What Does AORN Membership Include and How Can I Try It?

Updated

AORN (the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses) membership gives perioperative nurses access to evidence-based guidelines, guideline implementation tools, continuing education (CNE), and community support. If you're new to AORN, the site advertises a trial: 2 months of full access for just $1, described as no risk and cancel anytime. That trial offer is the fastest way to evaluate whether the resources fit your practice before committing.

What the membership provides

Based on AORN's own description of the offer, the $1 trial includes:

  • Guideline implementation tools — practical tools for applying AORN's evidence-based guidelines in your facility
  • CNE (continuing education) — credited education relevant to perioperative practice
  • 24/7 support from a perioperative community — ongoing access to peers and professional support

AORN's broader mission, as stated on the site, is to define standards that help keep healthcare workers and surgical patients safe while providing education and resources for high-quality care. Membership is positioned as the way to advance your perioperative practice.

Resources tied to membership

The site's navigation points to several member-facing areas:

Resource What it appears to be
AORN Journal The association's professional publication
Store Purchasable products and materials
Career Hub Career and job-related resources
Periop Corner Community/content area
My AORN Member account area
AORN Syntegrity AORN product line
AORN Foundation Foundation arm
Pfiedler Education Education partner

Note that the site does not state which of these require membership versus separate purchase or login. Treat the table as a map of what exists, not a guarantee of what's included at no extra cost.

Education and courses mentioned on the site

AORN highlights several education offerings with credit hours:

  • A hybrid course for labor and delivery nurses who participate in Cesarean section procedures — 36.4 CH, 36.4 AEU, 9.7 IPCH — described as providing the clinical foundation for safe surgical practice
  • Periop 101 OR — an online course preparing novice nurses for the operating room, part of the full Periop 101 Program — 39.8 CH, 39.8 AEU, 10.8 IPCH
  • An online facility subscription providing access to the most current AORN Guidelines for Perioperative Practice, with a complete set of implementation tools to standardize techniques facility-wide

These are listed as education products; the site does not indicate whether they are included in individual membership or priced separately.

How to try it

  1. Go to aorn.org and look for the "New to AORN? Try AORN Membership for Just $1" prompt on the homepage.
  2. Select the trial offer ("Start Your Trial Today").
  3. Complete the sign-up process. The site states the trial covers 2 months of full access and can be canceled anytime.

Expected result: full member access for two months at $1, with the ability to cancel.

Common sticking points

  • Pricing beyond the trial isn't shown in the source material. The site advertises the $1 trial but does not list standard membership rates here, so check the join/renew page for current pricing.
  • Course vs. membership inclusion is unclear. The credit-bearing courses and facility subscription may be separate purchases. Confirm before assuming the trial covers them.
  • Login is required for member areas. "My AORN" and "Log In" appear in the navigation, so expect an account gate on personalized resources.
  • Cookie consent appears first. The site uses necessary cookies plus optional ones for ads, content, and analytics; you can accept or close before browsing.

If your goal is simply to read the guidelines and use the implementation tools, the $1 trial is a low-cost way to test access. If you need CNE credits for licensure, verify that the specific courses you want are reachable through the trial before it ends.