IMPORTANT!!!
>>> Annual General Meeting Information available. Click to view!!! <<<

Hello Ornans Members;

Perioperative nurses week is November 8 – 14, 2010. This is the time to recognize
and acknowledge all perioperative nursing colleagues across Nova Scotia and Canada.
This year’s theme is “Ask, Connect, Advocate”. Feel free to visit ORNAC News for
President, Bonnie McLeod’s official proclamation. This year, ORNANS is providing all
members with a $5.00 Tim Horton’s card. This small gift comes with a huge message
recognizing all the work perioperative nurses do each day. The ORNANS flag will
be flown in New Glasgow for the entire week. Each region normally does their thing
to recognize our special week. Please send in pictures and messages to share with all
ORNANS members.

ORNANS Membership is due for 2010-2011. The final date for renewal is
December 15, 2010. Membership received after this date will not be acknowledged for
the 2010-2011 year. Please ensure all colleagues are aware of this date and have their
renewals received by December 15, 2010. ORNAC uses our membership data bases
for reduced rates during conference years. These data bases are dated and cannot be
updated with late renewals. RPO’s; Chapter reports are due by October 30, 2010. No
reimbursements of chapter funds until reports are in.

The ORNAC 22nd National Conference is May 8 – 13, 2011 in Regina,
Saskatchewan. The theme is “Elevating the Field of Perioperative Nursing”. The
Saskatchewan Perioperative Registered Nurses Group will be hosting this event. You can
visit their website at http://www.ornac.ca/chapters/SORNG or visit the ORNAC website
for conference details. Applications for funding are to be submitted to ORNANS by
February 28th.

The ORNANS Halifax chapter has been hard at work planning for next years
AGM. The theme will be, “Steer to the Side of Safety”. This conference will be
held at the 4-Points by Sheraton on June 3 – 4, 2011. Early bird registration will be
acknowledged by a draw for free accommodations for the AGM. The registration forms
will be available on the ORNANS website. For further information, please contact Lynn
Simms or Thelma Floyd. (View photos from last year's AGM in Pictou)

The ORNAC Standards 9th Edition is available electronically. This is an excellent
way to have standards available to nursing staff where computers are used. Think about
buying an electronic copy for your site. They are available through CSA at www.CSA.ca

Happy Perioperatives Nurses Week

Cathy Timmons, RN
Ornans President

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 bylaws (pdf)

The Executive

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