3rd Annual Symposium on Orthopedic Nursing: Interview with Kanoe Allen, RN

On December 9th, 2011, Hoag Orthopedic Institute presented the 3rd Annual Orthopedic Nursing Symposium. This symposium was organized for the educational benefit of orthopedic nurses, certified nursing assistants, physical therapists, occupational therapists, rehabilitation staff, orthopedic technicians/cast technicians, peri-operative staff and clinicians working in the orthopedic setting interested in learning more about topics related to musculoskeletal issues. We are pleased to be able to interview Kanoe Allen RN, Executive Director Nursing and Clinical Effectiveness, about some of the highlights of the symposium.

HOI: Thank you for agreeing to an interview, Kanoe. From what we understand, the symposium had some specific educational goals. Could you tell us, in layman’s terms, something about the goals of the program?

Kanoe: The goals for the program were to provide information on surgical techniques so the staff caring for post-operative patients had a clearer understanding of the surgery. This included hip arthroplasty and spine surgery. We also wanted to refresh and enlighten staff on anesthesia modalities, early identification of emergencies one might see in the post operative phase, special care of the geriatric fracture patient, as well as how to identify and assist the orthopedic patient during rehabilitation.

HOI: Did you have a featured speaker at the symposium or were there a number of different presentations?

Kanoe: We focused on the continuum of care of the patient. For this, our symposium started with anesthesiology, then surgeons, then nursing and rehabilitation staff. We are fortunate to have a host of experts on staff, so they presented most of the symposium. This included Dr. Frank Sweeney for anesthesia, Drs. Robert Gorab and Steven Barnett for the live-feed anterior hip arthroplasty surgery, Carol Harvey, RN for care of orthopedic complications (from Cypress College), Justin Matsuno and Katie Sherlock for rehab, Dr. Patty Huang for geriatric care and Dr. Jack Chen for spine surgery.

HOI: Were there any highlights that you would like to mention?

Kanoe: Everyone was very excited about the live-feed from the OR to the auditorium and the ability to see the surgery and to interact and ask questions, all from the comfort of their padded seats!

HOI: When a symposium like this is organized, does it result in certifications, awards or other types of credentials?

Kanoe: This symposium offers specialty continuing education credit that supports the Orthopedic Rehabilitation Education efforts as well as contact hours designated by the Orthopaedic Nurse Certification Board. Both these organizations promote specialty certification and require the staff to have ongoing education in their area of specialty. This means that your caregivers who are certified, must meet stringent educational guidelines that would support a high quality of safety and care.

HOI: Can you share with us some of the comments of the attendees and any further personal observations that you might have?

Kanoe: The general consensus was very positive about the live-feed surgery and the interactions between the surgeons. The attendees spoke about the depth of knowledge provided as well as the relaxed and positive attitude of the speakers. There were some lively moments of audience participation and interaction with the speakers. The attendees left offering various topics for next year’s presentation and wanting to ensure they were on the mailing list! This symposium took a lot of organization and collaboration. Our nursing education team, marketing team, physicians, AV department, various departments and volunteers all made it happen. I was thrilled with the attendance and the excellent education that was provided. It was fun!