The best part of attending EXPO for me is being with friends. Because we do not live close to each other, EXPO is often the one chance per year we have to be together. Every year I meet new people and make new friends. This is the best thing about EXPO!

Other objectives I have by attending EXPO are to complete my contact hours, discover innovative clinical developments and discover new technologies and services that are available. I accomplish this by attending many educational sessions and by spending a lot of time on the exhibit floor.

Highlights of EXPO 2023

Always the general session speakers. I particularly enjoyed the drummer.
The Legacy project – I was recognized for having 40 years in the association!
The location, San Antonio. This is the first time I remember congress/EXPO being in San Antonio.
Always, the opportunity to meet with eChapter in person.
I met several international members I had not met before. As a member of the eChapter Membership Committee, I would like to have one of our areas of focus international members.
Meeting travelling nurse agencies and the military. Again, as a member of the eChapter Membership Committee, another of our areas of focus is nurses who do not have an opportunity to participate in physical chapter meetings. All the agencies and military contacts I spoke to were very enthusiastic about helping us get the word out about eChapter!
The variety of exhibitors. In addition to surgical products and services, there were exhibitors.

AORN/eChapter Initiatives About Which I Am Passionate

As an eChapter founder, the initiative about which I am most passionate is the eChapter history project. Our new president, Patti Owen, asked me to chair the committee. While the history of the eChapter presidents from the beginning exists, there is no information about how the chapter was formed and the controversy surrounding the formation. I will be forming a committee to assist me in identifying the entire history and other important events relating to eChapter. If any of our members have any tidbit of information regarding eChapter, please contact me!

Once again, I attended AORN Expo as a delegate, a presenter, and a learner. As a delegate, I participate in AORN business and decision-making activities. While this year’s topics on which to vote occurred preexpo, I was able to view results of last years’ motion that AORN support members’ request that perioperative leaders have operating room experience. After working with President Vangie Dennis and Linda Groah, the AORN CEO, I was happy to see the AORN Guiding Principles for the Surgical Services Director Role presented at the 2nd House of Delegates. While not a position statement as hoped, this reflects document demonstrates the power of research and membership’s voice with director definition including the director, manager, vice president, and assistant vice president roles within surgical perioperative services.

Another highlight of Expo was sharing my community hospital’s process for increasing the visibility and students’ understanding of perioperative nursing. My presentation was accepted for the virtual expo. Through this virtual presentation, my organization shared how others can modify perioperative academic processes to meet their local demands.

A third highlight was being asked to attend the incivility presentation at the Leadership Conference. During this session, my and a colleague’s research was referenced as two well-respected AORN leaders discussed perioperative incivility. These leaders invited me to close their session with a simple synopsis of our perioperative nurse turnover results that linked to incivility.

Finally, the last highlight was the ability to connect with eChapter leaders and members at the business meeting and throughout Expo. The event provided a great opportunity to go beyond our virtual walls and network in person. Nothing beats direct human connections.

After all these events and highlights, I cannot remain quiet about the Nurse Scientist Specialty Assembly that I helped found. We held our first meeting and again made great in-person connections. Add to this the discussion by AORN leadership that research is becoming a higher priority and I could not be more excited. As a profession, we need to base our practices on more high-quality evidence.

Why attend Expo and be a delegate? Connections, sharing information, and making a difference to our patients and community in addition to all the education! What more can you ask?

Attending the AORN conference as a delegate has been a career highlight of mine for the past two years. I always enjoy the opportunity to learn ﬁrst hand the innovations coming into practice, and provide input at sessions of congress. This year at AORN 2023 I experienced the added bonus of being able to meet up with friends and colleagues from diﬀerent states, and make new ones from diﬀerent countries. I was also given the opportunity to present at the Leadership Summit, which I hope will continue to have a lasting positive impact as healthcare leaders attempt to create a new-normal for our teams.

Thank you eChapter for always being there to support your members! Being actively involved in the AORN eChapter Communication & Social Media (CSM) committee has been an opportunity to help provide connections among our 2100+ nurse members across the world. With gratitude.

Expo this year in San Antonio was invigorating, exciting, and fun. The learning opportunities and networking were outstanding. 4000+ attendees made for a wonderful mix of characters and costumes, many with the Texas cowboy/cowgirl theme! San Antonio did us proud.

Highlights for me from this year:
·         The opportunity to meet face-to-face with so many colleagues, many of whom I was only familiar with via Zoom. It was great to interact in person. I was happy to meet with and start friendships with people from around the world.
·         The Forums were exciting and packed with passionate nurses from across the world. The opening session was electric.
·         The houses of Delegates gave me great meaning to my membership, and to being part owner of the processes to improve patient safety and nurse satisfaction. It was good to hear the updates provided.
·         Our eChapter events were inspirational. The hospitality event was a booming success with 70+ attendees. We were able to showcase our offerings as a chapter and to mingle with other chapter members over a drink, hors d’oeuvres, and the great raffle!
·         The education sessions were outstanding; the ones on surgical smoke and bullying were standouts for me.

AORN and eChapter initiatives I am passionate about:

·         eChapter:
o   Member Engagement Committee and our focus to ensure that eChapter brings value and meets the members needs. We have a very engaged committee.
o   The diversity of the membership from around the USA and the world brings a rich tapestry of experiences and perspectives.
o   The ability for the chapter to reach out and be pertinent to all perioperative nurses, providing educational and networking opportunities without borders.

·         AORN:
o   Expo!
o   The opportunity to serve.
o   The education and networking made available by such an enormous number of members.

My EXPO experience this year was incredible! It was so nice to meet everyone face-to-face from the eChapter Hospitality Event on the Friday night prior to Expo opening to the time we spent together throughout the conference. The last time I attended expo was in New Orleans, pre-pandemic, so being able to reconnect with so many new faces was an amazing experience. Being able to go to Expo in person means the ability not only to gain continuing education in my nursing field of choice (and that I still am very passionate about after 30 years), but also to network and meet so many wonderful, intelligent, passionate nurses!

The highlights for me this year were the amazing Keynote speakers! All of them resonated deep in my heart and connected the dots about going back to the basics about being a basic decent human being and doing the right thing, having integrity when no one is looking! Being bigger than ourselves and always lending a helping hand to those around us, not just in time of need. All these speakers were so inspiring to listen to from their own personal experiences and triumphs! I also attended a lot of great educational presentations aside from the keynote speakers, but I they were who really resonated with me this year!

AORN eChapter initiatives I am passionate about are the Education and EBP Council I am currently a part of. I feel that we have such a large chapter and the ability to mentor and bring education, networking, and so much more to the masses of nurses that may not have a home chapter right now! We have one of the largest platforms to reach international members, bring in astounding presenters, we have a wealth of knowledge amongst ourselves and such a diverse group of amazing individuals with so much talent we can tap into! I am excited to see what this next year brings! I think eChapter is just gaining speed to really be a big presence amongst all the chapters!

What my EXPO experience means to me

I am making my mark and ready for 2024!! As a professional certified RN and a lifelong learner one of the wonderful things about going to Expo is EDUCATION. I am able to contact hours for certification, the lifelong connections made in ORNURSELINK which needed a much new format and just having fun eChapter get together, annual meeting. By investing a few days in your professional development, I gained new gained new insights, capabilities, and sparked my commitment to my perioperative passion. The conference brings thousands of perioperative professionals together for one common goal – a safer and better tomorrow.

Highlight of this 2023 EXPO

AORN and eChapter elections congratulations to all! It was exciting to attend the eChapter events Friday and Sunday. Also both House of Delegates and the Opening ceremonies, the Keynote speakers where fabulous especially Alex and his charitable work “because I said I would”

AORN and eChapter initiatives that I am passionate about:

Introduction to Perioperative Nursing (IPN) and including this wonderful program to the nursing student; I promise to bring the initiative of IPN and nursing core classes again to Georgia Southern and the Technical College of the Low Country. Change must happen with nursing schools and the curriculum they need to include IPN. Nursing students will be able to participate in the operating room and not “stand by the wall”. Without the skills prior to going to the operating room there is nothing that a nursing student to perform and still maintain safe patient care. Same would apply for a student going to a Med/Surg unit

My Expo EXPERIENCE this year was exhausting yet exhilarating at the same time and I can say that is partly because I was a candidate for AORN BOD. I participated in moderating several sessions and for the first time I attended the Leadership Summit. I really like the selection of speakers at the summit and would like to experience this again in the future. There were also some of the best interactive speakers I have listened to in years. Clint Pulvers will always stick out in my mind as engaging the audience to participate in educating us on the fine art of being a drummer or being in a drumline.

I loved the vibe in San Antonio, a very walkable location and city. Everyone was very friendly. I will always remember this Expo because I was elected to AORN BOD. As always, I love interacting with all the candidates and meeting my peers and meeting new colleagues. I am excited for the next 2 years to serve the membership and contribute in the boardroom.

Lastly, I was happy to be selected as a delegate for eChapter and I am glad I am home with them again. I really missed this. eChapter has grown leaps and bounds sine I was on the BOD. Excellent work!

As stated above HIGHLIGHTS for me was being nominated and placed on the ballot for AORN BOD and followed by being elected to serve this association. Second, I met up with friends I had not seen in many years (more than the pandemic years).

Third, I liked the exhibit floor better than past years finding it more interactive. I won a prize from one of the vendors and had never won in past years. I loved the infusion of presentations on the exhibit floor and the casual seating set up. As I mentioned I moderated several sessions and I found the audience participation at an all time high, asking very pointed questions.

Listening to the treasurers’ report and excited for our financial stability and decisions that were made to keep us a viable organization. The best part of each year for me is the Presidents report and the incoming announcement of the theme for Expo by the incoming President-highlights for me every Expo.

MY PASSION … I am so thrilled to be back in eChapter and was chosen to be a delegate. I am so impressed with the work that has been done since I was President in 2016. The attendance at educations meetings, the library of CEs to listen too, the welcoming event was very well attended and has to be a must for Nashville-the date and time were perfect. The morning breakfast meeting and report to the members attending was very streamlined and well done. The selection of nominees was impressive, and the process was well thought out. I am excited to contribute after Expo with being on the policies committee.

The partnership with Chamberlain Nursing is probably the biggest initiative I have been excited about with AORN. I have already connected with the spokesperson from Expo because we have a St. Louis campus, and we would benefit greatly from this type of program. I look forward to collaborating this next year with President Patti Owens and “Making our Mark”

I am honored to have been selected as an eChapter delegate to the 70th AORN EXPO! The Leadership Summit sessions had several outstanding speakers. Especially noteworthy was Paula Neira, JD, MSN, RN, CEN, FAAN, Program Director of LGBTQ+ Equity and Education, John Hopkins Medicine Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Health Equity. Her presentation clarified gender terminology and focused on health disparities in the LGBTQ+ community which I was unaware. The 70th EXPO was especially memorable for me—connecting with many colleagues whom I hadn’t seen since 2019 and receiving the FAORN credential at the opening session. As a fellow of AORN, I will pay it forward by mentoring aspiring FAORN fellows. Please connect with me, if interested.

WHAT MY EXPO EXPERIENCE MEANS TO ME:

Entering the EXPO week was an inspiring time for me. This year I assumed the Presidency of the eChapter and was thrilled to work alongside my mentors and past Presidents. What a legacy they have left! Interactions with my fellow eChapter members, colleagues, and new acquaintances resonated with the sense of community as perioperative nurses. The educational opportunities during the Leadership and Global Surgical Conference track provided intellectual stimuli for enhancing my perioperative management. The networking between international, national, and local members resonated with the understanding that we all belong to the common focus of creating a culture of safety for our patients.

EXPO HIGHLIGHTS
There were so many highlights that I do not know where to begin. I was fortunate to coordinate the eChapter social hour and member meeting. Seeing the attendance at each event, the networking, and the new members’ interest was inspiring. Hearing Alecia Torrance discuss our accomplishments this last year enhanced my awareness of our future vision as a community. Our board members and the committee volunteers’ energy was also stimulating as they worked rhythmically to increase the visibility of the eChapter at Expo. Attending the House of Delegates and Congress as a delegate and future President was inspirational as I witnessed the “NO LIMITS” agenda that Vangie Dennis and her Board accomplished this last year. The most inspirational speaker was Clint Pulver, with his Drumline Experience – Mentorship vs Management. It was so moving to hear his story and how struggling in grade school did not define him. The power of mentorship is something I can personally attest to.

AORN and eCHAPTER INITIATIVES I’M PASSIONATE ABOUT
AORN’s initiative concerning the partnership with Chamberlin Nursing School is so exciting as an investment in the future of perioperative nursing. I was also thrilled that AORN is investing in the ESG initiative. The environmental and sustainability efforts for our surgical areas are well overdue. However, what I am passionate about is my Presidential member-driven platform to create a “rhythm of community.” I look forward to working with my dedicated Officers, Board of Directors, and Committee members to enhance our virtual presence locally, nationally, and internationally. Member engagement, enhancement of our educational opportunities, and development of a sense of belonging is a platform I am committed to helping achieve. As we initially learned how to use drumsticks in Clint Pulver’s Drumline Experience presentation, our sounds were chaotic and irregular. However, with practice and attention to each other, we became rhythmical in our tones and movement. We became a community at that moment in time.

AORN EXPO 2023 - A Wonderful Experience! My Thanks to eChapter for the opportunity to help represent the chapter in doing the business of AORN's eChapter, and for the generous support they have granted.

Describe your EXPO experience-what it means to you: This year was one of the best EXPO's that I have attended in many years. The speakers were engaging and motivational and just what I needed at my current state of practice.

While it was somewhat bitter sweet in that my term as President was ending and I felt that there was so much more that I wanted to accomplish. It was also very invigorating to see how I can continue the work of the organization as the immediate past president and can further the work that those before me and along with me, we have initiated. I will be recommending to the board as I reflect on my term as eChapter President that we might want to consider the president's term a 2 year term versus 1 year. While that may limit the number of applicants for the position, I do believe it would assist in continuity and further the work of the chapter in a more seamless manner.

This year we spent more time collaborating with AORN's officers and directors, as well as office staff and have set up new connections that will enhance eChapter and further our mission. To me, EXPO is where I learn best practice in my profession, where I am able to collaborate with my colleagues and thought leaders, and where I recharge my battery to keep giving my best to the profession that I love and means so much to me.

Highlights of this 2023 EXPO: The Friday evening reception was once again a huge success. Many contacts were made within AORN, as well as new members attracted to our chapter. This is a very important event to offer to our membership and I hope that we always have the ways and means to continue this event. The Sunday morning member meeting was well attended and I also recommend this to continue annually.as we can provide a state of the union address and hand off to the incoming president in collaboration with the membership to identify their needs and desires for eChapter. I do wish that we had provided more time to hear from the membership in person and would recommend that we have 30 minutes of presentation and 30 minutes of Q & A. They want time to speak to us as leaders of this chapter and we need to provide that forum.

I was disappointed in both the Forums, which offered limited delegate discussion, and the House of Delegates, with no opportunities for voting. Reports and presentations on subjects under development and consideration by the Board, could have been read ahead of time, leaving these sessions for delegate participation. However, I was proud to see our president walk the stage with our new flag - first time being recognized as a viable "Location" for members.

AORN and /or eChapter initiatives that you are passionate about: I am passionate about contributing and giving back to my profession that has given me and my family so much. I am seriously considering what the next role is that I want to pursue within both AORN and eChapter. I was nominated last year for a Board position and considered running, but had too much with my job and with the new grandson to take that on in addition to my duties as eChapter president. Should I be nominated again this year, I will seriously consider running for a board seat.

During this term as the past president eChapter, I plan to be very engaged with assisting the nominating committee in putting forth a premier slate of candidates. Additionally, I want to assist the Member Engagement Committee in attracting new members as I have lots of growing ideas around how eChapter can grow and prosper. Lastly, I want to assist the Communications and Social Media committee to enhance our website and social presence to further the mission of eChapter. It is with much gratitude that I submit this Delegate report and I truly appreciate the opportunity to serve and represent eChapter. I want to continue to be a delegate for many years to