I would like for my final President's message to be impactful-a message that not only motivates but inspires and comes from the heart. As my term comes to an end, allow me to reflect on our time together and dream about the brightness of NAON's future. But what comes to mind for this message is far simpler-thank you.
Thank you for allowing me to serve you. It has been an overwhelmingly positive experience. I have learned so much from all of you, not the least of which is the importance of communication. Not only the act of speaking, writing, and listening, but how timely and truthful responses are necessary for membership to put their trust in the Executive Board to lead NAON. Clear communication is a skill that we should always strive to improve, both personally and professionally.
My term as President has also shown me how crucial volunteerism is for the success of our organization and the success of mankind. So many of you have answered the call to look and see what time and talent you could donate not only to NAON, but to your communities as well. To do something you love, which fulfills you for the good of others is a precious gift.
As an Executive Board, we also wanted to be sure that we were giving to the community at large as well and participated in the ALS Bucket Challenge while at our fall board meeting in Chicago. Coming up in February of 2015, the Executive Board will help feed the hungry at Inspiration Cafe in Chicago. And last, we are working to find an opportunity to give while we are attending Congress this May in Nashville.
We were so thrilled to see the photos that you sent in while volunteering in your communities. The pictures are posted on the NAON website available for anyone who visits our site to see. You have helped prove that NAON members are true caregivers!
In terms of membership, this year-end was a success and NAON is more than 6,200 members strong and still growing. We were able to grow by offering membership opportunities to those who attended an Orthopaedic Nurse Review Course, newly certified ONCs, and nurses who attended one of the many conferences we exhibited at including AAOS, AMSN, ARN, and ANCC Magnet.
NAON also continued to provide the highest quality of orthopaedic nursing education as evidenced by successful and positively reviewed programming at the AAOS Annual Meeting in New Orleans and Congress in Las Vegas, NV. We also premiered a revised version of the Orthopaedic Nurse Practitioner Review Course and a new Orthopaedic Pain Management Course. And sales of the 7th edition of the Core Curriculum remain strong, making it NAON's most successful product to date.
Behind the scenes, work continued on the committees for succession planning (AIM), Early Career Nurses, the Research Task Force, and development of new Position Paper topics. The search for a new director of education provided the Executive Board the opportunity to review that crucial role, update the title and job description, and ensure through an extensive search that the right person was found. In addition, we conducted a review of return on investment of SmithBucklin management for NAON as requested by our membership.
Building on our momentum, NAON has some exciting things to share for this upcoming year-completion of the revised Operating Room Manual, an interactive online Safe Patient Handling Course, and a new Clinical Practice Guideline on Thromboembolic Disease Prevention. We will also be continuing our partnerships with the Orthopaedic Nursing Journal, the Orthopaedic Nursing Certification Board, and the NAON Foundation to support you, the orthopaedic nurse. NAON's future depends on you-the nurses who search out information to improve care for the orthopaedic patient.
The work done this year is a reflection of NAON's passionate commitment to be a caring and compassionate organization that provides the best available resources to make you successful in your career and provide the best care to our patients.
Care to be, Care to do, Care a Calling. Thank you!