Hoag Orthopedic Institute Goes To Vegas – NAON’s 34th Annual Congress
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What Happens in Vegas Definitely Does Not Stay in Vegas: Hoag Orthopedic Institute RN’s Travel to Las Vegas for NAON’s 34 th Annual Congress
By: Morgan Pierce
HOI Orthopedic Nurse
2 nd Floor
Empowerment. This was the word Kay Wagner, the keynote speaker at the 2014 National Association of Orthopedic Nurses (NAON) conference, used to engage and open her discussion to the NAON audience of orthopedic nurses. Kay signaled a call to action for all orthopedic nurses to engage, nurture, and cultivate an environment that breeds educational growth and mentorship.
On May 17-20 th, I was one of eight RN’s from HOI who had the privilege of attending the 34 th annual congress for orthopedic nurses in Las Vegas, Nevada. And the pursuit of empowerment, education, and growth was exactly the goal of our trip. 
This year’s congress was especially important as well for Hoag Orthopedic Institute because we were accepted to present our innovative practice changes and their effect on standard of care and patient outcomes. The Fracture Committee presented a poster entitled, “Preventing Surgical Site Infections (SSIs) in Elderly Hip Fracture Patients,” and Susie Porter (Nurse Practitioner to Dr. Gorab) gave a lecture based upon our fellow Dr. Joe Gondusky’s findings that were published in The Journal of Arthroplasty, titled, “Day of Surgery Discharge after Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty: An Effective Perioperative Pathway.” 
Along with the presentations by HOI, many other hospitals, esteemed RN’s, and MD’s discussed how innovation has improved their facilities and lead to improved patient outcomes. Each day there was a multitude of activities and topics that were available for attendance, which included: clinical practice, education, leadership, research, co-morbidities, patient education, pediatrics, prevention & safety, gerontology, innovative technology/care delivery, legal & ethical issues, oncology, osteoporosis, outcomes management, staff education, total joint, and trauma.
Needless to say there were a lot of educational opportunities to be had and all eight RN’s walked away with inspiration and ideas to further improve our practice at HOI. The goal of the 34 th Annual Congress to instill empowerment, education, and growth was definitively met and we are all so thankful to work at a facility that promotes excellence in care and advancement for their nurses.
