MY FIRST CONGRESS Barbara Massaro, R.N.

Miracles do happen. I was getting of1 the plane in Cincinnati. Me attending an AORN Congress? I could not believe it. Mv first convention, my first trip away from my family. I was really there. What a thrill it was for me to grasp being a part o f such a large organization. I stepped out of the cab. looked up at the Convention Center with its large marquee saying “AORN Congress, Welcome OR Nurses.” I had butterflies. I was there. I tiied to visualize what was to transpire here in the next few days.

Some of my fellow chapter memlms and I were in the Convention Hall eaily enough to enjoy an added bit of extraordinary sus- pense-to watch these hallways and rooms come to life-empty space and chairs which little by little filled up with wonderful people, full of eagerness to learn. There w ( w b people like me, eager to be there, wanting to take m a y as much as they could possihly absorb.

Because it is always interesting to see another operating room suite, we toured the operating rooms of the Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati. We were especially interested in the cardiovascular and open heart set-ups since we are member5 of the Open Heart Team in Phoenix. We had a very informative visit.

Sunday morning we were up early and prepared to join the other delegates at the traditional Nominees Breakfast. It wa5 an im- pressive affair! The Hall of Mirrors reflected ornate chandeliers and an inside halcony.

Elarbara Massaro, R.N., is an Operating Kooni Staff Nurse, Good Samaritan Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona. She graduated from Good Samaritan in 1053 and is 11ow a nieinber of the Open Hcart tcam.

What a thrilling sight it was to look around the room and see so many OR nurses, not looking like OR nurses at all, sitting, visiting and enjoying breakfast together. Although girls of different states and interests mingled together, there was 110 stranger among the groups. What a lovely idea, I thought, when the Hawaii nurses presented President Audrey Bell and her officers with flowers leis from their state. As I listened to the nominees, each seemed so well qualified, I knew my responsi- bility as an elected delegate would be heavy. The choices would be difficult to make. I felt proud and honored to be among those selected to make the decisions for the AORN.

Later, I enjoyed the company of many nurses again at the Sunday afternoon fashion show-a magnificent array of clothes sur- passed only by the smooth presentation of them for so vast an audience.

Finally, Monday morning, the main pur- pose of my trip and the Congress, was beginning. We arrived early at the General Assembly for good seats. One by one the chairs in this huge room filled. Imagine so many OR nurses from all over the globe gathered together to learn more about operat- ing room nursing. The most amazing thing of all was that I was there too-a part of this great happening.

All morning I sat and became involved in what the speakers were saying, sometimes taking notes, sometimes listening so hard I forgot to. The formal opening of the exhibits with the ribbon cutting official opening ceremony took place later that morning with thousands of the nurses present. The unbeliev- able crowd of nurses in the exhibit hall was

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far beyond my imagination. There were myriad exhibits. We were not able really to grasp just how many there were or how we could learn from them until we were actually inside looking around. As I walked through the exhibits each day, I wondered if I could ever see it all, digest the knowledge, gather all the information. Purses, briefcases, and envelopes bulged with literature and informa- tive materials. I could not get over the number of companies represented there and how knowledgeable and informative the representa- tives were. Aching feet were the “norm” by mid afternoon. Flat heels soon became the order of the day. There really were no strang- ers at the Congress.

I was riding on Cloud 9, and this convention with all it had to offer was mine. Each day proved to be just as exciting with its morning meetings, exhibits, afternoon meetings and evening relaxation and socializing . . . eve- nings spent talking about modern concepts of nursing and of the Congress meetings.

So much to see and do. We tried to attend

separate meetings so that one or more of us could get to hear the different speakers. We wanted to relay the information w e had learned to the rest of the OR nurses in Phoenix. I was sorry I could not hear every speaker especially when I learned afterwards how good the ones I missed had been. One sad thing about the convention! You wanted to be everywhere at once and this, of course, was not possible.

I was impressed by the enthusiasm the nurses held throughout the entire Congress. They were always eager to hear the speakers because of their common interest in this great world of OR nursing.

I will be ever grateful that I was able to attend this, my first Congress. I know now that you have to experience a Congress in person. What a wonderful thing it was right down to the Friday morning retreat. As I collected my belongings and took them and my overflowing brain home, I finally felt tired. Limp as I was, I had already set my sights on Anaheim-the site for the 1970 Congress.

WILL THIS YEARS CONGRESS BE YOUR FIRST CONGRESS?

SET YOUR SIGHTS ON

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA FEBRUARY 22-26, 1970

MAKE YOUR PLANS EARLY

76 AORN Journal