The power of a Nursing Professional Development (NPD) practitioner is paramount – yet often misunderstood. As an NPD practitioner, perhaps you may find yourself stumbling over the common question ‘What do you do for work?’ because your role is multifaceted and complex.
My NPD journey began in 2014, when the clinical education team was expanding at the organization where I was working. I didn’t know what the role entailed, and I was relatively new to the organization. One of the charge nurses encouraged me to apply for the position - so I did. And I got it. I grew into the role alongside another nurse, who was also new to NPD. Together, we leaned on internal and external resources to understand what it truly meant to be an NPD practitioner.
A quick Google search for NPD defined yields ‘a nurse who works to enhance the knowledge, skills, and competencies of nurses and other healthcare professionals, ultimately improving patient and organizational outcomes’ and ‘an individual that supports the transition of nurses and other healthcare team members across learning and practice environments’ (Brunt, B., & Morris, M., 2022). Both of those definitions integrate the idea of support and education for nurses and other healthcare professionals.
NPD practitioners have a scope and standard, along with role delineation, outlined by the Association for Nurses in Professional Development. NPD practitioners are responsible for designing educational activities that address practice gaps. They also often have roles and responsibilities in onboarding and orientation, including fellowship and/or nurse residency programs. NPD practitioners encourage lifelong learning, while eliciting excitement about education, quality improvement, and evidence-based practice. They influence nurses (and other healthcare professionals), experienced and those transitioning into practice. What a powerful role.
In celebration of NPD week, September 14-20, we celebrate our Nursing Professional Development practitioners. We dedicate our September episode of the Beyond Nurse Residency podcast to sharing a couple of our incredible NPD practitioners.
To every NPD practitioner—thank you. Your dedication, creative spirit, unwavering support, and infectious enthusiasm elevate the nursing profession. Because of you, lifelong learning thrives, transitions become smoother, and quality improvement never stops. The nursing profession wouldn’t be the same without you.
Jessica Ociepka, MSN, RN-BC
Iowa Online Nurse Residency Program Coordinator
jessica-ociepka@uiowa.edu
References
Brunt, B., & Morris, M. (2022). Nursing professional development. Stat Pearls, NCBI Bookshelf. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK531482/