Building Connections, Strengthening Chapters, and Finding My Voice

There’s nothing quite like the energy you feel when thousands of perioperative professionals come together in one place. AORN’s 2025 Expo in Boston has come and gone, and once again, it was an incredible experience! It was fantastic reconnecting with so many of my perioperative friends from around the world, meeting new ones, and even bumping into so many First Case fans!

So, what were my biggest takeaways from Expo this year?

There were many! But the biggest, by far, was the Chapter Support I found at Expo.

My local chapter (St. Louis 2602) recently revived itself, and I’m currently part of the leadership team, managing our social media accounts. This year, I was able to attend several chapter officer events, including the officer’s breakfast and talks in the officer’s lounge. I connected with other members who are also revitalizing their chapters. We shared our experiences, struggles, and brainstormed ways to overcome common challenges. If you think you're the only one facing a tough situation, trust me—you’re not alone. It was incredibly encouraging to know that others are navigating the same issues. We’ve committed to staying in touch to continue helping each other overcome obstacles and keep moving forward.

I also participated in the Forums and House of Delegates!

This was an exciting first for me! Sitting alongside my fellow Show Me State OR nurses, we connected with our sister chapter in Kansas City. Over the course of several days, we spent time together and decided to combine forces! We're now working together on statewide education initiatives and planning a regional conference. Seeing what other states have done—like Texas with TCORN and the success of the Southeast Conference—was so inspiring. It fired me up even more to bring AORN events to the Midwest and showcase the amazing perioperative nurses we have right here in the heartland.

While I was in one of the forums, something happened that made a BIG impression on me. During the forums, the states and countries present their delegate numbers, discuss various topics with AORN leadership, and members have the opportunity to ask questions or offer suggestions. One issue really caught my attention: AORN had sent out a member survey but had only received a 1.78% response rate, and the deadline was fast approaching! I mustered up the courage to step up to the microphone and suggest that the board extend the deadline to the end of the month, giving members more time to bring the survey back to their chapters and encourage participation. Guess what? The board listened! They extended the survey deadline until April 30th.

This moment really stood out to me because it showed that our voices really do matter. It’s easy to assume that national leadership doesn’t hear or act on member input, but this experience proved the opposite. I’m so grateful for that and feel even more connected to the organization because of it.

I could keep writing about all my Expo experiences, but these are a few of the highlights that made a lasting impact on me. This was my third year attending, and while I came home absolutely exhausted (like I said back in March—this is NOT a vacation!), you better believe I’m already counting down the days until New Orleans 2026. Will I see you there?

See you in the Big Easy!

Lindsey