Many healthcare professionals and laypeople might be surprised to learn that nursing professional development (NPD) is a board-certified specialty recognized since 1953. Nursing professional development practitioners have their own scope and standards of practice and have defined NPD as "specialized nursing practice that facilitates the professional role development and growth of nurses and other healthcare personnel along the continuum from novice to expert" (p. 6). As a specialty, NPD practitioners fill a wide variety of roles within healthcare, including:
- Learning facilitator
- Change Agent
- Mentor
- Leader
- Champion of scientific inquiry
- Advocate for the NPD specialty
- Partner for practice transitions
The Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) is a professional organization aimed at advancing the specialty practice of nursing professional development to improve healthcare outcomes.1 Every year in September, the ANPD and NPD practitioners around the world celebrate Nursing Professional Development Week. This week-long celebration (September 10-16, 2023) allows us to recognize the exceptional work done by NPD team members across the globe.
The Iowa Online Nurse Residency Program (IONRP) would like to take this week to thank our NPD partners for their countless contributions to improving healthcare outcomes for patients through their work. We would also like to take this week to recognize the fantastic NPD practitioners who comprise the IONRP team. ANPD challenged NPD practitioners to celebrate their diverse roles and passions by sharing a photo holding a piece of paper with a word they use to describe their professional identities, and we thought it would be fun to share that with all of you. Throughout the week of September 10, we will introduce you to our IONRP team members, their diverse backgrounds, and the words they use to guide their practice. Keep an eye on our social media and help us celebrate their tremendous work.
Nicole Weathers, MSN, RN, NPD-BC
Iowa Online Nurse Residency Program Manager
nicole-weathers@uiowa.edu
Dickerson, P. (ed.). (2017) Core curriculum for nursing professional development. (5th ed.). Association of Nursing Professional Development