What a tremendous honor to be selected as the 2010 recipient of the Award for Excellence in  Perioperative Nursing. My contribution to excellence in Perioperative nursing consists of innovative approaches to nursing and transformational leadership. Transformational Leadership starts with the development of a vision and view of the future.  

  I have served as a staff Nurse, Executive and Consultant for a variety of health care organizations. All of these experiences taught me that the best solutions are the cumulative knowledge and collaboration of many professionals.  Noteworthy contributions consist of the name change of AORN to reflect who we are and not merely where we work, inclusion of state assemblies into AORN and the honor of being the first President of AORN employed by Industry. 

Global Initiative: When nurses come together this effort can indeed become a powerful global force for the health of humanity.  I was involved in a significant contribution within international nursing in the formation of the International Federation of Perioperative Nursing (IFPN). Through the interest of a number of countries the establishment of IFPN was officially launched in 1999. Upon its formation I worked two years to obtain a financial contribution to support and sustain IFPN. The Federation represents around 100,000 perioperative nurses and is the only perioperative organization to be an affiliate of the International Council of Nurses [ICN].  IFPN provides formalized links between countries, and infrastructure to developing nations, and a forum to discuss international issues. The International Federation of Perioperative Nurses supports perioperative nursing to improve patient care by promoting evidence-based, best practice worldwide. In an historical first an International town hall was conducted at Congress 2009. An international summit was held Congress 2010.

  NFSNO/NOLF:  Specialty organizations established the National Federation of Specialty Nursing Organizations (NFSNO) in 1973. ANA created the Nursing Organizations Liaison Forum (NOLF) in 1982 to provide a structure in which national specialty organizations could discuss professional and national health policy concerns. NFSNO and NOLF worked together to advance key issues including health care reform and the federal Nurse Education Act.  As Vice-president of the Federation (null) 1998-2001 representing a membership of more than 300,000 nurses I took part in the initiative to merger the two organizations in order to provide one vehicle to speak with a stronger united voice. The two coalitions of nursing organizations united and merged in 2001 to create The Nursing Organizations Alliance.

  Research, Education & Scholarships: The AORN Foundation was organized in 1991. My name appears on the articles of incorporation. As a member of the formation Task Force I was a contributor to its mission and vision statement. I served on its Board 1991-2002. In 1999 at my request my employer donated a portion of my salary and endowed the Ruth P. Shumaker, scholarship. A separate contribution was donated which funds Congress registration. Hundreds of scholarships, education grants as well as research support and sponsorship of the Leadership Conference and Executive Symposium have been awarded. In 2008 the Foundation awarded 123 scholarships and more than $100,000 in education grants.   My advocacy and lectures on patient safety also began long before it became a major initiative. In 1999, I wrote “AORN and its members need to demonstrate patient advocacy more than ever before. We need to concentrate on where nursing needs to be in the next century and focus on getting there. It will benefit our patients, it will benefit our profession, and once and for all the contributions the perioperative nurse behind the surgical makes to safe, quality patient care will be understood and recognized.”