ORNCC Report on Meeting 10/4/08
By Marla Gonzales RN, MN, CNOR
The ORNCC meeting was held at the Embassy Suites in Orange County. As usual there was so much great information shared at the meeting. Very exciting news worthy event will be taking place on January 1, 2013. The Tournament of Roses President will be a Registered Nurse. Not Just any Registered Nurse, but an Operating Room Registered Nurse. Her name is Sally Bixby. I have had the privilege of knowing her as Chapter member of AORN- LA. It is her desire to have a Nursing Float to display and honor the profession of nursing, for all who watch the Rose Parade to see. I hope many of you will donate and help raise money for this momentous event. The website for more information and donation is http://www.flowers4thefloat.org. The Board of Directors for the company that is managing this event is called “Bare Root, Inc. DBA Flowers 4 the Float”. If every nurse in California gave $5.00, they could raise enough money to buy the flowers needed for the float. I plan on giving more then that, knowing not all nurses in California will be giving money for this venture.
Pat Chamber talked to us about California Institute for Nursing and Healthcare (cinch). Basically their goal is to make nursing education in the State of California as seamless and easy to get through without repeating classes. Regardless, of where you start your career such as an LVN and work up to doctorate degree. The nursing shortages statistics were reviewed. The cinch has put out a report card. National mean of RN per 100,000 of the population was 787. Standard deviation among the 50 states was 162. The District of Columbia and 46 states received a c- or above. California received a D with an RN job ratio of 622. They also broke it down per county in the state of California. As we all know, the education system in California needs more qualified faculty. California does not have enough nursing schools. Private schools are starting to pop up to meet this demand.
There will be no Congress luncheon at Congress this year. However, the ORNCC may have a fourth meeting which might be an educational offering in order to help raise money and to let people know about the work of the Council. The Council approved revisions to the Scholarship Application. It was revised to make the application process easier to complete.
ANA has endorsed Osama. Affiliates are not taken into consideration as part of the endorsement process. AORN is an affiliate member of ANA.
Entry into advanced practice is being discussed and RNFA is not represented in these discussions. There is being developed a National Consensus of what that should look like, what the qualifications should be and what skill sets are needed or job functions can be implemented. Physicians are feeling they need to oversee nurses in advanced practice. Nursing has always felt that only nurses should oversee nursing practice regardless of the level such as doctorate in nursing practice or masters in nursing practice.