Strenghthening worldwide partnerships
By Ruth Shumaker
AORN Congress Relations Committee
Providing quality health care is a global issue that requires global action, and AORN is working to strengthen these collaborations among perioperative nurses. That's why AORN will place an increased focus on international guests and worldwide partnerships at the 2009 AORN Congress in Chicago.
Over the past year, members of AORN's Congress Relations Committee, appointed by President Susan K. Banschbach, RN, MSN, CNOR, have developed strategies to make Congress guests feel more welcome and increase partnership formation among health leaders within and across national boundaries. The goal: to share nursing knowledge that assists the nursing profession in improving the health and education of patients and the communities in which nurses practice, lead, teach and conduct research.
2007-08 President Mary Jo Steiert (third from left)
networks with perioperative colleagues from the Korean
Association of Operating Room Nurses during an
International Reception held during AORN's 2008
Congress in Anaheim, Calif.
Through partnering and mutual exchange, AORN members can share and address global health issues, according to Banschbach.
"Recognizing that the world is shrinking, you will see Congress become a stronger international event, allowing us to consolidate our efforts to meet the needs of the global community. We will foster international relationships with the International Council of Nurses and the World Health Organization through an active role in the International Federation of Perioperative Nurses and participate in bringing patient safety initiatives to the worldwide stage," Banschbach added.
To understand and contribute to a positive global effort, nurses must have access to evidence about their practice that will ensure nurses across the world are sharing their ideas and looking beyond their own frames of reference in order to make a real impact on global concerns.
A global community
By collaborating with our international colleagues, we have an opportunity to share our core nursing values, standards, experience, knowledge and wisdom. We also have an opportunity to teach as well as learn from others. Nursing has a tremendous amount to offer to improve health outcomes around the world. By sharing we learn and by collaborating we can influence and develop global practices. Nurses can create a sense of community, and opportunities created by the Internet and by face-to-face meetings like Congress strengthen this global community.
Connecting at Congress
Each year international guests from around the world attend AORN's Congress. At Congress 2009, in an historic first, AORN will enhance the impact of nursing globally through an international town hall meeting. This town hall meeting, led by President Banschbach, will provide an open forum to discuss international perioperative learning.
Attendees can also connect with international colleagues at this year's Congress in other ways. First, international colleagues will be wearing special ribbons identifying them, so attendees can take a moment to introduce themselves and offer assistance if needed. Also, an International Meet and Greet program is being instituted this year, placing Congress volunteers at key locations and venues during the week of Congress week to assist international colleagues.
Volunteer opportunities to offer an hour or two during Congress to greet international nurses in the registration area, escort them to the reserved seating area at opening session and serve as hosts are still available. To volunteer, send an e-mail to Kim Simkins in AORN's Center for Perioperative Education at ksimkins@aorn.org.
The Congress Relations Committee is also working with several local hospitals in the Chicago area to arrange facility tours for international colleagues. More information about the hospital tours will be available in the International Lounge, which will be located in the convention center in room W180.
International colleagues will also be presenting 12 posters and educational sessions at Congress, including:
Monday 3/16 1:00-2:30 pm
Session #2384: The Power of the Global Perioperative Nursing Voice
Jane Helen Reid, RGN, DPNS, BS(c)(Hons), PGCEA, MSc
Monday 3/16 3:00-4:30 pm
Session # 2396: Can You Hear Me Now? Noise in the Perioperative Setting
Bernadette Stringer, PhD, RN, MSc
Wednesday 3/18 1:30-3:00 pm
Session # 2448: Coaching & Retaining Your Talent
Bruce C. Lee
Thursday 3/19 1:30-3:00 pm
Session # 2475: Ergonomic Surgical Instruments for Open Surgery
San Oei, MD, PhD
Additionally, the Congress Relations Committee is also creating a directory of Congress attendees who are multilingual. By connecting people who speak the same language, this directory is intended to be the beginning of an on-going process to make the global world of perioperative nursing smaller and to enable continued friendships made at Congress. To participate in the directory, send an e-mail to ksimkins@aorn.org that includes what languages you speak and if you are willing to assist the committee in helping international guests. Hopefully, this initiative will expand beyond Congress into a year-round endeavor.
Looking ahead
Future international activities led by AORN may include targeted international academic exchanges, partnerships fostering, exploration of issues relating to the quality of the nursing workforce worldwide, international speakers, and increasing access to relevant training and education at Congress meetings in the future.
We will bring the global community of nurses together one nurse at a time, one conversation at a time. We look forward to the opportunity to talk to both our international guests and to our members to share and address global health issues. Please join us in Chicago. Embracing the Future, each of us can make a difference.
Additional Resources
Read "Global Perspectives" in the AORN Journal, a column dedicated to international perioperative nursing.
International attendees: Look for a forthcoming e-mail with information on Congress, what to do in Chicago and details on the Congress International reception, which is by invitation only.
Visit aorn.org/Congress to learn more about AORN's 2009 Congress in Chicago.
Read more news in AORN Connections.