Get Ready for the 2025 AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo

Are you tired? Need a professional wellness boost? The AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo may be just what the doctor ordered!

Are you feeling overwhelmed, overworked and facing a never-ending to-do list? When was the last time you participated in discussions that include best practice solutions from experts and peers who understand your situation? If you think attending the AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo will not benefit you as a leader or clinician working in an outpatient facility, let me explain how it will.

Let’s face it. Healthcare leaders are encountering enormous challenges. Outpatient surgery leaders in particular are feeling the pressure to balance high-quality care, financial viability and new regulatory requirements.

In this information age, there’s a tendency to rely on a quick Google search to discover numerous resources on any subject. For some, a question posed to a generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot like ChatGPT might give you the information you think you need. The problem is how to determine whether the information you uncover is actually based on evidence and represents best practice. Don’t forget, too, that AI is known to “hallucinate,” which means it provides an answer even if it makes it up. Would you know the difference?

Instead of trying to sift through all that information and work through your own problems, would you benefit from getting up-to-date best practices that are confirmed to be evidence-based? And bonus: Would you like to network with colleagues and industry experts from around the world at the same time?

That’s what the AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo is all about.

My Expo journey

Early in my perioperative career, I was aware of the AORN Congress annual conference, and to be honest, I thought it was a place for AORN delegates, chapter leaders and professionals much further along in their perioperative journey than I was.

In 2010, the AORN Congress was held in Denver, and I took the opportunity to check it out while keeping travel expenses low. I really did not know what to expect but anticipated I would learn something I could use in my daily practice.

The conference exceeded my expectations. It provided education, networking, practice demonstrations and solutions to problems that I never would have previously considered. I don’t remember how much money I spent on the conference, but I do remember some of the lessons I learned and how it improved the approach and delivery of my professional practice. I was so motivated by the event that I obtained my CNOR certification later that year.

In 2014, the conference name was changed to the AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo, and it remains a premiere event for perioperative clinicians, leaders and industry representatives to share best practices. I attended the conference every couple years throughout my career and, in 2023, I attended my first Expo as an AORN employee.

Right here, right now

The conference continues to evolve to meet the needs of perioperative professionals from the U. S. and abroad. Historically, its focus was on perioperative care in hospital and inpatient settings, but that is no longer the case.

Here’s the latest example of the event’s embrace of outpatient perioperative professionals: I am proud to announce that AORN’s ASC Division and Outpatient Surgery Magazine will have a strong presence at the conference again this year. We have intentionally planned and selected education topics, speakers and events that address the unique needs of the outpatient surgery environment.

This year, for the first time, Outpatient Surgery Magazine’s OR Excellence Awards winners will be recognized at a presentation during the conference. This event will provide a great opportunity to see the great work being done by facilities around the country, and enable you to gain valuable insight into how to make similar improvements in your own facility. You may even be inspired to submit your own success stories for the 2025 OR Excellence Awards.

But wait, there’s more...

The 2025 AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo is taking place Apr. 5 to 8 in Boston, and the theme is Together We Rise: Transforming Perioperative Nursing. This year, two outpatient-specific education tracks will award AEUs, IPCHs or Contact hours for each session that meets criteria.

Leadership Summit registration offers keynote and general session speakers with breakout sessions specifically for outpatient and ASC leaders. Industry experts will present on the following topics:

• Maximizing Staff Resources
• Perioperative Safety
• Environment of Care and Life Safety
• Specimen Printing and Workflow
• Credentialing
• Recruitment and Retention
• Balancing Outcomes, Costs and Quality

General conference registration includes keynote speakers in numerous topics focused on clinical care that impacts both front line staff and aspiring leaders.

Back by popular demand, the ASC Hub will host breakout education sessions specific to outpatient surgery and ASCs, with access to keynote and general sessions as well. ASC Hub education topics include:

• Orientation and Training
• Patient Communication
• Infection Control
• Creating an ASC
• Preference Cards
• Emotional Intelligence and Bullying Management
• Sterile Processing Knowledge
• Employee Engagement
• Surgical Environment Design

Education sessions are just a small part of the conference experience, however. Networking opportunities, exposure to innovations, professional development, meetings celebrations and speakers abound to inspire and motivate throughout the conference. And don’t pass up the opportunity to explore Boston during your stay!

I would be remiss not to discuss the Expo Hall, which starts with a kickoff party. The Expo Hall is an attendee favorite, as evidenced by the long line to get into the opening of the space.

Don’t worry about that long line, though, because there’s a good reason for it (including the promise of lots of free stuff!). The massive Expo Hall provides plenty of opportunities for attendees to visit exhibits, attend live talks and play with new technology.

Vendor sponsors and exhibitors are known for their unique and sought-after swag, which over the years has included special edition stuffed animals, Barbie dolls dressed in OR attire, travel bags and much more. Although there may be limited quantities of some specialty items, there will be more than enough free swag on hand to cause a “luggage overweight” charge on your trip home. Seriously.

Although I may be a bit biased, I could go on forever about the benefits of attending the AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo. It provides the full experience of a large perioperative conference while catering to the needs of those working in outpatient surgery settings and ASCs. It is literally the best of both worlds.

If you attend, be sure to stop and say hi! I will be in the Leadership Summit, ASC Hub and the AORN booth in the Expo Hall.

For a complete agenda and schedule for the 2025 AORN Global Surgical Conference and Expo, click here.

I hope to see you in Boston! OSM