Each year on October 30, orthopaedic nurses everywhere celebrate International Orthopaedic Nurses Day. The tradition began in the United States’ Senate with a proclamation presented by Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) in 1990 to then-President George H. W. Bush.

The National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses (NAON) is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization that enhances the lives and careers of orthopaedic nurses. Formed in 1980, NAON was designed to promote the highest standards of nursing practice by educating its practitioners, promoting research and encouraging effective communication between orthopaedic nurses and other groups with similar interests.

As President-Elect of NAON, I am proud to report an organizational membership of approximately 6,000 RNs, LPNs, LVNs, student nurses and associate members from across the country and around the world who share an interest in musculoskeletal healthcare. Simply put, orthopaedic nurses – commonly referred to as ‘ortho nurses’ – are everywhere a patient receives care for a musculoskeletal condition.

Ortho nurses are:

• Practicing in the role of educators, managers, researchers, advanced practitioners and administrators
• Navigating care across the continuum in clinics, offices, hospitals, surgical centers, schools, rehabilitation facilities and in the home.
• Contributing to interdisciplinary collaborative teams with physicians, physical therapists, case managers and other professional colleagues
• Caring for patients and families 24 hours a day and 7 days a week
• Providing care in specialty areas like the operating room, post anesthesia care, intensive care, pain management, infection control, medical surgical and ambulatory care
• Managing care to patients of all ages, from newborns to pediatrics and adolescents to geriatrics

NAON is excited to celebrate its 1st Annual Orthopaedic Nurses Week, October 29th through November 2nd. Wishing you all a very happy International Orthopaedic Nurses Day and Week! Be sure to take advantage of these special offers from our journal, Orthopaedic Nursing.

Enjoy complimentary access to these articles (10/26/18 through 11/30/2108):

• Tobacco Use, Tobacco Cessation, and Musculoskeletal Health
• Low-Fidelity Code Blue Simulation on the Orthopaedic Unit
• The Efficacy of Regional Anesthesia Techniques to Control Postoperative Pain After Total Knee Arthroplasty

PLUS! Save 50% on Orthopaedic Nursing (now through 12/31/2018)
A subscription includes 6 print issues plus full access to current and archived issues. Enter Code WJK303ZZ at Checkout.