the Exhibitors Advisory Committee (through the AORN Foundation). Awards were also given to two nursing students and to six international nurses. Five nights of lodging, Congress registration, airfare, and one year AORN dues were awarded and gratefully accepted. Sandy and I (and Maria Cam, also of Summit) were at the Hilton Hotel with a perfect view of the Mississippi River (we were in the small five story building on the Riverwalk). Congress is always such a mental boost and re-energizer - and waking up to the river every morning and enjoying the tugboats, barges, and ships on the river just made it a perfect week. Sandy and I made the rounds in the exhibit halls many times, took some classes, picked up some study guides, and brought back much information. We were looking for specific items but other things caught our eyes - such as the wound closure zipper that I also saw last year. I just think that item is so imaginative - I really am going to try to get some of our surgeons to try it.
I received 25 contact hours from Congress (I was a delegate so missed some classes), 18 contact hours from the study guides provided by the exhibitors (Thank you! There was a total of 26 contact hours available this way), and 2.5 contact hours from the half hour workshops provided by the exhibitors (Thank you! There was a total of 34 classes for 17 contact hours available this way). I attended the Ethicon breakfast at 6 a.m. Wednesday at the Hilton for another contact hour and was amazed at the turnout (huge)! ReliefBand also had a one contact hour luncheon in the convention center (Sandy went to that class while I attended the OR Nursing Council of California luncheon with the fabulous speaker and one contact hour). Steris provided their own 1.2 contact hour with a short, live presentation in the exhibit area and then a study guide. Thank you to all the exhibitors for all you do for AORN and its members! I accumulated 48.7 contact hours in five days and learned a tremendous amount! The study guides serve as a great resource and can be shared with co-workers.
Colin Powell and Bugs
My assignment as a delegate was to write about Colin Powell’s presentation. I took three pages of notes and will write it up as soon as I get out the April newsletter which never made it out of my computer before Congress. General Powell spoke for exactly one hour and I was mesmerized the entire time. He said his biggest competitor on the speaking circuit is Mikhail Gorbachev. So he’s still “the enemy.” He spoke with wit and warmth and was fascinating.
I attended (and wanted to attend!) the class on antibiotic resistant organisms that was held in Hall F (the hall has a seating capacity of 10, 100) just prior to General Powell’s speech in Hall F. It wasn’t until the presenter thanked everyone for attending the class but knew many were there just to be assured of good seats for the Powell speech that I realized why there was such interest in antibiotic resistant organisms! The class was excellent and I appreciated the humor. She said she hoped people would learn something from being there even if the class wasn’t their priority.
Let me tell you a few facts from the antibiotic resistant organism class -
How long do organisms stay in the environment?
on telephones - one hour
on stethoscopes - 15 minutes
on linen - 18 hours
on an OR table - DAYS
When you wash your hands - do it for 30 seconds minimum! Everyone agreed women wash their hands more than men after going to the bathroom. I watched women at the bathroom sinks after that class and noted they use the sinks but most brush their hands through the water and don’t touch any soap. They go through the motions to look good (“I washed my hands!”) but don’t accomplish the goal (bug death).
Closing Session
W. Mitchell was the closing session speaker and he was inspirational. He was in a motorcycle accident and was badly burned (especially his face and hands) and later he was in an airplane accident that paralyzed him. He asked, “Why me?” Good question we’d all ask. A friend reminded him he said himself, “It’s not what happens to you, it’s what you do about it.” He now travels the world as an inspirational speaker. Having worked at a burn hospital for ten years (and we operated on the burn patients in the main OR), I was pleased to see how smooth his grafts were and how his ears weren’t burned. His fingers were gone but he had indentations created where he could grasp objects. I focused on the clinical aspects because to think of the physical and mental anguish he’s suffered through is too much. He has a great sense of humor and was a wonderful speaker.
Unfortunately, Mitchell went over his time limit. Brenda Ulmer cut her speech short so that everyone could leave to attend the 7 p.m. closing dinner. I found that very disappointing but appreciated her consideration. I just wish Sister Lucy had the same thought! Sister Lucy did the closing benediction and it incorporated the AORN Standards and Recommended Practices! I thought it was nice she included so many facts about perioperative nurses in her benediction (and I heard a nurse next to me sniffling back tears) but I’d rather listen to Brenda Ulmer! I think we left about 6:45 so we were only 15 minutes over the stated ending time.
Submitted by Mary Ritchie, delegate
A Study in Human Behavior
A friend and I noted an interesting phenomenon at Congress. We were sharing the very large convention center with “Computer Associates” (CA) who seemed to begin their conference as ours was finishing. We saw all men and no women attending the early days of the conference. They were stationed at the far end of the convention center where we had to pass to walk to and from the Hilton Hotel. We noticed a distinct man/woman phenomenon one day while the men were standing in a long line waiting to register. Their registration line obstructed the flow of traffic for those of us rushing down to the opposite end of the convention center. What did these men do? They left a generous opening in their line for numerous people walking side by side to pass through! No one had to figure out where to break through the line or create any disturbances. The men left more than adequate space for all to pass through! I mentioned to my friend that you’d never see that situation with a group of women! I was proven correct the next day when we left the convention center after closing ceremonies. There was a massive line for the satellite book store to pick up a book or a card from our final speaker. There were NO spaces in this line even though it blocked all access from Hall F to the outside doors. We picked a spot of vulnerability and passed through the line for the exit. As we passed, I heard a nurse say, “OK, close up this line fast.” And therein lies the difference between the thinking processes of men and women. Do we women really think someone is going to jump in line in front of us? Especially with a group of OR nurses who aren’t known for their reticence.
Submitted by Mary Ritchie
