AORN President Discusses Past and Present Goals and the 2023 Conference

As Vangie Dennis, MSN, RN, CNOR, CMLSO, assistant vice president of perioperative services at AnMed Health in Anderson, South Carolina, and president of the Association of PeriOperative Nurses (AORN) prepares to pass the baton to the President-elect, Elizabeth Pincus, MSN, MBA, RN, ACNS-BC, CNS-CP, CNOR, Dennis’ energy, and determination shines brighter than ever. Last April, Dennis spoke with Infection Control Today® (ICT®), as she began her presidency about her goals and visions for the upcoming year. In this exclusive interview, she explained what she and her AORN colleagues have accomplished and what remains to be done.

Dennis is proud of what has been accomplished under her leadership—and she should be. In this interview, she talks about everything that she and the board have achieved, from increasing membership to focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Then she talks about the new and exciting surprises at the conference held in San Antonio, Texas, from April 1 to 4, 2023. She discusses the conference’s “No Limits” theme and what it stands for. And she talks about the future and what she looks forward to for AORN in the next year and beyond.

“We need to know that AORN Expo celebrates 70 years, which focuses on safe patient perioperative care,” Dennis said. “During these seven decades, the Board of Directors each thought to advance the relevance of improving our existing processes and practices. And today, that's what we've done. We have met these goals. I always call COVID-19], the Great Revealer. Everyone asks me, “Why do you call it that?” Because it brings out things you didn't think we were capable of, and we did.”

However, Dennis makes it clear that the work isn’t done and will continue after her presidency. “Some of our goals this year—and we were right on target--doesn't mean that [our work is] over with. We're going to invest in our AORN membership. We're a membership-driven organization, and we support that wholeheartedly and our future generations and members.”