AORN 2000 member/nonmember needs assessment results

Abstract

In March 2000, AORN contracted with Association Research, Inc, to assess the professional needs and preferences of perioperative RNs. One survey was directed to current AORN members and the other to nonmembers (ie, former members, nurses who have never been members). The survey instrument was designed specifically to determine satisfaction with AORN products and services and to identify association and professional issues. A total of 7,575 written survey instruments were distributed— 1,275 to a representative sample of members and 6,300 to non-members. A total of 1,522 surveys were completed and returned. Of these, 548 respondents were members, and 974 were nonmembers. The response rates were 42.9% and 15.5%. respectively. The number of member responses is sufficient to portray the entire AORN membership accurately at the 95% confidence level, plus or minus 5%. The nonmember response rates do not allow that same level of confidence, but they are sufficient for anecdotal comparison and analysis. All responses were confidential. The gender of nine out of 10 AORN members is female. The average age is 47.3 years. Nearly three out of five define their position as staff nurse. One in four is a manager. One in 10 occupies an expanded practice position (including consultants). More than two out of five respondents are engaged in general surgery, while more than one in three is involved in specialty surgery. Overall, 77% of respondents' time is spent on interoperative activities, 10.2% is spent on preoperative activity, 7.7% is spent on postoperative activity, and 5.2% is spent on preadmission activity. Three-fourths of respondents work in an acute care facility OR. Another one in six works in an ambulatory or office-based surgery facility. More than four out of five members hold an undergraduate educational degree in nursing. The bachelor of science in nursing degree is the predominate degree held (Tables 1 and 2). Two out of five (40.1%) respondents have been AORN members for 15 years or more. Another two out of five (40.5%) have been members from five to 14 years. One in five (19.4%) has been a member for less than five years. Seven out of 10 respondents (71.2%) have maintained continuous membership. Three in 10 have let their membership lapse at some point. The prevalent reason given for this lapse is financial (32%). The top five reasons for joining and renewing AORN membership focus on information, education, and patient care (Figure 1). Almost three out of four members are motivated to join and remain members for. access to information on standards affecting the profession and patient care, commitment to quality patient care, the AORN Journal, education opportunities, and commitment to professional development. Reasons respondents gave for joining AORN or renewing their AORN membership. (Source: AORN 2000 Member Needs Assessment Survey.) Relatively few AORN members belong to other professional associations. One in eight (13%) is affiliated with a state nursing association (ie. American Nurses Association). The next most prevalent affiliation is Sigma Theta Tau(7.1%). AORN is rated the best association in all 14 performance areas evaluated by respondents (Figure 2). AORN's “best job” ratings range from 89.8% (ie, AORN Journal) to 67.8% (ie, professional public policy development opportunities). Areas where members gave AORN Headquarters a “best job” rating. (Source: AORN 2000 Member Needs Assessment Survey.) Publications— Nine out of 10 respondents say AORN's Standards. Recommended Practices and Guidelines (90.1%) and the AORN Journal (89.2%) are “very important/important.”Surgical Services Management is important to 53.3%, while the Perioperative Bookstore and the Membership Handbook rated 48.8% and 45.4%, respectively. Education activities—More than two-thirds of respondents assign “very important/important” ratings to continuing education modules (71.6%), independent studies (70.8%), AORN Congress (66.8%), and AORN certificate programs (66.3%). Multispecialty conferences are important to nearly half the respondents (45.1%). In almost every case, satisfaction ratings exceed importance. Career services—Fewer than two out of five respondents give these services a “very important/important” rating. Opportunity employment services (37.5%) tops the list, followed by scholarships (35.3%), the AORN Management Resource Center (35%), research grant programs (30.3%), and interim management staffing (22.7%). Networking/local resources— Chapter activities draw “very important/important” ratings from three out of five members (60%). Specialty assemblies achieve these ratings from 51.1% of respondents. State activities generate a 45.5% importance rating. Except for chapter activities, satisfaction ratings exceed importance ratings. Member benefits—An array of 14 products and services make up this category, and eight of them are among the least familiar and least used AORN offerings. Only two—state government affairs representation (56%) and federal government affairs representation (55.1%)—are considered “very important/important” by at least half of the members surveyed. The most common response to the question “who pays for AORN products and services?” is members themselves. Nine out of 10 members (91.7%) pay AORN dues out of their own pocket, and four out of five (83.7%) pay for AORN publications. Employers contribute more heavily to Congress-related expenses. federal proposal to remove requirement for RN role in the OR (96.1%), shortage of perioperative RNs (94.8%). unlicensed assistive personnel replacing RNs in the OR (94%). patient and personnel health safety in the OR (87.3%), impact of managed care on the way the OR is run (83.9%), lack of perioperative education in nursing schools (81.6%), need for more education and in-service programs (78.5%), budgetary reductions (74.9%), changes in work setting (73.8%), impact of managed care on physicians (67%), third-party reimbursement and salary issues (63.8%), difficulty obtaining contact hours (58.6%), and too much overtime in the OR (57.9%). Members also were asked how strongly they agree or disagree with five statements pertaining to AORN's governance structure. Less than half of the survey participants “strongly agree” or “agree” with any of the five statements characterizing these issues. The highest percentage (46.5%) supports mandatory chapter membership. The next highest percentages support allowing members to join the virtual, online chapter as their primary chapter (44.6%) and allowing specialty assemblies to have a voice in AORN's governance (43.7%). Two out of five respondents (39.6%) favor replacing the current voting system based on chapter delegates with a one-member, one-vote system. Three out of 10 members (30.5%) support the idea that state councils should receive a voice equal to that of chapters. Four out of five members (79.2%) are “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with AORN overall. One in five is “neutral,” and only one in 28 is “dissatisfied.” continuing education, Respondents' level of satisfaction with specific components of AORN. (Source: AORN 2000 Member Needs Assessment Survey.) communication. representation of professional interests, national elected leadership, national professional staff, and elected chapter leadership. In conjunction with its 2000 Member Needs Assessment, AORN undertook a companion survey of former members and perioperative RNs that had never been AORN members. The survey instruments were highly similar, with modifications to eliminate questions that required member status to answer. The profile of nonmembers parallels that of members in almost all aspects, including gender, age, and professional background characteristics. A substantial number of non-member respondents consider themselves to be AORN members. One in eight (12.8%) checked “current member” as their status. Three out of five (62.2%) said they are former members. One in four (25%) acknowledged never having been a member. The primary reasons nonmembers never joined or have discontinued membership are the same as members who let their membership lapse at some point. The most commonly cited reason is financial. One-third of both nonmembers (34.1%) and members (32%) cite this as a reason for lapsed membership. The next most prevalent reasons, which received at least a double-digit response, include “other” and “not working as a perioperative RN.” Fewer than one in 10 had not joined or dropped membership because “AORN wasn't providing products and services that met my needs.” Like members, nonmembers say AORN does the “best job” in all 14 association performance areas covered in the survey. Establishing clinical standards and the AORN Journal top the list. Among nonmembers, four AORN products and services received high ratings in importance and satisfaction evaluations (Figure 4). These four products and services include Standards, Recommended Practices, and Guidelines; the AORN Journal; clinical consultation services; and AORN's Congress. The two top-rated items—Standards, Recommended Practices, and Guidelines and the AORN Journal—are familiar to and are used by more than nine our of 10 nonmembers. Respondents' rankings for importance of and satisfaction with AORN services and products. (Source: AORN RN Survey.) AORN conducted previous membership surveys in 1993 and 1997 as part of AORN's ongoing efforts to stay informed about members' needs and preferences. Results from the current survey will be used to analyze programs and services offered by AORN and to plan for the association's future. AORN's goal is to enhance member satisfaction with all existing products and services, while continuing ongoing efforts to identify products and services that best meet the needs of members and potential members.