PERIOPERATIVE NURSE WEEK, held this year November 8-14, is always a time to celebrate the profession, honor our perioperative nurses, and pay tribute to the entire surgical team. According to the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), the organization's House of Delegates approved a resolution in 1979 to designate one day each year to promote consumer education and enhance public knowledge regarding the role of the perioperative nurse. November 14th was deemed OR Nurse Day, and a few years later, the observation was expanded to OR Nurse Week.
Since then, AORN members, chapters, and medical facilities have hosted special events and promoted the profession via advertising and other media to help educate the public about the variety of duties performed by perioperative nurses. In 2000, OR Nurse Week was changed to Perioperative Nurse Week to more accurately reflect the broad spectrum of patient care services provided to surgical patients by perioperative nurses.
Recognizing special nurses
While the staff of OR Nurse 2009 is always ready to pay tribute to our readers for their hard work and dedication to the perioperative nursing field, it's especially appreciated when a facility takes the time to contact us and recognize their staff during Perioperative Nurse Week. This year, two facilities reached out to publicly thank and recognize their special perioperative teams.
Florida Hospital Fish Memorial, Orange City, Fla., wanted to acknowledge their perioperative nursing staff for their tremendous contribution and dedication to the facility and the surgical services department. The hospital, a member of the Adventist Health System, is known for their commitment to patients and prides itself on extending caring faces, skilled hands, the latest technology, and trained clinicians in the OR.
"Thank you to all our perioperative nurses for all that you do each and every day!! We really appreciate you!!" - -The FHFM Administrative Team
Michael Quintanilla, RN, CNOR, Surgery Clinical Manager at Seton Medical Center Williamson, Round Rock, Tex., also noted that his perioperative nurse staff was able to shine during a time that required extra effort from the entire team.
"We are very proud of the perioperative nurses at SMCW. They have helped build our hospital from the ground up. It is difficult to open a new hospital; it required everyone to be flexible.
"The nurses stepped up to the plate and helped develop processes that ensured safe and efficient patient care. Not only did they have the challenges of opening a new facility and ensuring we had proper equipment and supplies, they helped develop and perfect a new electronic medical record for perioperative services."
"All of you have been a great team and we are thankful for your hard work and dedication. Thank you for being at SMCW." - -Michael Quintanilla, RN, CNOR, Surgery Clinical Manager, Seton Medical Center Williamson