Members of ORNANS:

Due to the expense of photocopies, we decided not to mail out the revised bylaws of ORNANS this year.
Please review the revisions as we will carry out a vote at our AGM, May 29 2010. The changes are highlighted in red.

Download revised bylaws (pdf)

The Executive

Hello Everyone;

I’m  sorry; it’s been awhile since my last letter to the membership.  It’s been a busy year and, so far, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to slow down any.  Membership has decreased a little this year, however, during non-convention years we expect this. Hopefully the 2010-2011 year will increase. To get discounts for the ORNAC convention, you need to be a current member of your province. If you know of members who forgot to get their membership in on time, encourage them to do so. Remember, December 15 is the cut off for membership for 2010 – 2011. You cannot get reduced rates for next years’ convention if you do not have your membership in before December 15, 2010! ORNAC uses provincial data bases for their conventions and will be uploading them January 1, 2011. All membership forms are available on the ORNANS website.

The executive has updated all the forms on the website. Some forms were starting to get a little dated and needed some colour added to them. Check out the updated forms on the website under forms. While you’re checking them out, download them and fill out your membership form and your application for the AGM. Bring the completed forms along with you when you attend the AGM in Pictou on May 28th and 29th. The New Glasgow chapter has been busy planning for the event. The entire Pictou Lodge Resort has been booked for the AGM. The chapter has asked me to inform you the rooms are booking quickly. This resort is by the beach and is in a remote area. The relaxing atmosphere is a needed pace for our hectic lives. Please get your chalet booked soon. The theme for this AGM is, “Caring for the Caring”. The AGM is focused on the health and well-being of nurses. The idea is to have a weekend retreat with a little merriment and a lot of laughter.

A word about the AGM; each year there is a call for nominations for executive positions. This year is no exception. At the 2009 AGM, nominations were held for Secretary, Treasurer and Interim President Elect. No nominations were received for Secretary and Treasurer. Cindy Rutledge reoffered as Secretary and membership accepted. Greg Samson reoffered as Treasurer for one year and membership accepted this. There was one nomination for Interim President Elect and was accepted by Cathy Ferguson from Antigonish. This year there will be a call for nominations for Treasurer as Greg will be stepping down after many years of service with ORNANS. Per the constitutional by-laws, this letter is the official call for nominations for Treasurer. The nominees will be named during the AGM.  The nominees should be aware of their nomination. They will need a speech prepared, for the membership, if there is more than one name offered.

We look forward to seeing you all at the AGM. Until then, take Care. 

Cathy Timmons
Interim President  

ORNANS YEARLY REPORT

Hello everyone. My mother told me, once I had a family, time would fly by. I have to agree with my mother and say it’s going by quicker and quicker each year. Just this time last year I accepted the role of President –elect for the province of Nova Scotia. Now I’m hosting meetings, attending AGM’s and answering calls to many nurses and colleagues across Canada, as president of ORNANS. Wow, what one year can bring. It has been quite enjoyable!

Starting my term, I had a goal to increase membership in our province. During meetings with our executive, we brainstormed on how to achieve this. After speaking with management, it became clear, they wanted to be kept informed with ORNANS activities. A list of Operating Room Managers, from across the province, has been drawn up and they now receive e-mail updates about ORNANS.

Our membership is slightly up this year, 159 members with two honorary memberships for long time membership in ORNANS. The Annual General Meeting was held May 9th in Halifax. 58 healthcare professionals attended. Dr. Jim Ellesmere presented on Laparoscopic surgeries, especially pertaining to weight loss management. Afterward, attendees were able to have hands-on training in the skills lab with Ethicon financially supporting the entire day. The overall comment was one of appreciation for laparoscopic skills in the operating room.

Our financial concerns are the same with everyone suffering through the recession. Our treasurer has diligently watched our finances and we were able to fund all applicants this year. The applicants had applied for funding for certifications and convention participation. No applicant received full funding and all were equally happy with the amount of money distributed to them.

The executive met four times this year and have accomplished numerous tasks needed for an organization. A new laptop was bought for the Acting president. Files are now in the process of going paperless. The website has been updated by past president Thelma Floyd and looks fabulous. Membership is able to access forms and minutes via the website. The executive is in the process of adding pictures, from meetings and activities, to the website. We are also in the process of compiling a history of past names and executive involved with ORNANS.

Nova Scotia has five chapters that meet locally in their own area. Each has had two to four meetings over the past year with a variety of topics concerning operating room staff. All updates are available on the ORNANS website.

Pandemic planning has hit everyone. Nurses became quite aware of this when the H1N1 Influenza made Hants County a hot spot. Chris Van Zoost RN, Manager and the operating room staff from Windsor-Hants Community Hospital were mobilized as front line workers during the first week of the outbreak. A public appreciation for their work was given to them during the ORNANS AGM.

I had the privilege to attend the Nova Scotia Nurses Union AGM this year. Operating room nurses expressed their concerns about hours cut and being replaced by ORT’s. I checked in to this with one hospital VP. The VP was unable to talk about specific hospitals but was able to inform me about the concern for the registered nurse shortage and how hospitals are dealing with this. We, as nurses, have long stated we were overworked with the shortage of staff. Nurses have also stated they didn’t have time to do the job they were trained to do because of doing other jobs. Now hospitals are working to encourage training of support staff to assist R.N.’s to do their trained job. Change happens and operating room nurses need to be well informed of what this entails. Sometimes it’s not necessarily what we want but what we need to sustain the diminishing workforce of nurses in general. It was encouraged, during the ORNANS AGM, for nursing staff to familiarize themselves with their own workplace plans for the future. With knowledge, nursing will be ready for their upcoming changes in a positive manner.

Ellen Ferguson R.N. from Glace Bay, Nova Scotia is one of the scholarship winners from Medline to attend the ORNAC Convention in June. Congratulations have gone out to Ellen and we look forward to seeing her in Newfoundland.

ORNANS has a new President Elect! Kathleen Ferguson RN, BScN has been elected by the membership. Kathy is the RNFA at ST Martha’s Regional Hospital in Antigonish. She is also the OR/Ambulatory Care Manager there. We welcome Kathy to the ORNANS executive.

The ORNANS AGM’s were decided upon for the next two years. New Glasgow Local Chapter 1 will host in 2010 with Halifax Local Chapter hosting in 2011. We look forward to meeting everyone there.

Respectfully submitted,

Cathy Timmons, RN
ORNANS President