FROM HEADQUARTERS
Proposed changes would give more members a voice Motions slated for the 2010 House of Delegates could change the face of AORN membership, for every member
By Carina Stanton
Senior News Editor
Each year during AORN’s annual Congress up to 1500 delegates selected by their chapters and specialty assemblies gather to vote on candidates, positions and proposals that will forever change the association. But, what if every member had a vote? That’s a question that will be posed at AORN’s 2010 House of Delegates in March, when a proposed bylaws change to give every member the right to vote will be presented for discussion and vote on the house floor.
"Direct democracy provides voice and vote to all members, not just delegates,” said Ellen Murphy, RN, MS, JD, FAAN, chair of AORN’s Bylaws Committee. She explained that under the proposed bylaws amendment, all members would be able to vote for candidates for national office even if they cannot attend Congress. “While face-to-face deliberations on business at the annual meeting are required by law, under the proposed amendment, every member who attends the House of Delegates meeting and wishes to vote could do so,” she added.
In an unsolicited survey the Bylaws Committee sent to all AORN members earlier this year, which had a 5% response rate, 80% of respondents said they would be in favor of this direct democracy approach over the representative form currently in place through the appointed delegate voting process.
“Cheaper and faster communication modalities provide every member direct ownership of and interaction with national resources and issues,” Murphy said. “This change will allow every member to have commensurate input into decision making.”
Sign of the times
With the economic downturn has come a greater awareness of fiscal responsibility and conservation, but it has also shown the need for transparency, accountability, shared decision making and a greater appreciation for resources and services, according to Brian Tepp, AORN’s director of member services.
Tepp said these key themes of transparency, service and value will drive the discussion of other proposals that will be brought before the house, including a proposal to increase member dues by $20 to be more in line with the actual costs to provide member services. Annual membership dues are currently $100.
“Behind the scenes, member dues pay for the administrative costs necessary for AORN staff to conduct clinical research, recommend standards and best practices, and provide practice support and professional development opportunities. This small increase is necessary in order to continue to provide our members and the perioperative community with important tools for practice support, professional development and patient safety,” Tepp said.
"I'm in support of a dues increase to continue AORN's mission ... providing high-quality, innovative resources to our members as well as a resource to other organizations who consult with us for a variety of practice-related issues,” said Juanakee Pearson-Ceol, MS, RN, radiology manager with The Ohio State University Medical Center Nursing Program. “AORN's membership dues increase appears to be a market adjustment needed for AORN to continue to provide us with the resources needed to keep us in the forefront with our profession as perioperative registered nurses and leaders in patient safety."
Read a report from AORN Treasurer Anne Fairchild on the proposed dues increase.
Other issues slated for discussion at AORN’s 2010 House of Delegates in March will address improved communication through multiple channels, and increased patient safety through proposed position statements on RN First Assistant, the role of the scrub person and care of the older adult.
Starting the conversation
In the spirit of transparency, AORN is sharing information on these key issues slated for discussion at the 2010 House of Delegates. An information campaign with a PowerPoint presentation and other explanatory resources outlining the rationale and the economics of the proposed dues increase has been targeted to chapter leaders so they can share the information with their chapter members.
Information about proposed bylaws amendments and other issues slated for discussion at the 2010 AORN House of Delegates has been created to allow members to learn now about these proposed changes so they can share their input.
Stay connected through OR Nurse Link
To access these informative resources and weigh in visit OR Nurse Link —AORN’s new social media utility—where any member can log on, learn about the changes and talk about the pros and cons with their colleagues.OR Nurse Link is AORN’s brand new online community replacing MemberTalk and the Communities of Practice. The new community features the latest social media technologies, providing a place where AORN members can connect daily with others and exchange helpful resources, ideas, and practices.
A group has been formed on OR Nurse Link to allow members to join in on conversations surrounding the 2010 proposals for the House of Delegates.
Log on to share your thoughts. Visit www.ornurselink.org and join the group called “2010 House of Delegates – Voice Your Opinion.”
Read more news in AORN Connections.