Delegates to discuss certification, bylaws changes

Agenda House of Delegates

I Call to order II Credentials report Ill Adoption of agenda IV Introduction of parliamentarian V Adoption of convention rules

VI Adoption of auditor’s report VII Annual reports

A. Officers 6. Recommendations committee C. Nominating Committee D. Standing committees E. Special committees

A. ANA-AORN certification Accreditation and approval process for continuing education programs 6 Federation of Specialty Nursing Organizations HEW Regulation and Public

@ Hearing

results

Vll l New business

@

IX Tellers Committee report-election

X Announcements XI Introduction of new officers

XI1 Adjournment

This year, for the first time,.three sessio s of the House of Delegates have Zeen scheduled to allow more time for discussion of AORN business. The House will meet at

1 :30 to 4:30 pm,Monday, March 21 3:lO to 5 pm, W a y , March 23 5 to 6:30 pm,-March 24 In addition, two forums have been planned

for informal discussion by all AORN mem- bers of House of Delegates issues. The first will be frow7:30 to %am Wednesday, March

2 & a n d the second f r o m 450 prn Thursday, March 24, immediately preceding the House of Delegates meeting. The forums are intended to give AORN members an opportunity to discuss the issues in a less structured setting than the House of Dele- gates. Any questions on committee reports found in the delegate’s packet may be brought up at the forums.

The House of Delegates meetings are open to all AORN members. Although only delegates vote on issues, nondelegates may speak to issues at a special microphone set up for that purpose.

AORN President Barba Edwards will pre- side at the House of Delegates meetings and the forums. the

the fQCums must be in ! u b g J ~ - President prior to the fauq . (See “Guidelines for forum presentation.”)

Several proposed changes to the AORN bylaws will be considered by the delegates. To keep abreast with current thinking and

urposes of the Associ- ation stated i rticle I ill be changed from action of A 0

providing “better an safer care of the patient in the operating room” to “optimum care of the patient before, during, and after surgery.”

amendments have been proposed dh&9 \which covers the elections, terms, va cies, and the Nominating Com- mittee. The first amendment concerns elec- tion of a Nominating Committee chairman. Rather than selecting a chairman at the close of each annual Congress, it has been pro- posed that the chairman be elected at the committee’s midyear meeting. In this way,

. .

Q

398 AORN Journal, February 1977, Val 25, No 3

the chairman will have the opportunity to become aware of the responsibilities of the position.

Nurses’ Association (ANA) or the National League for Nursing to be eligible for elective office as a member of the national Board of Directors or the Nominating Committee. pquirement would be deleted under the groDosed ameruimat. Because ANA’ s col- lective bargaining activity may be a conflict of interest for OR supervisory personnel, some AORN members have suggested that mem- bership in affiliated organizations should be encouraged but should not be mandatory for eligibility to National office.

w h i r d p 2 o s e d amendment would de- lete the requirement that a candidate for the wf president-elect must nave served .gne year on the Board of Directors. This would allow the Nominating Committee grea- ter flexibility and latitude in candidate selec- tion.

Und r the duties of the Board of Directors a proposed amendment would

hes policies for the AORN Jour- in & add nal to define more clearly the responsibilities of the Board as the publisher of the Journal.”

Several changes would be made in the duties of the Editorial Committee to delineate the current duties of the committee. These proposed amendments would occur in Article v111.

Under -new business; .delegates will be asked t o h i e decision made by the House of Delegates last year to collabo- N e with the American Nurses’ Association

AORN decision, A- ‘sed its certifi- cation program. For background and recent developments, see “Certification: an option for OR nurses?” by Gwen Dodge, assistant director of education, in this issue.

A -celzM_Mlill be given to the House of Delegates on AORN’s accreditation as a provider and approval body for continuing education by the Mountain Regional Accredit- ing Committee of the American Nurses’ As- sociation. This accreditation, for a four-year period, means that programs offered by na-

o p r t i f i c a t i o n for O-- t

kules for presenting fesolutions at Codress T h w o w i n q gfmmt ion on presenting a resolution to the House of Delegates is to be added to the standing rules of Congress. The rules are included in the packet each delegate receives at Congress registration.

1 . Any resolution presented must be written in the correct form.

2. Any necessary duplication of a resolution is the responsibility of the presenter.

3. A resolution requiring a decision of the House of Delegates should be placed on the agenda of a forum for discussion by the presenter.

To facilitate writing a resolution, which is also a main motion, the following form must be used.

resolution:

AORN of adoption of the following resolution:

I move the adoption of the following

or ~ ~~ ~ __ moves the

Resolved, t h a w . A resolution may or may not have a

preamble. The purpose of a preamble is to introduce the resolution and also to outline the principle points as to why the resolution is being presented. A preamble should not be used merely for the sake of form.

Resolutions with a preamble are to be written as follows:

Whereas, ~~~

Whereas, ~~ -~

Whereas, ~~

and

therefore -

Resolved, T h a L - - ~ - ; and Resolved, That___-- There may be as many paragraphs

beginning with the word “Whereas” as are necessary to outline the principle points. The word following “Whereas” must be capitalized.

There may be as many paragraphs beginning with the word “Resolved” as necessary to complete the proposition.

All resolutions are to be signed by the maker or by the chairman of the presenting deleaation.

400 AORN Journal, February 1977, Vol25, No 3

. Guidelines for forum presentation The structure of the forums will be as

follows. Presiding officer

Purpose

for discussion to AORN delegates and members regarding issues that may be presented to the House of Delegates for action so they will be prepared to make knowledgeable decisions.

This does not prohibit the delegates from presenting any issue or motion to the House of Delegates.

President AORN

To provide information and an opportunity

Any member wishing to place an issue on the agenda of the forum

should request such in writing to the AORN eesident no later than 30 days

Requesz to place an issue for

arise after 30 days pre-Congress should be presented in writing to the President prior to a forum. Qenda items will be presented in the

o received. ion on each subject will be

limited to 15 inutes until all items have been addressed. Additional time may be granted after the completion of all agenda items.

5. Any information that requires duplication to facilitate discussion at the forum is the responsibility of the presenter.

6. Members who are not delegates may participate in the discussion or the presentation. Rationale

Delegates has been asked to act on issues about which the delegates were not completely knowledgeable. Parliamentary procedure employed in the House of Delegates is restricting to informal discussion. This has led to many delegates being frustrated and acting out of emotionalism. In addition, delegates have come to Congress poorly prepared regarding major issues of discussion that had been presented previously in the Journal, chapter newsletters, etc.

The forums will provide an opportunity to all delegates and members to be well informed on all issues that come before the House.

The forums will facilitate the business of the House of Delegates.

Many times previously, the House of

Nancy L Erti, RN Presiden t-elect

AORN Board of Directors

tional AORN are accredited for continuing education and that AORN can approve chap- ter continuing education programs.

Delegates $1 be asked to consider the contmug Darticipation of A O m in the Fed- -pecialty Nursing Organizations

s m d A N & a group of nursing leaders that meets twice yearly to discuss common con- cerns. For a history of the organization, see “The Federation: a new voice for nursing’’ in this issue.

A report will be presented on the possibility of an upcoming hearing p Washington on the US De artrnent of Health, Education, and

e regulation specifpmg-t hat e s and licensed practical nurses may be permitted to serve as ‘scrub

elfare Me I

nurses’ under the direct supervision of a registered professional nurse; they are not permitted to function as circulating nurses in the operating room.” The Association of Operating Room Technicians has initiated a mail campaign asking for revision of the regu- lation. AORN has written to congressmen and encouraged members to write to their senators and representatives in support of AORN’s position on the necessity of the reg- istered nurse as circulator.

The newly formed ad hoc committee on the proposed AORN education center will report its progress.

At the final meeting of the House of Dele- gates on Thursday, the election of new offi- cers will be announced.

AORN Journal, February 1977, Vol25, No 3 402