ASORN
CONNECTION

July 2009

Education—Leadership—Collaboration

Annual Meeting
Countdown! Only 13 weeks until the Annual Meeting and only 6 weeks until we close Advance Registration! Take advantage of the lower fees by registering by the September 4th Advance Registration deadline. Online registration is available through August 31st, or fax or mail the registration form to ASORN through September 4th.

In addition to an exciting line up of educational courses, don’t miss out on the Certified Registered Nurse in Ophthalmology Question and Answer Opportunity (Saturday), the popular Networking Session (Sunday), and the chance to have direct input into planning the 2010 Annual Meeting (Building a Bridge to Our Future on Monday). Save on your meal expenses by joining us for breakfast each morning and lunch on Saturday and Sunday. These events are included in your registration fee.

Free Papers - Don’t miss this year’s Free Paper Session on Monday, October 26th. Watch for the final manuscripts in a future issue of Insight. This year’s paper titles and presenters includes:

Hotel Rooms - Looking for someone to share a hotel room with? Please send us an email (asorn@aao.org) and we will try to put you in touch with another member looking for a roommate; please indicate smoking/non-smoking preference.

Volunteers - Would you like to volunteer at the Annual Meeting? A fun way to be involved at the Annual Meeting is to volunteer to introduce speakers or to be a room monitor. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Volunteer Coordinator, Gail Givler at gmgivler@hotmail.com by September 1st. We also need volunteers to sit at the ASORN/NCBORN booth during the meeting to share information and answer questions. If this opportunity appeals to you please let us know at asorn@aao.org.

Award Winners - Congratulations to the following members who took a chance by applying for an ASORN award and won! Awards will be presented during the Annual Meeting luncheon on Saturday, October 24th.

Susan will discuss her exciting award winning presentation, “Cataract Surgery with Intraocular Lens Implantation on the Captive Western Lowlands Gorilla”, during the Annual Meeting luncheon on Saturday, October 24th.

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Publication Special Offers
Reminder! The special offer on the ASORN publication, Ophthalmic Procedures in the Office and Clinic expires on July 31st! If your home or office library still needs a copy of this reference book, order it now while the discount applies. Sales after July 31st will be at the regular list price. On August 1st a new special offer will be announced.

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New Members since May 2009

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Certification Reminders
The application deadline for the next CRNO examination dates, September 12-26, 2009, is July 31, 2009. July 31st is also the deadline for recertification applications for CRNOs with an expiration date of August or October 2009, whether by examination or by continuing education. To be eligible to recertify by continuing education you must be currently certified at the time of application.

The application deadline for the March 2010 examination and for those whose certification expires February 2010 is January 31, 2010.

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News from Other Organizations

LocalEyesite
If you have not visited yet, take a look at some of the updates that LocalEyeSite has made to improve the visibility of Registered Nurses and ASORN. Visit www.localeyesite.com for job postings, educational listings, publication resources, and discussion forums.

American Academy of Ophthalmology
Medicare’s New ASC Advance-Notice Requirements Explained
The Academy, in collaboration with the Ophthalmic Outpatient Surgery Society, has written a primer with frequently asked questions to explain Medicare’s new ASC advance-notification requirements. If you have questions, contact Cherie McNett in the Academy’s Governmental Affairs office at 202.737.6662.

Academy, ASCRS Issue Statement in Response to Joint Commission
Following recent discussions about the process for sterilization in ophthalmic facilities, the Joint Commission announced an update to its policy on steam sterilization. Ophthalmic surgery centers under the purview of the Joint Commission should be familiar with the commission’s Position Statement on Steam Sterilization as well as the CDC/Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities.

View the statement issued by the Academy and the American Society of Cataract and American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) for more details regarding the commission’s updated policy. If you have questions, contact Flora Lum, MD, the Academy’s policy director for quality of care and knowledge base development, at flum@aao.org or 415.447.0592.

Academy Wrong Site / Wrong IOL Checklist available - Download and print this useful tool.

Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing
ConsultGeriRN.org is the authoritative geriatric clinical nursing website of the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, New York University College of Nursing and the NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) program, (www.nicheprogram.org). ConsultGeriRN.org contains evidence-based protocols and topics for nurses and other healthcare professionals on the care of older adults. Content is updated regularly.

Mercy Ships is accepting volunteer applications for 2010. To volunteer or for more information contact Dawn Crowther at dawn.crowther@mercyships.org or 903-939-7078. Complete job descriptions are available upon request, as are the application and nurse skill check list. For general information on Mercy Ships, please go to www.mercyships.org.

Vision Health International is accepting volunteer applications for eye surgery missions in Costa Rica, Mexico, and Peru. For information please visit www.visionhealth.org or contact Cindy Goodale at 877-689-2981.

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Related Links

ASORN Corporate Affiliates

Educational Opportunities

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