Outpatient Surgery

What Outpatient Surgery does

AORN is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional nursing association founded in 1954 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado. It serves more than 40,000 perioperative registered nurses, healthcare facilities, and ambulatory surgery centers through evidence-based clinical guidelines, standardized education programs, and the largest surgical conference in the world. Its core offerings center on the AORN Guidelines for Perioperative Practice (the recognized gold standard for OR safety), which it distributes via the eGuidelines Plus digital platform with implementation tools such as audit, gap analysis, customizable policy templates, and competency assessments.

The product portfolio spans Periop 101 (a hybrid novice nurse onboarding curriculum combining online learning, skills labs, and clinical practicums), the AORN CineMed Video Library (40+ evidence-based courses and 1,500+ procedure videos), and the bundled Perioperative Essentials Bundle combining the three. AORN also publishes the peer-reviewed AORN Journal, operates The Stitch digital hub for novice nurses, runs the Center for Perioperative Leadership, and licenses AORN Syntegrity (EHR guideline integration). The Outpatient Surgery Magazine sub-brand was discontinued effective November 1, 2025.

Revenue is generated through multiple streams: tiered individual membership dues (standard U.S. $125/year, down from $170; international Tier 1 $105 / Tier 2 $55 / Tier 3 $35 based on World Bank classifications), facility-wide eGuidelines Plus and bundle subscriptions sold via enterprise sales, the annual Global Surgical Conference & Expo (with 350+ exhibitors and registration fees), corporate partnerships and sponsorships with medical device companies (Stryker, Intuitive, and the new Mission Partner Program), education/course fees, and channel partnerships with Chamberlain University, MGH Institute of Health Professions, and Nurses Service Organization (NSO). Go-to-market combines event-driven acquisition (Expo), community-led growth (200+ chapters, 20 state councils, specialty assemblies, Periop Corner), and sales-led enterprise motions targeting hospitals, health systems, and ASCs.

Name

Outpatient Surgery

Legal name

AORN Inc.

Website

https://aorn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AORN is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional association serving 40,000+ perioperative nurses through evidence-based clinical guidelines, the Periop 101 curriculum, eGuidelines Plus subscriptions, the CineMed Video Library, and the largest annual surgical conference in the world.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Perioperative Nursing Professional Association and Publications

NAICS

Ambulatory Health Care Services (621), Outpatient Care Centers (6214)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Perioperative Anesthesia Services & Management (HLAFAIAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Multi-Specialty Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) (HLAFAIAA)

Keywords

• Perioperative nursing education
• Surgical clinical guidelines
• Ambulatory surgery news
• Nursing continuing education
• Perioperative practice resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Malvern

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for perioperative nurses with tiered pricing for U.S. ($125 annually), international (Tier 1: $105, Tier 2: $55, Tier 3: $35), group/organizational memberships, and leader membership upgrades. Starting at $11.99/month.
2. Conference & Expo Registration: Annual Global Surgical Conference & Expo events featuring education sessions, exhibits, and networking. Members receive up to 25% discount on registration.
3. eGuidelines Plus Subscriptions: Facility-wide digital subscriptions for access to guidelines, implementation tools, and compliance resources. Includes policy templates and audit tools.
4. Perioperative Essentials Bundle: Combined subscription bundle including Periop 101, eGuidelines Plus, and CineMed Video Library at discounted bundled pricing for facilities.
5. Corporate Partnerships & Sponsorship: Vendor partnership programs for medical device companies including exhibit space, sponsorships, advertising, and market research surveys at the annual Expo.
6. Education & Course Fees: Fees for Prep for CNOR course, leadership programs, specialty courses, and recorded webinars. Professional development courses at Center for Perioperative Leadership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Outpatient Surgery was a monthly publication providing clinical, management, and product information for physicians, nurses, and administrators in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). The publication was discontinued effective November 1, 2025, as part of AORN Inc.'s portfolio of perioperative nursing education, clinical guidelines, and professional development resources.

Product overview

Outpatient Surgery was a publication within the AORN ecosystem, not a standalone product. The broader AORN portfolio centers on perioperative nursing education and clinical resources, comprising eGuidelines Plus (evidence-based guideline subscription), Periop 101 (core competency curriculum), and the AORN CineMed Video Library (visual training library), which are also bundled together as the Perioperative Essentials Bundle. Supporting offerings include AORN Syntegrity (EHR integration), the AORN Journal (peer-reviewed publication), The Stitch (novice nurse digital hub), and the Center for Perioperative Leadership (leadership development platform).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• eGuidelines Plus: Online facility subscription providing access to AORN Guidelines for Perioperative Practice with implementation tools and resources
• Periop 101
• Perioperative Essentials Bundle
• AORN CineMed Video Library
• Center for Perioperative Leadership
• Outpatient Surgery Magazine
• AORN Journal
• The Stitch
• Periop Life

Products and services

• Outpatient Surgery Magazine Monthly publication providing clinical, management, and product information for physicians, nurses, and administrators working in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Discontinued November 1, 2025.
• eGuidelines Plus

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% increase in self-confidence and 50% reduction in anxiety at 3-month mark with Periop 101 boot camp implementation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• StrykercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsorship partner for AORN leadership events and educational content. Panel discussions on OR technology evaluation, equipment needs assessment, and business case development for new technology adoption. Additional sponsorship of programs cultivating new nurse recruitment through community-focused initiatives.
• IntuitivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsorship partner for AORN events covering OR optimization through strategic alignment, infrastructure, staffing, and data utilization. Multi-disciplinary panel discussions on optimizing OR efficiency, safety, and performance. Partnership on creating unified environments for operational and clinical goal alignment.
• Chamberlain UniversitysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation partnership offering AORN members 10% tuition savings, waived application and transcript fees, complimentary transcript request service, and free upfront formal evaluation. Programs include RN to BSN, RN to BSN to MSN Bridge, Accelerated RN to MSN, MSN specialty tracks, and DNP.
• MGH Institute of Health ProfessionssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation partnership providing AORN members with 20% tuition discount on TRIP-eligible courses, certificates, and degree programs including Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Certificate of Advanced Study in Nursing, Post-BSN MS in Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice, and MS in Leadership in Nursing Education.
• Nurses Service Organization (NSO)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional liability insurance partnership offering $1M per incident/$6M aggregate coverage, $25K license protection, rates starting at $131/year. New graduates save up to 60% first year, 40% second year, 20% third year. Additional 10% savings for three years by completing 6.0 CH at AORN Expo.
• CineMedcoreTechnology or IntegrationVideo content partnership providing AORN CineMed Video Library with 40+ evidence-based courses filmed in live surgical settings. Also includes 90+ 1-minute Perioperative Clips for quick procedural reference. Aligned with AORN Guidelines for competency development.
• AORN SyntegritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegration with AORN Syntegrity EHR content system, enabling access to evidence-based recommendations from AORN Guidelines through static hyperlinks within the Syntegrity platform.
• Pfiedler EducationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated organization under AORN providing continuing education and professional development resources for perioperative nursing.
• AORN FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit foundation supporting AORN's mission through scholarship programs, grants, and initiatives representing the community. Accepts donations for funding perioperative nursing education and research.
• Nurses on Boards Coalition (NOBC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAORN is a proud member and supporter working to build healthier communities by increasing the presence of nurses on corporate, health-related boards, panels, and commissions.
• Healthy Workforce InstitutesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on self-study course for cultivating supportive and respectful workforce culture with tactics critical for effective leadership on the frontline.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN): Specialty nursing association with a comparable member-funded model (dues, certification like CCRN, conferences, CE library) targeting a single nursing specialty — directly analogous to AORN's CNOR and perioperative positioning.
• American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN): Nursing association focused on ambulatory/outpatient care delivery, including ASC settings; offers education, certification, and publications analogous to AORN's perioperative suite.
• Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD): Specialty nursing organization providing education, certification, and curriculum resources (including onboarding curriculum design) — overlaps with AORN's Periop 101 and Center for Perioperative Leadership offerings.
• Sigma (Sigma Theta Tau International): Global nursing honor society and professional development organization offering conferences, journals, and leadership programs for nurse members — closely parallels AORN's conference + journal + leadership education model.
• American Nurses Association: The largest U.S. professional association for registered nurses; uses a similar membership, advocacy, continuing education, and conference-based model to serve a broader but overlapping nursing audience.

Emerging players

• HealthStream: Enterprise healthcare workforce learning and credentialing platform competing head-on with AORN's Periop 101 and bundled subscriptions for hospital training budgets; a key commoditization threat.
• Relias: Healthcare-focused online training and compliance SaaS for hospitals and post-acute facilities; competes for the same onboarding and continuing-education budget that AORN's eGuidelines Plus targets.

Broad incumbents

• National League for Nursing (NLN): Larger nursing education and faculty association with membership, accreditation, conferences, and CE; comparable institutional buyer base to AORN's hospital and academic medical center customers.
• Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA): The leading ASC industry association serving the same ASC administrators and clinical leaders that AORN targets with eGuidelines Plus and ASC-specific courses; represents the facility side of AORN's customer segment.
• Elsevier Clinical Solutions: Publisher of clinical reference content (incl. nursing) and operator of clinical decision support integrated into EHRs — a large, diversified competitor to AORN's guideline and Syntegrity products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/outpatientsurg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AORNonline
• Facebookfacebook.com/outpatientsurgery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/outpatientsurgerymag
• Instagraminstagram.com/aornonline

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Outpatient Surgery