ANSELLCARES ACCEPTED AS A GLOBAL STANDARD FOR CONTINUED EDUCATION FOR OR NURSING STAFF

Red Bank (NJ, US) - Brussels (BE) - After receiving earlier confirmation of acceptance by its US counterpart (AORN), the AnsellCaresSM educational courses have now also received confirmation of acceptance by the European Operating Room Nurses Association. (EORNA).

The announcement was made at last week's International EORNA Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark. EORNA received attendees from all over the world, including representatives from all major Operating Room Nurses Associations globally.

AnsellCaresSM educational courses were announced as the first courses offered under the newly launched EORNA Accreditation Council for Education (ACE). Nurses can access the offering thru the EORNA Academy (online via www.eorna.eu). Courses and tests can be taken online, delivering final results and accreditation points through an EORNA ACE certificate.

"EORNA wholeheartedly backs the high quality and thoroughness of the AnsellCaresSM programs. They effectively package best practice for nursing professionals," says Irini Antoniadou, President of EORNA. "Following the example of Ansell Healthcare, we are happy to see that other leading industry partners have announced their commitment to equally support the EORNA Academy offering."

In 2002, AnsellCaresSM educational programs were approved by the American Association of periOperative Registered Nurses-AORN. Ansell Healthcare clinical consultants, (many Registered Nurses) regularly contribute to both EORNA and the American Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) through publications and conferences.

"Our presentations last week at the International OR Nurses Congress in Denmark have demonstrated our ongoing commitment to support the healthcare community across the globe," says Werner Heintz, Regional Director of Ansell Healthcare Europe N.V. "In today's volatile and challenging times, it is even more important for the industry to provide the healthcare community with ‘easy to access' educational resources, so that the available resources can secure the quality standards of protection. Our partnership with the OR Nurses globally aims at establishing exactly that."

About Ansell

Ansell Limited is a global leader in protection solutions and is over 114 years old. With operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia, Ansell employs more than 11,000 people worldwide and holds leading positions in the natural latex and synthetic polymer glove and condom markets. Ansell operates in three main business segments: Occupational Healthcare, supplying hand protection to the industrial market; Professional Healthcare, supplying surgical and examination gloves to healthcare professionals; and Consumer Healthcare, supplying sexual health products and consumer hand protection. Information on Ansell and its products can be found at http://www.ansell.com/ or at http://www.ansell.eu/.

About AnsellCares

The AnsellCaresSM international educational programme was established by Ansell Healthcare in 1992, in a bid to provide a safer working and living environment while promoting good health and well being. The programme consists of a series of on-line and off-line research and educational resources on infection control, hand hygiene and the prevention and treatment of latex allergies. AnsellCaresSM has adopted an advisory role on skin and personal protection issues for the healthcare professionals and at-risk populations, and comes endorsed by reputable independent allergy and medical experts from around the globe, including leading scientists, physicians, educators and researchers.

On-line AnsellCaresSM resources, delivered via courses, lectures, seminars, white papers and other multimedia content, are continuously updated, catering healthcare professionals with free-of-charge educational resources at http://www.anselleurope.com/medical/index.cfm?lang=EN at http://www.ansellhealthcare.com/temps/university/ansellcares/index.cfm

About EORNA

A non-for-profit association, the European Operating Room Nurses Association (EORNA) was founded in 1980, and today consists of 24 member associations, representing 50,000 Healthcare professionals. EORNA exists to enhance and develop perioperative patient care across Europe. It does so by promoting and maintaining a high standard of perioperative patient care; by being the influential voice of perioperative nurses in Europe; and by linking and collaborating with relevant European and international organizations. One of the EORNA's most important educational activities is EORNA ACE, the Accreditation Council for Education. An overview of EORNA ACE is available from the website http://www.eorna.eu/.

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