Officially formed in 1983, the Operating Room Nurses Association of Canada (ORNAC) is a member of the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) Canadian Network of Nursing Specialties and the national voice for perioperative registered nurses across Canada. This not for profit association has a volunteer board of directors representing every province in Canada as well as the domains of Leadership, Education and Advanced Practice. ORNAC works to promote excellence by demonstrating leadership in patient safety, and by enabling best practice, career advancement and professional development for perioperative nurses. ORNAC wants patients to benefit from safe and effective care by having perioperative practice performed at a high standard, and having perioperative nurses lead the development of effective perioperative teams.

National and International collaboration with aligned organizations is important to ORNAC as seen through work with Accreditation Canada and Healthcare Excellence Canada (HEC) and the International Federation of Perioperative Nurses (IFPN). ORNAC endorses initiatives for “Safer Healthcare Now” as well as CSA Standards on multiple subjects such as perioperative safety, sterilization and health care facilities.

ORNAC encourages CNA certification for Perioperative Registered Nurses [CPN( C)]. It is the mandate of the ORNAC Standards Committee to develop and review national standards for perioperative registered nursing practice every two years. Content expertise has been provided by Perioperative Registered Nurses across Canada and reflects current practice, research, and review of medical/surgical literature.

ORNAC strives for “Excellence, every patient, every time.”

“Becoming an ORNAC board member” Information for potential nominees. 

Thank you for your interest and consideration in joining the ORNAC board! The board is comprised of Volunteers in the following positions;

Executive

• President
• President elect
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• Executive director ( non-voting)

Directors

• Directors from each of the 10 provinces (BC AB SK MB ON QC NB NL PEI NS)
• 3 non-provincial seats (Education, Advanced Practice, Leadership)

Estimated time commitment for the director role would be;

• 2-hour board meeting monthly
• prep work for the monthly meetings (i.e., reading minutes, preparing agenda items);
• variable time commitment depending requirements of performance teams;

Provincial director roles & responsibilities

Roles:

The role of the ORNAC Board Director for each province is to act as a liaison between the ORNAC board of directors and your provincial council. Each Board Director is expected to act in the best interest of ORNAC to emulate ORNACs mission, vision and values to advance perioperative nursing at the national level.

Responsibilities:

• Serve on ORNAC teams in collaboration with other ORNAC board members to further the goals and objectives of the organization; 

• Attend the monthly ORNAC board meetings, providing insight and perspectives to make decisions regarding ORNAC business
• Submit Director’s report one month prior to the annual general meeting, highlighting your activities on ORNAC’s behalf.

• Share membership lists sent monthly from admin@ornac.ca with the provincial council only, ensuring that privacy of information in lists is maintained;  

• Request to attend provincial council meetings in order maintain good communications between the two organizations

• Submit reports updating the provincial council regarding ORNAC business that is appropriate and relevant and vice versa; 

Non-Provincial director roles & responsibilities

Role:

The role of an ORNAC Board Director (Non Provincial) is to represent your area/specialty. To act in the best interest of ORNAC and to advance perioperative nursing at the national level.

 Education

 To promote initial and continuing education to support professional perioperative nursing practice and ORNAC’s Mission, Vision and Values statements.

Advance Practice

 To Advocate for and promote the roles of perioperative nursing in Canada to support excellence in perioperative patient care and ORNAC’s Mission, Vision and Values statements.

Leadership

To cultivate relationships between ORNAC and other stakeholders in perioperative patient care in Canada in order to comply with ORNAC’s Mission, Vision and Values statements.

For any inquiries, please contact nominations@ornac.ca

Look forward to hearing from you!