When did AORN become an elitist political organization?

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Specializes in OR, PACU, Pre-Op, CCU, Pain Mgmt.

I have been an LVN in Texas for 9 years. I have worked in the OR as a scrub and anesthesia tech(one of very few Certified Anesthesia Technologists in the US) for 13 years.

Upon successful completion of my NCLEX-VN, I joined AORN(Association of Operating Room Nurses) and began studying for the CNOR(Certified Nurse in the Operating Room) certification exam. I spent close to $200 on exam-prep materials from AORN and other sources. A justifiable expense since the facility I worked for would pay a $2/hr certification bonus.

I studied until I new the material inside/out and upside-down. I sent in my exam registration form(which made no mention of an RN-licensure requirement). Two weeks later I received a nice(read: condescending) hand-written note and my cashier's check saying that I could not take the exam because I was ONLY an LVN.:angryfire

Subsequently, I let my AORN membership lapse...

Before this year's Congress in New Orleans, my director asked if I would be interested in joining AORN...apparently, they are having some sort of membership drive. I decided that since I am nearing completion of my LVN-to-RN transition coursework that I would take a look at it. I go to the web-site and WHATTAYAKNOW!?! They have changed the name of the organization to Association of periOperative Registered Nurses?!?!?!?! And...now you cannot even join as an LVN!!!:banghead:

I am sick of listening to RNs complain about "lesser educated members of the nursing field", then turning to us for help when they can't find their butts with both hands, a flashlight, and the AORN Best Practice guidelines for "Finding Your Own Butt!"

Seems to me that there is a concerted effort by many nursing groups to force the more cost-effective LVN/LPN into extinction simply to preserve the purity of their clubs. I think this has happened before...Zieg Hiel!

Ich bin LVN!

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Specializes in home & public health, med-surg, hospice.

Hey, did you know you can't join the ANA (American Nurse Association) either?

Really great way to encourage unity in nursing, isn't it?

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Specializes in OR, PACU, Pre-Op, CCU, Pain Mgmt.

:angryfire Didn't know that! Checked it out...and...sorry to say, you're right! :angryfire

:angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire

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Specializes in OR, PACU, Pre-Op, CCU, Pain Mgmt.

We can join the NLN! $90/year!

Ladies and Gentlemen, the time has come to pull together and fortify our position!

We are professional, knowledgeable, and capable NURSES!

I endured more clinical hours than my ADN counterparts. I crammed just as many didactic hours into 1 year. ...and...I was a working single parent.

I completely comprehend my current position in the chain of command.

However, when I have the piece of paper that will allow me to practice as a Registered Nurse, I will use my position to further the cause. When I hang my BSN diploma on the wall, I will continue to do the same. When I hang my MBA-HCA diploma on the wall, I will continue to do the same...and fire those who do not share this philosophy!

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Specializes in home & public health, med-surg, hospice.

However, when I have the piece of paper that will allow me to practice as a Registered Nurse, I will use my position to further the cause. When I hang my BSN diploma on the wall, I will continue to do the same. When I hang my MBA-HCA diploma on the wall, I will continue to do the same...and fire those who do not share this philosophy!

I completely empathize/sympathize with your plight, my friend... :) .

We could receive so much more respect, achieve so many more goals if we placed a greater emphasis upon our "total" (kind of sounds like holism, doesn't it?) as opposed to our subparts (LVN/LPN, Diploma, ADN, BSN, MSN, yada yada yada... :o

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Specializes in OR, PACU, Pre-Op, CCU, Pain Mgmt.
I completely empathize/sympathize with your plight, my friend... :) .

We could receive so much more respect, achieve so many more goals if we placed a greater emphasis upon our "total" (kind of sounds like holism, doesn't it?) as opposed to our subparts (LVN/LPN, Diploma, ADN, BSN, MSN, yada yada yada... :o

Can I get an AMEN for mah sistah?

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Specializes in home & public health, med-surg, hospice.

How 'bout uh Hallelujah!

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
They have changed the name of the organization to Association of periOperative Registered Nurses?!?!?!?! And...now you cannot even join as an LVN!!!

And it's amazing how quick some RNs are to point out the name change.

I will not join the AORN when i become an RN.

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that you can join these clubs as an lvn but yet the boards have joined forces??? you have to follow the same rules as the rn ...and i am sorry to say that most rn's that i have worked with don't know there *** from a whole in the ground!!!! i have trained rns and

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Hey, did you know you can't join the ANA (American Nurse Association) either?

Really great way to encourage unity in nursing, isn't it?

Isn't that the truth.

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I have been an LVN in Texas for 9 years. I have worked in the OR as a scrub and anesthesia tech(one of very few Certified Anesthesia Technologists in the US) for 13 years.

Upon successful completion of my NCLEX-VN, I joined AORN(Association of Operating Room Nurses) and began studying for the CNOR(Certified Nurse in the Operating Room) certification exam. I spent close to $200 on exam-prep materials from AORN and other sources. A justifiable expense since the facility I worked for would pay a $2/hr certification bonus.

I studied until I new the material inside/out and upside-down. I sent in my exam registration form(which made no mention of an RN-licensure requirement). Two weeks later I received a nice(read: condescending) hand-written note and my cashier's check saying that I could not take the exam because I was ONLY an LVN.:angryfire

Subsequently, I let my AORN membership lapse...

Before this year's Congress in New Orleans, my director asked if I would be interested in joining AORN...apparently, they are having some sort of membership drive. I decided that since I am nearing completion of my LVN-to-RN transition coursework that I would take a look at it. I go to the web-site and WHATTAYAKNOW!?! They have changed the name of the organization to Association of periOperative Registered Nurses?!?!?!?! And...now you cannot even join as an LVN!!!:banghead:

I am sick of listening to RNs complain about "lesser educated members of the nursing field", then turning to us for help when they can't find their butts with both hands, a flashlight, and the AORN Best Practice guidelines for "Finding Your Own Butt!"

Seems to me that there is a concerted effort by many nursing groups to force the more cost-effective LVN/LPN into extinction simply to preserve the purity of their clubs. I think this has happened before...Zieg Hiel!

Ich bin LVN!

I am surprised that your operating room or any nurse educator within your hospital did not inform you of this before you started studying, and, of course, before they promised to reimburse you. It's been that way for a long, long, LONG time (I have been an operating room nurse for nearly 30 years, and I cannot recall it being any other way--even before certification was even OFFERED)--AORN's official policy, and state law in many states, requires that any nurse who CIRCULATES in the operating room MUST BE AN RN. Now, you can SCRUB--you and your facility may even refer to your job description as "operating room nurse---" but AORN does not recognize you that way. It's been known as "The Association of periOperative REGISTERED Nurses for at LEAST 5 years.

RNs who point this out to people are NOT generally trying to be condescending or unkind--they are merely trying to save people from disappointment that you experienced. Had someone pointed it out to YOU, they would have saved you time, money, grief, anger and heartache. I would make CERTAIN that they reimburse you, since they failed to advise you.

AORN won't allow even experienced RNs who do not have BSNs to sit for the national RNFA exam. This became a rule, I believe, in 2000. I took a course before 2000 and actually could have taken the RNFA exam at that time under a "grandfathering" clause. However, my interests had gone in other directions by that time, so I didn't bother--I don't regret it. RNFAs have their share of headaches with reimbursement and other billing issues, and I'm fine doing legal nurse consulting and just being a "worker bee" (scrubbing and circulating) when I'm in the OR. I don't want to make rounds, write orders, or anything else--just go home after my 8 hours or 12 hours and not one second later.

In fact, membership in AORN is not particularly important to me----I have yet to attend a conference or chapter meeting, and I rarely get a chance to read the journals--when I do, the letters are about the same old non-issues that we were discussing at length 30 years ago; people trying to re-invent the wheel (i.e., "Should I cover my back table when our case has been opened, but is delayed?" or "Here's a tip--did you know that you can use a Penrose drain as a tourniquet?") However, one "perk" is that the AORN library in denver will fax you various standards, guidelines etc. for free, upon request, and I very often need those in medical legal cases. Without memberhip. I'd have to pay for them--thus, I keep my membership current.

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At our :confused: hospital an LPN is our OR Nurse manager. She is an excellent OR nurse and has been for over 20 years. Also, a male nurse at our facility is an ADN grad and just received his RNFA.

Eeyore

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