Congress News

Results are in

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00

On Thursday, March 18, AORN delegates voted on position statements and proposed changes to the bylaws. Delegates also elected the 2010-2011 AORN leadership.

We're in this together

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00

Tackling the topic of health care in less than one hour is nearly as daunting a challenge as reforming health care in a single presidency. But David Gergen did it during a General Session, “A Look at the Issues Facing the Obama Administration” at AORN's 57th Congress in Denver.

Q&A on CMS conditions for coverage in the ambulatory setting

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00

As state survey agencies for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are using extra federal economic stimulus funds to expand the monitoring of ambulatory surgery centers, Congress News discusses CMS conditions for coverage in the ambulatory setting with Marilyn Hanchett, RN, MA, CPQH, CIC.

Educating a new generation of nurses

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00

A diverse group of nursing students gathered for an informative, hands-on program that featured learning stations on hand hygiene, gowning and gloving, positioning, prepping, clipper shaving, electrosurgical equipment use, and, new this year was the laparoscopic surgery station.

Congress highlights

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00

Follow business, awards and other activites from Congress that are being covered by the Congress News team.

Accreditation and compliance challenges in the ambulatory surgical center

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00

Virginia McCollum, RN, MSN, accreditation surveyor for The Joint Commission, discussed ambulatory surgical center (ASC) accreditation during an educational session on Monday at AORN’s 57th Congress in Denver.

Health care professionals should embrace social media

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00

Social media is the number one activity on the web and offers a way for users, including health care professionals, to connect with each other on a virtual platform. Zach Mueller, RN, DNP, CNS, chief nursing officer, the Medical Center of Aurora, CO, who brought Congress attendees up to speed on established and emerging social media platforms during “Nurses & Social Media: There is a Connection.”

Applying “Lean” to the perioperative environment

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00

It takes a dynamic, cross-sectional team to implement positive change through the Lean Six Sigma methodology for process improvement, said Er Ralston, BS, MBA, vice president of Juran Healthcare, and Carol Applegeet, RN, MSN, CNOR, NEA-BC, FAAN, director of Perioperative Services, St. Mary’s Hospital and Medical Center in Grand Junction, Colo.

Voting scheduled for Thursday

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00

On Thursday, March 18, AORN delegates will elect AORN's national leaders for 2010-2011. New this year, the delegates will be using an electronic voting system, rather than using paper ballots.

"This IS Coming": checklists in the OR

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00

Nobody in the operating room knows everything. “It’s the wisdom of the crowd, the beauty of the symphony that ensures success,” said Atul Gawande, MD, MPH, during his General Session “Safer Surgery: Reducing Complications & Disparities” on Monday morning at AORN’s 57th Congress in Denver.

Change in CNOR recertification contact hour eligibility window

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00

On March 13, 2010, the Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI) Board of Directors approved a change in the policy governing the window during which contact hours can be earned and counted toward CNOR recertification. This change will take effect January 1, 2011.

Preventing surgical fires takes a team

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00

Fire safety is primarily a matter of prevention. But, when fires do flare up, every team member must respond quickly and precisely. On Tuesday at AORN’s 57th Congress, the education session “Surgical Fire Safety: The Best Response Is Prevention,” began with Dennis Parker, ChE, MBA, telling the story of his son, Doug, who died as a result of an airway fire during a surgery to repair vocal papylomas.

Billings Clinic wins 3M hand hygiene video contest

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00

With a video featuring health care professionals demonstrating hand hygiene practices while singing a version of the Hokey Pokey, Billings Clinic of Billings, Mont., was named the winner of the “It’s in Your Hands” YouTube™ video contest, sponsored by 3M and AORN.

Getting from volume to value

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00

Health reform is not about one big bill—it’s about many different things going on, including the pursuit of value being driven by people on the street saying, “I think it can be done better and cheaper,” according to Paul Keckley, PhD, Executive Director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, during his talk for the Jerry G. Peers Lectureship on Monday afternoon at AORN's 57th Congress.

Recommended practice enters second public comment period

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:00

The AORN “Recommended practices for prevention of retained surgical items” has entered its second public comment period because it generated so much discussion during the first public comment period.

Standardizing perioperative care

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:00

In late 2009 and early 2010 two large corporations that enable electronic health record documentation—Cerner Corporation and Surgical Information Systems (SIS)—signed contracts with AORN and Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) to incorporate the AORN SYNTEGRITY™ Standardized Perioperative Framework (SPF) within their suite of electronic perioperative management solutions.

Strategies for health care reform

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:00

Janet Corrigan, PhD, President and CEO of the National Quality Forum addressed the current state of health care performance, goals and priorities for transforming health care, and two key ways to drive change—transparency and payment.

Boom boom pow: Congress begins

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:00

Against a backdrop of mountains, a starry night, and a downtown cityscape, AORN President Patrick Voight, RN, BSN, MSA, CNOR, welcomed an enthusiastic audience to the 57th AORN Congress and started off the traditional Opening Session processional led by the current Board of Directors members.

Welcome to Congress in Denver

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:00:00

The AORN Headquarters staff is proud to welcome members, exhibitors, guests, and virtual guests to our home city for the 57th annual AORN Congress. Test your knowledge about your host city and state by taking a short quiz.

New ways to follow Congress News

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:00:00

To address the need for accessing information as quickly and easily as possible, AORN now offers even more ways to access information and communicate at Congress through Twitter, RSS feeds, enhanced Congress News Online features, and the Congress Voices blog.

Engaging staff and patients through storytelling

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:00:00

In a two-day session on Digital Storytelling that began Saturday, Sherri Clemens, MA, and Melissa Kreider, MA, shared with a group of perioperative nurses, primarily educators, how to construct digital stories that can be used in the perioperative setting.

WHO surgical safety checklist discussed at International Summit

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:00:00

The World Health Organization tested the surgical safety checklist in eight countries beginning in June 2008. The checklist has now been translated into many languages and has been implemented in 120 countries around the world.

Stay Connected at Congress: Part 2

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00

Learn how to subscribe to Congress News RSS and follow AORN on Twitter.

Serving the Pedatric Community

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00:00

During AORN’s 2010 Congress in Denver, members of the Pediatric Specialty Assembly (SA) will lead a project with the Denver community to collect pillowcases for pediatric cancer patients.

Record your story at Congress

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00:00

Congress attendees will have the chance to record these stories in the Heart of the OR-LIVE sound booth at Congress.Members not attending AORN’s Congress can still share their stories by sending them in writing.

Stay Connected at Congress

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00

Find out how to stay connected to Congress News Online through RSS (real simple syndication) and Twitter™.

Navigating the AORN Congress microsite

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00

The Congress microsite is your one-stop shop for all Congress information. It is updated regularly to provide you with the most current information available.

Retired Nurses SA Announces PROJECT C.U.R.E. Community Service at Congress

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00

The Retired Nurses Specialty Assembly (SA) is partnering with PROJECT C.U.R.E. during Congress 2010 in Denver and is hoping to find a few volunteers for the event, as well as volunteers to work as session moderators during Congress.

Become an AORN Congress Voices Blogger

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:00

Attending AORN Congress 2010 in Denver?! Make the most of your Congress experience by sharing your thoughts and experiences throughout the week via the Congress Voices blog.