This year's Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Surgical Conference and Expo theme is Pursuit of Excellence, and attendees are encouraged to get empowered, energized, and motivated.1 The AORN Surgical Conference and Expo event is being held in Denver this year from March 7 to 11. Empower, energize, and motivate are apt ideas in connection with an educational conference. Attendees arrive expecting to gain new knowledge, clarify issues pertaining to practice, and generate new processes to promote better patient outcomes.

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Certainly, the opportunity to network with colleagues from national and international organizations adds to our knowledge base; it also makes us aware of the challenges we all face. In a complex environment requiring team-based activities, expansive technology, and an intricate practice, perioperative nurses could be better at sharing information with their colleagues through publishing successes and failures. Networking with others during this annual conference helps narrow the knowledge exchange gap.

Exhibit hall

The exhibit hall is another important focus of this conference. The newest and most advanced technology, services, and supplies are on display with knowledgeable professionals on hand to answer any question. These exhibits give us the opportunity to see what is current in practice as well as innovations we may see in the future. Some exhibits give us insight into how our practice may change in the future and the resources available to support our practice and patients.

Attending an educational conference such as this also can give us some insight into the future of perioperative nursing. We can be motivated to visualize what the future could look like for patient care in surgery. We can begin to formulate a plan that includes education, changes in the physical environment, and whether this will be the standard of care in the future.

Being empowered

When exploring the definition of the term 'energize', I found 'empower' and 'motivate' listed as synonyms. Creating the future requires energy targeted toward a goal. We can be empowered, motivated, and energized, but ultimately, achieving a new goal requires action. Empowering ourselves with knowledge and education, motivating via examining our current perioperative practice as well as what could benefit our patients in the future energizes us to create a patient-centered perioperative nursing practice that promotes the best patient outcomes.

Come see us!

OR Nurse 2015 will have a booth in the exhibit hall located at 830. We would be honored to have you stop by and see us. We are always interested in your ideas. See you then!

Elizabeth M. Thompson, MSN, RN, CNOR

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Editor-in-Chief Nursing Education Specialist Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. [email protected]

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