ORNAC National Conference
2007 Conference Summary
Author: Marcy McKay, RN, CPN(C), Co-Chair of the 2007 National Conference Planning Committee.
Victoria was the site of the 20tn National ORNAC conference. Almost 950 nurses, from eight countries, gathered to network and learn from a variety of presentaters. Nurses from New Zealand, Australia, New Guinea, England, Wales, United States, Korea and, of course, Canada met for the week of April 22 to 27, 2007.
The International Federation of Perioperative Nurses (IFPN) participated fully in the conference, sponsoring five speakers from around the world. It was the first time that IFPN has been fully integrated in to an association's conference, rather than participating as observers. It was certainly a first for ORNAC and, interestingly, it caused IFPN to re-think the way they get involved and to decide that this fully integrated format is the one they will propose to other associations that request their involvement.
On the Saturday evening, prior to the start of the conference, ORNAC hosted a reception to honour its industry partners that sponsor grants, bursaries, awards and special projects. The partners honoured were 3M Canada, Cardinal Health Canada, Johnson & Johnson Medical Products, Medline Canada, RMAC Surgical, and Solumed Inc.
Sunday saw the delegates arrive and attend the Welcome Reception in the Crystal Ballroom of the Fairmont Empress Hotel.
Monday's Opening Ceremonies, and first full day of the conference, took place at the Royal Theatre in Victoria. An impressive show included the piping in of the flags, the ORNAC Board, and ORNAC Executive. The master of ceremonies, Dr. David Naysmith, wowed the audience and his Top Ten Things to know if you want to be a Perioperative Nurse, was a complete hit with the audience. Dr. Naysmith said he enjoyed himself and that it was fun to present to 1,000 nurses who could turn on him at any moment!
The Val Sherrif Memorial Lecture, sponsored by J&J Medical Products, was presented by Carol Taylor, the Director of Bioethics at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. It was great to once again see this long time friend of ORNAC!
There were a wide variety of topics presented at this conference. While there were some presentations from physicians, the Planning Committee made a conscious decision to increase the number of Call for Abstract presentations in order to ensure there was additional opportunity for delegates to hear from their fellow nurses.
Canadian Operating Room Leadership (CORL) Network participated in the conference and sponsored a total of 7.5 hours of educational sessions. The Registered Nurse First Assistant Network of Canada (RNFANC) also provided educational content.
Social events were as varied and vibrant as you would expect at an ORNAC conference. Johnson & Johnson Medical Products sponsored their ever popular Print Reception, where each delegate picked up a copy of the limited edition conference print. An evening at the Royal BC Museum and the Titanic exhibit provided the delegates with the opportunity to visit a world-class museum, enjoy some delicious food and enjoy a range of music being played among the exhibits. The ice sculpture of the acronym "ORNAC" provided a great background for many photographs.
Tuesday night's entertainment went off in a completely different direction as delegates boarded buses and travelled to the ORNAC Pep Rally. Many delegates appeared in costume and some even participated in the cheering contest. The TimeBenders provided musical entertainment at this fun event and the bar was staffed by industry representatives. Everyone had a great time!
Thursday night at the Strathcona Pub was eye-opening for many, as Rock Paper Scissors, a nationally known improvisational group, entertained the delegates with 'This is Your Life, Marcy McKay'.
One of our final speakers, Tim Porter O'Grady (sponsored by CORL), was thought provoking in his presentation on Leadership. Mr. O'Grady has presented to ORNAC delegates at past conferences and his presentations have always been well received.
The conference closed with a keynote presentation from Olympian Mark Tewksbury, sponsored by Tyco Healthcare. His presentation, 'Leadership Traits of Legacy Leavers', was the perfect ending to a great week.
Delegates were then introduced to the ORNAC executive for 2007-2009. New President Linda Socha closed the conference and wished the delegates a safe journey home. The next ORNAC National will take place June 7 to 12, 2009, in St. John's Newfoundland in June 2009. Plans are well underway - see you there!
