Legislative Priorities

 The Association for PeriOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), through a robust grassroots network,
promotes and responds to legislative issues that affect the practice of perioperative nursing and safety
in the surgical environment. AORN grassroots members work collaboratively with health care colleagues, partners,
and decision-makers to advance patient safety in all operative settings.

RN as Circulator: AORN maintains that every surgical patient deserves a perioperative registered nurse for the duration of any operative or other invasive procedure and actively promotes laws and regulations to ensure the supervisory presence of the professional RN in the perioperative setting both at the state and federal levels.

Preserving and Protecting the Perioperative Registered Nurse’s Scope of Practice: AORN will preserve and protect the Perioperative Nurses’ Scope of Practice including the role of the Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA) by working with the appropriate regulatory and legislative bodies for language regarding education, certification, regulation, supervision, delegated nursing functions, roles, responsibilities, and duties. AORN will monitor, evaluate, and respond to any proposed legislative initiatives by allied health care professionals that may affect the perioperative nursing scope of practice and profession.

Supporting Workplace Safety and Patient Safety Initiatives: AORN will protect the health and safety of nurses in the perioperative setting by supporting legislative and regulatory initiatives that create and maintain a safe perioperative work environment that promotes safe patient care. AORN encourages legislative and regulatory efforts to establish an accountable, trusting patient safety culture that reflects individual and collective values, beliefs, behaviors, and skills in the operating room.

Health Care Reform: AORN will actively participate in the national discussion on health care change to promote the role of the perioperative registered nurses in achieving optimal patient safety.  AORN will collaborate with other organizations to advance positive health care changes but will not endorse specific candidates.