“Excellent, Applicable & Professional” and “Fun, Informative and Collaborative” are the three words two attendees said they would use to describe the 2025 Southeast Councils of AORN Annual Conference.
They were not alone!
Attendees also described the conference as: “Awesome, Educational, Amazing, Engaging, Thought Provoking, Inspirational, Empowering and Fabulous.”
“IT WAS AWESOME!” exclaimed Cleide Vanhorne, a procedural surgical RN at Broward Health Imperial Point in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Building on the success of the inaugural conference in 2024, this year’s event celebrated “The Power of You: Circles of Care.” The theme “Circles of Care” highlighted how perioperative nurses create safe, supportive environments for patients and each other, ensuring high-quality care through every procedure.
More than 300 perioperative professionals from healthcare facilities and leading companies made for a packed exhibit all. Everyone was able to connect with approximately 50 different companies and find out about the leading products and solutions specifically for the surgical environment.
“Other than at Expo, this conference had the most vendors of any meetings/conference that I’ve been to,” said Iris Sanchez RN-Retired.
“Networking with vendors and colleagues was great,” said Vangie Dennis, MSN, RN, CMLSO, CNOR, FAORN, FAAN Consultant.
“It’s a mini Expo and you allotted ample time to engage with participants and vendors. This is the second one I have attended, and it has been excellent, from the speakers to the location,” said Karen Lemmons, RN, BSN, CNOR, who is retired but added that she works some at Randolph Health.
Continuing education was another huge aspect of the successful conference with several attendees describing the event as “educational.” The conference was approved for 6 CE credits by the Association of Surgical Technologists Inc. for continuing education for the Certified Surgical Technologist, Certified Surgical First Assistant, and Associate members of AST. This recognition does not imply that AST approves or endorses any product or products that are included in presentations.
Attendees were not shy when asked about their favorite presentations.
“Bill Duffy because he reminded us why what we do is important. Actually, every one of the speakers was engaging and obviously passionate about their subject. Whole conference was really great. Thank you all,” said Sheila L. Allen.
William J. Duffy, RN, MJ CNOR, FAAN, an independent nurse educator and consultant, presented “It’s A Wonderful Life: How Your Nursing Care Has Impacted the World Around You.”
Duffy compared nurses to the George Bailey character in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” His talk highlighted the true impact of a nurse’s care. He explored how being present means more than technical expertise in that the true meaning of being a nurse changes the lives of those they serve. The session was a celebration of nursing.
Some more favorites among attendees included:
- “Peer Messengers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Safety, Support, and Respect in the Work Environment”
- “It Shouldn’t Hurt to Go to Work: Creating Safe Circles of Care”
- “Won’t You Be My Neighbor? The Power of You – Circles of Care, Catalysts for Change”
Presentations are available for download at southeastperiop.com/education/
“I think it was more engaging sessions than congress, more intimate. Officers from AORN were more approachable, you could speak with them, there were right there with us,” said Zdzislawa Czechowski.
For more information, visit southeastperiop.com.
