NEWS BULLETIN:  THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PERIANESTHESIA NURSES OF CANADA, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PERIANESTHESIA NURSES, THE BRITISH ANAESTHETIC RECOVERY NURSES ASSOCIATION AND THE IRISH ANESTHETIC AND RECOVERY NURSES ASSOCIATION are leading an effort to determine the interest in an international perianesthesia nurses conference.  Please click on this link:  International Conference,  to learn more and to complete a short survery to cast your vote!

OPANA is the acronym which stands for the "Ontario PeriAnesthesia Nurses Association".  This is the province of Ontario's only non-profit professional nursing association serving nurses who provide patient care, including Pre-Anesthetic care, in all areas of health care where all types of anesthetics are administered. 

These areas include, but are not limited to:

• Pre-Admission Clinics

• Ambulatory Clinics

• Post Anesthetic Care Units (PACU)

• Day Surgery Units

• Free Standing Dental and Plastic Surgery Clinics

• Endoscopy Units

• Cystoscopy Units

• Labour and Delivery Units

• Any other area of health care where local, general or regional anesthetics or sedation are given to patients undergoing a wide variety of treatments or surgery.

The purpose of OPANA is to lead the province's perianesthesia nurses through perianesthesia nursing education and practice standards with applied research.  This is accomplished through communication, networking, knowledge exchange, use of evidence-based research and incorporating them ultimately into Practice Standards.

Goals: 

1) To be the resource for perianesthesia education throughout the province of Ontario and beyond;

2)  To influence patient safety, practice standards and public policy;

3)  To utilize relevant evidence-based practice and research to conduct educational sessions for its membership and associated interested parties.

In the late 1990's, OPANA worked with other Canadian provinces to organize a national association which would reflect the principles that OPANA and other provincial associations believed in.  In 2002, the National Association of PeriAnesthesia Nurses of Canada (NAPAN©) was officially recognized by the Canadian Nurses Association.  This Canadian body of perianesthesia nurses advocates for our clients from a national perspective.  All OPANA members are automatically members of NAPAN© and a portion of the OPANA membership fee goes towards supporting this national association. 

OPANA is working towards developing a certification exam in collaboration with associated professional groups (i.e., CNA, NAPAN©).