AORN Celebrates Perioperative Nurse Week Nov. 9-15, 2003

DENVER -- When patients are faced with the prospect of surgery, it's important for them to know they can rely on the skills, knowledge and expertise of perioperative registered nurses.

AORN, the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, is proud to honor perioperative registered nurses during Perioperative Nurse Week, Nov. 9-15, 2003. This year's theme, "Perioperative Nurses: Providing Safe Patient Care . In the OR and Beyond," conveys the message that perioperative registered nurses care for patients before, during and after a surgical intervention and in many different settings, ranging from traditional hospital-based operating rooms to ambulatory surgery centers and physicians' offices.

AORN is committed to supporting registered nurses in achieving optimal outcomes for patients undergoing operative and other invasive procedures. Though these efforts have been ongoing, AORN's commitment to patient safety is reflected in its Patient Safety First Initiative.

With the exclusive sponsorship of Sandel Medical Industries (SMI) of Chatsworth, Calif., AORN's Patient Safety First Initiative provides informational resources for perioperative registered nurses and other healthcare professionals to utilize, including:

· A Patient Safety First web site at http://www.patientsafetyfirst.org with a wide array of resources related to patient safety in surgical settings, including lists of AORN's educational products and resources, articles, links to national patient safety initiatives, and more

· A safety consult e-mail address at patientsafetyfirst@aorn.org, where members can offer comments and suggestions or ask for advice on safety issues.

· A Patient Safety First toll-free hotline at 866-285-5209, staffed by experts who can answer safety questions.

· SafetyNet, AORN's web-based near-miss reporting system at http://patientsafetyfirst.org/safetynet.htm.

AORN is the professional specialty nursing association of approximately 40,000 perioperative registered nurses in the United States and abroad who manage, teach, and practice perioperative nursing; who are enrolled in nursing education; and who are engaged in perioperative research.

Source: AORN