History
In the Beginning
In the spring of 1966 a group of nurses attending a seminar on OR nursing, met and decided to form an OR nurses group. An executive of four nurses were elected and with a budget of approximately $40.00 (collected from the nurses present) we began.
At the May Executive meeting of 1966 a Constitution and Bylaws were drafted, the name of the group selected (BCORNG), and the frequency of a provincial conference and provincial business meeting were established at two-year intervals. Seven provincial regions were established and the first membership cards were issued for an annual fee of $1.00, some of which was used by the provincial executive for BCORNG business and the rest was given back to the members region.
The purpose of the organization was to further the education of OR nurses, and stimulate interest in our own "clinical field". In 1970 the BCORNG emblem was born out of a province-wide request for submissions. The provincial flower, the dogwood, combined with surgical instruments was chosen.
50 Years: Our History, Reflections, and Stories
A complete history of BCORNG/PRNABC
Today
Now we operate in much the same manner in that the purposes of the organization are: to promote the highest quality of perioperative nursing to our patients; to promote and facilitate opportunities for continuous learning and professional development; and to promote and support the mission, values, visions and goals of ORNAC.
However, in 2009 we incorporated as a non-profit association under the Society Act and our name and logo changed. Much of our transformation was guided by strategic planning we embarked upon for the first time in 2008 which incorporated results from a membership survey. Please have a look at our Vision, Mission, and Values that were part of our update.
Most recently, in the spring of 2021, we held a Special Resolution meeting for the Society to change its name to the Perioperative Nurses Association of BC and become the first provincial council of ORNAC to include Licensed Practical Nurses as full provincial members.
If you would like more information about the history of PNABC, please contact our historian at historian@pnabc.ca.