Newsletter Archives
News about the Chapter for January 2011
Happy New Year & Welcome to 2011!
We begin our new year with our first chapter meeting on Thursday January 27th. Our exciting topic this month is "Providing Healthcare to the Muslim Community" presented by our own Vice President Randy Blattler. Print and post the educational flyer in your departments and remember to bring a colleague with you to the meeting! Also, look around our website for other chapter updates and information.
Congress is fast approaching, March 18-24, in Philadelphia. If you are planning to attend, early bird registratoin is available until 2.21.11 and housing is 80% full. AORN is offering a free webinar, January 11 and February 1 on the new delegate/voting procedure, check it out at www.aorn.org
Stay tuned for the information about our spring seminar and the golf tournament. We still have volunteer positions available. Please contact me via email or connect with me and any board member at our January meeting.
I look forward to seeing you at the January 27th meeting at AMN Headquarters.
Michelle
Print Educational Flyer More information below!
Get Directions
Welcome to 2011 and a happy new year. I think we as professional nurses did pretty well last year. While the rest of the job markets were struggling to make "come-backs" we remained relatively stable. We have very much to be thankful for.
I worked with many new nurses last year, some new grads and some transfers from other specialties. Our job can be very challenging at times and it is ecnouraging to see that these new nurses are up to the task. With computers, e-mails and text messages becoming the norm it is nice to see new nurses fit right in and quickly become assets to the profession.
Before the end of last year I had the opportunity to improve my skills as a laser safety nurse by attending a laser training seminar at Scripps Green Hospital. Today as I was writing my after action-report I realize how we as nurses have the ability to become experts in our fields of nursing. The training and education that is now available truly reinforces the reality that nursing is a profession.
Achieving that recognition as a professional, I believe is what we should all strive for. National certificatioin is one way we gain the acknowledgement of being a professional. In the same way we help our new nurses become part of our working staff we can help them to become a CNOR.
AORN has an on-line program to help perioperative nurses become national certified. For $249 for members you receive a money back guarantee that you will earn a passing score. You even earn 30 CEUs. As we start this new year let's make an effort to help our co-workers and friends to set high standards, establish goals and reach for national certification as a professional nurse.
This important topic is presented by one of our own members. Let's support Randy by posting the meeting information and bringing a friend.
Topic: Providing Healthcare to the Muslim Community
Presenter: Randy Blattler, RN, BSN, CNOR Chapter Vice President
When: January 27, 2011
Time: Education Meeting at 7:00 pm General Meeting 6:15 pm
Place: AMN Health care 12400 High Bluff Drive, San Diego, CA 92130. Get directions.
| November Balance | $30,035.08 | |
| Income-ORD | $542.34 | |
| Income-INT | $1.09 | $543.43 |
| Expenses | $228.00 | |
| December Balance | $30,350.51 |
Submitted by Anne Hones, Treasurer.
Meeting called to order at 1820 by President Michelle Fennell.
Presidents Report: Thank you to those participating in the Sweater Contest, winner will receive a bottle of wine.
Watch for details of a possible tour of the Mercy Ship in the spring.
Reminder that delegate points are due December 15th.
President-Elect: Deadline for website news January 4th. Lisa asked for volunteers to continue to submit recipes and or jokes.
Treasurer: October balance $29,613.97, income $621.11, expenses of $200.00, leaving a November balance of $30,035.08.
Vice President: Tonight’s presentation is “RFID Asset Tracking.
Scholarship: Reminder of all scholarships and grants available, information on the website.
Nominating Committee: Watch for and be ready to volunteer beginning in January. Positions and responsibilities will posted on the website.
Ways & Means: Raffle tickets available tonight. We will continue the Flowers 4 the Float Campaign.
Legislative: Check the website.
Announcements: In the lobby Dr. Brandon Giap will be demonstrating his prototype bed sheet transfer sheet. He would appreciate the perioperative nurses opinion.
Sweater contest winner is Lisa Finch.
Meeting adjourned at 6:35 pm
Respectfully Submitted,
Vickie Pierce, RN, BSN, CNOR
Acting Secretary
Being a Volunteer for your professional is a meaningful and rewarding experience. We are looking for members interesting in serving in one of the following elected positions for 2011-2012.
Elections are conducted in May. If you are interested please complete one of the willingness to serve forms available at any upcoming meeting or there is one on the website. Please email these completed forms to Nominating Committee Chair, Vickie Pierce at lpvpmp@cox.net Due Date April 1st.
President Elect 1 year term (one to be elected)
Responsibilities: have all the duties and powers of a member of the Board of Directors. Serve as “editor” of the chapter newsletter on the chapter website, work closely with the chapter web manager. Appoint committee chairs and members for the Presidential year.
Treasurer 2 year term (one to be elected)
Responsibilities: have all the duties and powers of a member of the Board of Directors. Present financial statements at each Board and General meeting. Chair the Finance Committee. Arrange for a yearly audit to be completed by the treasurer, vice president, and senior member of the board.
Secretary 1 year term (one to be elected)
Responsibilities: have all the duties and powers of a member of the Board of Directors. Record and preserve minutes of all meetings of the Board of Directors and the general business meetings.
Board of Directors 2 year term and 1 year term (one to be elected in each category)
Responsibilities: direct the business and financial affairs of the Association. Authorize administrative policies. Foster growth and development of the Association. Attend all Board of Directors meetings. Consider committee reports and determine action to be taken. Serve as a committee chair as appointed by the President.
Nominating Committee 2 year term and 1 year term (one to be elected in each category)
Responsibilities: advise potential candidates of the responsibilities of the office they may seek and obtain a signed consent to serve form. Prepare a list of nominees as per Bylaws based on eligibility for the annual election and submit this list to the membership at the April meeting. Prepare the ballot for the May elections.
You may PRINT this information for reference.
Print the Willingness to Serve Form. Due Date April 1st
It is a new year and let us hope that the current tragedy in Arizona might make our House and Senate disagreements more civil and tolerable. The House will start debating on the health reforms next week but in a recent Advocacy Update from AORN the leaders have expressed confidence that many of the laws provisions that affect nursing should survive.
The first issue of Periop Insider came this week. It includes information on scholarships available to attend the 2011 Congress in Philadelphia by covering up to $1000 in expenses. The Question of the Week is: What is the correct procedure for receiving verbal orders in the Perioperative setting.
AORN also continues to lead patient safety efforts. Advocacy leaders are preparing efforts in seven states for 2011 relating to the RN circulator as the standard of care established by AORN recommended practices and Medicare conditions for coverage for hospitals. Those states are Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Virginia, North Carolina and Massachusetts.
Some of the legislative news from the ANA newsletter relate to CMS considering rules for
accountable care organizations (ACO) who are lobbying to limit provider power to set rates while providers want limits on how quality of care will be judged, rights to choose which patients to admit to the ACO as well mechanism to charge extra for their work.
Another interesting article in this issue, as well as in the current issue of Nurse Com Nurse Week, was on some OR nurse pioneers blue wrap recycling efforts in a Kaiser Permanente hospital in Roseville California. These nurses collect about 2,500 pounds of their sterile blue wraps a month from the hospital’s 6 OR’s. The wraps are disposed of in special containers, which are then collected by environmental services staff and recycled by a local company. This same hospital is now looking at other things that can be recycle such as the clean plastics like bottles that contain water and saline, plain IV bags and outer wrappers that the packs and drapes come in.
I will report on these issues at a later date.
Submitted by Virginia L. Ogren RN, BSN, CNOR
Soup-Southwest Chicken Soup with Baked Tortillas
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces (2 cups)
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 3/4 cups Progresso® chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ Niblets® frozen corn
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Baked Tortilla Strips
8 yellow or blue corn tortillas (5 or 6 inch)
Cooking Instructions
Spray 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Mix chicken, sweet potatoes, onion, tomatoes, broth, oregano and cumin in cooker. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 7 to 8 hours.
Stir in corn and bell pepper. Increase heat setting to High; cover and cook about 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center and vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, heat oven to 450°F. Spray 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray. Cut each tortilla into strips; place in single layer on cookie sheets. Bake about 6 minutes or until crisp but not brown; cool.
Spoon soup into individual bowls. Top with tortilla strips. Sprinkle with cilantro.
Joke Time:
Here is a list of things you don't want to hear in the OR:
Oops!
Has anyone seen my watch?
Come back with that! Bad Dog!
Wait a minute, if this is his spleen, then what's that?
Hand me that...uh...that uh.....thingy
What do you mean he wasn't in for a sex change!
Damn, there go the lights again...
Everybody stand back! I lost my contact lens!
Well folks, this will be an experiment for all of us.
What do you mean, he's not insured?
Let's hurry, I don't want to miss "Jersey Shore"
What do you mean "You want a divorce"!
FIRE! FIRE! Everyone get out!
At each meeting we have food and/or refreshments provided by the members who work at local hospitals or by our vendor partners. Please acknowledge those who provide these yummy treats.
January 27-Palomar/Palmarado Health Care System
February 24-Ben Ribnick Care Fusion
March 31-Clifford Card Ergonomic Consultant-Card Medical Systems
April 28-Sharp Health Care System
May 26-Scripps Health Care System
June 23-Dinner Meeting: President Elect's Choice