As I see if

I "What's happening now' . I

is here.

AORN is definitely the Association of

"What's Happening Now." After close

evaluation of 1970 pilot programs, AORN

is offering to i ts membership and other

health care personnel, 14 (that's fourteen)

additional programs focused on two high priority need areas as indicated by the

membership-management skills and pre-

operative visit involvement.

Pertinent information on these programs

was mailed to various segments of the

membership last month. Careful considera-

tion was given to site selection for these

programs to provide for regional coverage

as well as to avoid conflict with currently

scheduled AORN programs. If, however, you

have oot received information on these pro-

grams, a brief synopsis will be included

here. Additionally, registration information

and scheduled activities are included else-

where in the JOURNAL; and information i s

available from the AORN education de-

partment.

OR Management-by- Objectives Seminar

The0 Haimann, PhD, professor of man-

agement sciences, St. Louis University, is a

most capable conference leader, as justi-

fied by the responses of the participants of

the Colorado pilot project in November.

This program i s designed to assist all who

have managetnent/supervisory responsibil-

ities.

Today's nurse must be a skilled practi-

tioner in all facets of direct and indirect

patient care. One of the most important

and too frequently neglected aspects of

care i s the managerial component of a

complex industry; and the hospital organ-

ization i s one of the top five industries in

the nation today.

Many head nurses, supervisors, and de-

partment hwds have had little or no train-

ing in principles, theories, and application

of the skills and technics of management

February 1971 13

except as gleaned from on-the-iob train- ing.

AORN recognizes the problems faced in the OR management and is providing for i t s membership an opportunity for growth and development. This program i s designed especially to provide the necessary ma- terials to help acquaint the newly appointed supervisor with problems and give prac- tical advice for their solution; or to help the experienced supervisor refresh tradi- tional thinking and widen horizons, by taking a different prospectus toward em- ployees' positions. The ultimate goal of the workshop is the same as that of hospital management-quality patient care.

"Communication Sterility - Death Penalty?" (an exper- ience with preoperative and

postoperative visits 1 Carol Alexander, RN, MS, instructor in

psychiatric nursing, University of Colorado School of Nursing, has designed this sem- inar with understanding of the responsibil- ity and expressed needs of the operating room nurse. Her background in education and personal interest in the relationships between operating room nurses and patients has provided for a personalized experience in relating to needs and goals.

The OR nurse of today has been said to be functioning in only technical aspects of patient care. Many feel that this i s an un-

just and inaccurate statement of the situa- tion, however, we are al l aware of our in- adequacies and our need to take a more active part in the expansive role of the pro- fessional nurse.

Sr. Mary Virginia Clare has expressly discussed this need in an article entitled "Breaking the OR barrier'' (Ed. note: AORN JOURNAL vol 3, no. 1, p 35). AORN has accepted this challenge and is providing through this provocative seminar, an op- portunity for you to ''break the OR barrier" -or at least bend it.

The seminar has been designed to stim- ulate operating room nurses to critically explore whether they are imposing a "death penalty" upon the continuation or expan- sion of their specialty area by not intensify-

ing their efforts to communicate with pa- tients through meaningful preoperative and postoperative visitation.

The basic purpose i s to enable operating room nurses to expand their role by criti- cally exploring the impact of implementing innovative interviewing programs with pa- tients, thus reducing communication sterility and the concomitant negative consequences for both patients and professional person- nel.

We invite you to attend. We urge you to attend. W e want you to attend. This is what's happening now in AORN. 0

-Myra K. Slavens, RN, MS

New monograph available Urological nursing procedures are explained in a new monograph from the Institute of Rehabilita- tion of Medicine, New York University Medical Center. The publication, "Urologicol nursing procedures, rehabilitation monograph 43" summarizer the latest technics in the management of' incontinent parties. It i s aimed at medical and paramedical personnel and at the patient himself, and reflects 10 years research and clinical experience at the institute.

For further information on the $2 monograph, write:

Publication office Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine

400 E 34th Sf New York 10016

14 AORN Journal