Whenever I return from NAON Congress, I always feel energized and grateful for the opportunity to interact with dynamic leaders and members of our organization. The enthusiasm of this meeting is palpable, and I always return charged up for another year. With the meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, next year, there is no better way to reward yourself for a year of hard work than to plan on Congress next year, May 20-23, 2017.
Congress is very different for me these days than in years gone by. The majority of people I see and meet are new faces. It's a good thing! It is important for the organization to continue to grow and provide the environment that meets the needs of the next generation of orthopaedic nurses. As I was sitting at the Orthopaedic Nursing booth adjacent to the Joint Connection, NAON's new plan for interacting with members and sponsors, I had the chance to see just how well this more laid-back approach to exhibit halls really works.
I truly enjoyed seeing a "veteran" orthopaedic nurse guiding a new member around the area and introducing her to other members. I thought, this has to be what it is all about. We have to do this. We must nurture new orthopaedic experts for the future. It is the responsibility of each member of NAON to think about mentoring or sponsoring a new nurse who may just find a rewarding career in orthopaedics. We must help grow the next generation of orthopaedic nurses. It is our responsibility.
We must identify ways in which we can mentor new nurses to help them see that orthopaedic nursing provides opportunities in a large array of settings-hospital, office, clinics, ambulatory surgical settings, skilled nursing facilities, education, research, and administration, to name just a few. We are the ones to "sell" orthopaedic nursing to new nurses. For each of us, it is our career. We passed by the surgical intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit, emergency department, or some other so-called glamorous or exciting area to take care of people with musculoskeletal problems. It is our life's work, and it can be for others in the future too.
I challenge each NAON member to identify one nurse who is not a NAON member to begin the mentoring process. It may be by sponsoring that nurse to attend a local NAON meeting or provide the snacks and beverages and watch a NAON webinar together. How about presenting a poster or podium presentation with a colleague next year at Congress? Another idea would be writing an article for Orthopaedic Nursing. There are many ways nurses can connect with potential new orthopaedic nurses. We need to make a commitment to it and make it happen.
We will be able to assure the future of excellence in orthopaedic care when we develop future orthopaedic nurses who will someday assume the leadership roles within their hospitals, clinics, organizations, etc. Let's just do this! After all, we may just need expert orthopaedic nurses someday soon ourselves!