NORWAY – Two Registered Nurses from Stephens Memorial Hospital’s Surgical Services Department recently attended the 55th annual Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Congress in Anaheim, Calif. The five-day conference at the beginning of April was an information packed educational opportunity for operating room nurses.

Sandy Richards, RN, CNOR, and Leah Frechette, RN, CNOR, work as circulators in the operating room and in addition both are specially certified in operating room nursing.

The congress is a national event with more than 7,000 attendees coming from all over the United States and several other countries. The theme this year was “Share Your Passion. Illuminate Your Profession.”

The pair will give in-service presentations to the entire OR staff on the things they learned in California.

Richards has been employed in the operating room at SMH for six years. In addition to being a circulating RN, she also is trained as a scrub nurse, and has been taking courses that qualify her to become a certified first assistant during surgical procedures.

Of the congress, she said it reminded her of her vision. “For me, it’s been my dream since age 5 to be a nurse. Now it is my passion and purpose. I want to be current in my practice and be an empathetic and compassionate nurse, while inspiring and serving others. I am very grateful for the support to attend this conference.”

Frechette is a Clinical Level III nurse and has been employed at SMH for 24 years, 15 of those as a member of the operating room team. She said it was a “very well done conference, we have to thank SMH for their support and encouragement to attend. We have brought back with us a number of new techniques and ideas that will improve patient care.”

Stephens Memorial Hospital is part of the MaineHealth family. Visit Western Maine Health on the Internet at www.wmhcc.org.