IFPN: Connecting the world of Perioperative Nursing Newsletter January 2007 Click here for PDF version2007-2008 Executive Board:
President: James Harrison
JHarrison@stlukes.com.au
Vice President: Betty Shultz
ShultzDB@aol.com
Secretary: Sheila Allen
allensl@hughes.net
Treasurer: Lesley Fudge
lesleyfudge@mac.com
Board Members:
Margaret Farley rfarley@accesscom.ca
Kim Hepper hepperkim@hotmail.com
Melanie van Limborgh Melanie.vanlimborg@afpp.org.uk
Benefits of IFPN membership: Only perioperative affiliate to ICN with ongoing communications
E-newsletter to update activities
Access to online International Journal of Perioperative Practice
Educational conferences [dates if possible]
Connection to global perioperative colleagues
Website: www.ifpn.org.uk
Change to IFPN Executive Board We recognise the years of service and efforts of Kate Woodhead and Villi Pieterse in progressing the IFPN organisation.
Kate Woodhead joined the Executive Board as Vice President from 2001-2002 and as President from 2002-2006. Under her leadership IFPN has moved steadily forward with the production of guidelines and position statements, the collaborative work with EORNA, and with the publication of the International Perioperative Online Journalto name a few of the initiatives occurring during her term.
Villi Pieterse has offered her unique perspectives as a member of the Executive Board from 2001-2006. Throughout her years of service, Villi has contributed to any project in which she has participated and shared her wisdom at the Board table. Coming from an African country and a small, progressive organization [SATS], her insights have proven invaluable to the conducting of business and the production of guidelines and position statements.
As we bid a fond farewell to these leaders, we send our gratitude for their leadership and for their gracious gifts of time and talent to IFPN.
Mission Statement The IFPN will support perioperative nurses globally to improve patient care by promoting evidence-based, best practice standards through research and education in collaboration with member organisations.
Introduction to 2007 IFPN Board
Presidents Message Worldwide Perioperative colleagues
Happy New Year and welcome to our newsletter.
I am sure that you will find it informative and useful; we are hoping to produce a newsletter every two months and look forward to receiving information from you that you think may be of benefit to our global community.
The Executive Board have been very busy since the hand over meeting in Harrogate, as well as developing this newsletter we are working on holding an international conference supported by the CNR countries, and we are developing a user friendly professional web site. The start of a New Year always heralds change and we are excited about the challenges ahead, I believe that we are becoming a more progressive and transparent organization which is prepared to adapt to the challenges facing a relatively new group. The Board are encouraged by the collaborative relationships developing with our members and a sure that this will result in positive outcomes for all.
The Board have taken a decision to limit the number of face to face meetings each year in an effort to be fiscally prudent to one. This year the face to face and CNR meeting will be held in association with our
Canadian colleague's conference in Victoria British Columbia in April.
We are grateful to our Canadian colleagues for hosting our meeting and
your board looks forward to meeting with as many of you as possible at
that time.
James Harrison
Please send your articles, press releases, and web links for future newsletters via e-mail to newsletter editor:
Kim Hepper hepperkim@hotmail.com
CNR Spotlight : ORNAC ORNAC was formed in 1984 and is a federation of ten provincial perioperative nursing organisations with two affiliate member groups; the Canadian Operating Room Leaders Group and the Registered Nurse First Assistant Network of Canada. ORNAC became a founder member of IFPN in 1999 with Past President Margaret Farley elected as a member of the IFPN Executive Board until 2008.
ORNAC is an association of registered nurses dedicated to the promotion of excellence in perioperative patient care, and the professional and personal enhancement of perioperative registered nurses.
Activities
Standards, Guidelines and Position Statements for Perioperative Registered Nursing Practice were remodelled into a module format in 2003. Currently the development of Module 2:Infection Prevention and Control is underway with an expected publication for Spring 2007.
Special Projects national promotion of the RN First Assistant role will be launched in April 2007.
Journal A special edition showcasing the RNFA is being developed along with a focus on our relationship with industry partners.
Collaborative Activity ORNAC continues to meet and work collaboratively with the Canadian Anaesthesia Society and allied health professionals to create & develop the anaesthesia assistant role. However this is not an easy relationship due to threats created by other role developments, such as the nurse anaesthetist role.
ORNAC sits as a voting member of the Canadian patient safety Institute; are partners with Safer Healthcare Now! ,the Canadian Council of Donation & Transplantation and the Canadian Standard Association Technical Committee on Sterilization.
The website, www.ornac.ca continues to grow and flourish, over 3 million hits in a 2 year period. The website also contains a virtual office for our Executive & Board to use
The 20th National ORNAC Conference will be held in Victoria, BC, April 22-27, 2007 , with the theme Lighting the Way to Perioperative Excellence. This conference will also feature the IFPN Study day as well as an official meeting of the Council of Nursing Representatives during our conference
We will be placing the spotlight on CNR members in each newsletter.
Please send your articles, press releases, and web links for future newsletters via e-mail to newsletter editor: Kim Hepper
hepperkim@hotmail.comCNR issues: ORNAC [Marcy McKay]: Workforce mix; introduction of new roles [previously all RN; now surgical technologists and licensed vocational/practical nurses]; look at incorporating ORNAC consultant with Board financial review.
AfPP [Jane Reid]: Restructuring of the NHS and their functions has had a large impact on education and training , financially impacting on the AfPP because of decreasing funds. AfPP have assisted members by providing grant funding for educational programs and have supported 150 members to attend Congress. Four educational events have been cancelled. Members are being asked to consider the organisation becoming a registered charity. The aging population is becoming a major concern both within the perioperative environment as well as to the organisation- lost 1000 members in one year to retirement.
AORN [Mary Jo Steiert]: Retirement of Executive Director Tom Cooper, with Ellen Murphy serving as interim ED. New Fire Safety Toolkit available as download online from AORN website contains information on video, fire evacuation plan, etc.; and recruiting and retaining members with a flattened membership.
ACORN [Jennifer Rabach]: Workforce issues including impact of aging workforce; changing skill mix including threat of unregulated assistive personnel, expanding role of the enrolled nurse; nurse sedationists. Much of the current skill mix investigations have been generated by government agencies. Development of certificate programs for perioperative education, and the maintenance and development of the association for the future.
SATS [Villi Pieterse]: Healthcare diseases prevalent with particular concerns about BBV and TB strains new ones for which there is no cure; increasing numbers with HIV; migration issues indicate a gap in the future with critical shortages; short courses offered and semi-skilled workers, trained, then grabbed by industry; unskilled workers are being grabbed by industry for education for the costs are less than for the RN; decreasing membership as nurses are just too tired to do more; health services focus on the bottom line.
Observers are permitted to attend CNR meetings and at the most recent meeting a perioperative nurse from Malawi provided a perspective of the issues facing her country and included - not enough personal protective equipment [PPE] for all personnel in OR; items must be used more than once; difficult to obtain supplies; work long hours as there is no relief.
CNR NEWS During each CNR meeting, those representatives present are asked to provide an update on the perioperative issues impacting on practice within their own countries.
As CNR meetings occur infrequently we are hoping that CNR members will utilise the facility of this newsletter to further share both their organisational activities as well as developments of professional issues to share with the international perioperative community.
IFPN Website At the IFPN website www.ifpn.org.uk , you can find information about the organization, application for membership, the latest meeting information, the only online international perioperative journal, newsletters, and documents from the International Council of Nurses. Also on this valuable site, you can find links to some of our industry partners, member and other nursing organizations, ICN, as well as a discussion forum. Any questions or comments may be directed to info@ifpn.org.uk. We look forward to hearing from you.
Ways you can serve with the IFPN:
Executive Board
Committee/Task Force chair
Committee/Task Force member
Calender of Events 2007 SATS Conference 12-16th March 2007
Bloemfontein, SA
AORN Congress 11-15th March 2007
Orlando, Florida
ORNAC Conference 21-23 April 2007
Victoria, BC
PNCNZ 30 1st Aug- Sept 2007
Dunedin, NZ
World Conference 1-4th October 2007
Seoul, Korea
AfPP Congress 8-11th October
Harrogate, UK
Member Countries Member countries represent perioperative nurses from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Kenya, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, United Kingdom, and the United States. Papua New Guinea is a pre-member.
Membership in IFPN is open to all national perioperative nursing organisations, or regional organisations, who wish to have a voice in the greater arena of international perioperative nursing.
IFPN STANDARDS & GUIDELINES Existing Guidelines available for Download on website:
Surgical Counts
General handwashing
Surgical handwashing
Surgical Site Skin Preparation
Sterilization & Disinfection
Guidelines & Position Statements approved in 2006 & await posting on the IFPN website:
Use of Protective Eyewear
Masks in the Perioperative Environment
Endorsement of ICN Global Nurse Migration Document
The Right to be Protected from Blood Borne Diseases
CNR suggestions of topics for potential Guidelines :
Promoting the image of perioperative nurses
Documenting nursing
Guidance on recruiting from overseas, impact on host nations health economy/ethics of poaching
Guidance on reducing packaging/environmental awareness
Patient dignity
MRI guided surgery in the OR
Staffing
Cultural safety
CNR suggestions of topics for potential Position Statements:
Increasing use of ancillary workers in nursing positions
Implementing evidence based practice
Violence in the workplace
Patient autonomy & choice
Dress Code in the OR
Nurse to Patient Ratio in OR
Safe Work / On call
Anyone wishing to provide assistance in the development of any guideline or position statement, please contact Betty Schultz ShultzDB@aol.com
THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PERIOPERATIVE CARE The International Journal of Perioperative Care was launched recently to assist perioperative nurses to share developments with their peers enabling them to keep pace with practice changes, as well as to magnify and provide catalysts for change in other places.
Kathryn Schroeter, our Editor, along with Kate Woodhead, our immediate Past President are to be congratulated for their efforts in the creation of the first publication which can be viewed online at www.ifpn.org.uk Download to share with friends!
It is now up to the international community, to value its commitment & practice in the provision of high quality perioperative care and submit articles to further the message.
Contact: Kathryn Schroeter Editor
Dedication to excellence on any level, in any area, requires an intensity of emotional investment. Unfortunately there are scores of people who do not make the investment who do not feel strongly about anything. Theodore Isaac Rubin.
EXECUTIVE UPDATES Constitution completed & ratified by CNR
IFPN Conference Proposal business case to be developed
CNR Education information package developed