An annual business or membership meeting is a great opportunity for any organization to recap its activities and accomplishments with its members. For an organization such as ANPD, with members spread across the country and beyond, it's a chance to remind everyone of our shared purpose and also to get feedback to make sure the organization remains responsive to the needs of the members it serves.
ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING
In an effort to connect with all ANPD members, the annual membership/business meeting was not held onsite at the annual convention as usual in 2013. Instead, the meeting was conducted via Webcast on November 1, 2013, during the Fall Board Meeting held at ANPD's management company headquarters in Chicago, IL. This allowed all ANPD members, not just those who were able to attend convention, to participate. Members had the opportunity to ask and have questions answered as part of the meeting format.
President Kathleen Dunn-Cane opened the meeting by introducing the ANPD Board of Directors. Ann Colvin, ANPD Treasurer, shared the 2012-2013 Financial Report, which included a historical overview of expenses, a report of net assets for the organization, a review of income, and a future forecast. The ANPD finances underwent a complete audit, and it was noted that we are in a strong financial position to continue the work of the organization.
Kathleen shared several accomplishments for ANPD in the past year including the hiring of Mary Harper, PhD, RN-BC, as the first Director of Nursing Professional Development for ANPD. Having a professional of Dr. Harper's caliber overseeing this part of the organization's mission helps to ensure an increasing level of quality and allows us to move forward strategically at an accelerated pace.
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
Besides the ANPD Convention in Dallas in July, ANPD was instrumental in other educational endeavors this past year. ANPD provided 13 certification review courses at different locations across the country. The ANPD Webinar series, an exciting new service that premiered in 2013, will continue this year! Last year's Webinars included a variety of topics and were well received with many of the sessions having over 100 attendees each. The ongoing goal is to provide a variety of topics that meet specific development needs of those charged with NPD responsibilities and make them available in a convenient format.
PUBLICATIONS
The Fourth Edition of the Core Curriculum for Nursing Professional Development was published in July 2013. The Core Curriculum is a valuable resource for NPD specialists and educators, providing a comprehensive overview of professional development practice as well as being a helpful study guide for certification review. Sandra Bruce, MSN, RN-BC, and ANPD Past President, was the editor for the Core Curriculum fourth edition that is available in the online store on the ANPD Web site (http://www.anpd.org).
Director Susan Bindon shared the news that the Journal for Nurses in Professional Development went electronic this year (http://jnpdonline.com). Besides resulting in a significant cost savings for our organization, this change answers a frequent request from subscribers. A print copy of the journal is still available for a minimal extra cost for those who prefer a hard copy format. The Journal for Nurses in Professional Development mobile application is readily available for a variety of mobile devices including smart phones and tablets. Many users find it very convenient and user-friendly.
ANPD COMMITTEES AND MEMBER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Kathleen thanked the committees and committee chairs. The work done by the ANPD member volunteers on these committees is invaluable. Their work, often done on evenings and weekends, is significant and reflective of their commitment to the success of our organization and to the advancement of the profession. The Education Committee was co-chaired by Judith Bowling, MSN, RN, MHA, and Debra Liebig, BSN, RN, MLA. This group serves a key role in identifying educational topics and potential speakers for Webinars and also added needs assessment activities to both convention and Webinar evaluations. The Nominating Committee, responsible for producing a slate of candidates for ANPD elections, was led by Barbara Brunt, MA, MN, RN-BC, NE-BC. The Research Committee was co-led by Abby Kurtz, EdD, RN, and Susan MacArthur, EdD, MSN, RN, FNP-BC. The key purpose of the Research Committee is to facilitate the grants program and to support NPD research. The Recognition Committee, which coordinates and reviews applications for recognition awards, was led by Roxanne Bowers, BSN, RN-BC. The Program Planning Committee, led by Nicole Gooding, MSHS, BN, RN, was responsible for planning of the annual convention. Heather Lary, MSN, RN-BC, and Eileen Engh, MSN, RN-BC, CPN, co-chair the Public Policy Committee. This past year, this group authored a white paper, "The Role of Nursing Professional Development in Helping Meet Institute of Medicine's Future of Nursing Recommendations," which is available on the ANPD Web site (http://anpd.org). Tina Spagnola, MSN, RN-BC, is the Chair of the Products and Services Committee. This group is charged with reviewing current products and identifying new ones to meet the needs of ANPD members.
Director Chris Wilson acknowledged this year's ANPD research grant recipients. Those recipients include Sharon Meadow, Director of Education and Professional Development from Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital in Kingsville, Maryland, for her study "Outcome Measures Related to Pediatric Cardio Respiratory Mock Codes: Establishing Reliability and Validity." The second grant recipient is Heather Bradley, MSN, RN, a clinical nurse specialist from Baptist Health in Lexington, KY, for her work on "Preceptor Program Assessment." The third recipient is Kathy Chappell, Assistant Director of Accreditation from ANCC in Silver Spring, Maryland, for her work, "The Relationship Between Individual Characteristics of New Graduate Nurse Transition Programs and Clinical Leadership Skills." Congratulations and thanks to all of these individuals as they work to increase the body of knowledge unique to our professional specialty.
After reminding members that next year's annual convention, "Aspire to Innovation," will be held at the Disney Coronado Springs resort in Orlando, Florida, on July 16-19, 2014, and encouraging us to follow ANPD activity both on the ANPD Web site and on the ANPD Facebook page, the annual business meeting was adjourned. A recording of the business meeting will be available on the ANPD Web site.
LOOKING FORWARD TO 2014
ANPD will continue to be active and productive in the coming year. The 2014 edition of Getting Started in Nursing Professional Development will be available soon. Certification review courses and other educational opportunities and products will continue to be offered. ANPD committees, while adding members and, in some cases, changing leadership, will stay busy and productive. Look forward to another white paper from the Public Policy Committee, a refocusing of the Research Committee, and another ballot of leadership candidates produced by the Nominating Committee. New ideas including a speaker's bureau are being proposed by the Products and Services Committee. We will continue to see coordination of annual awards by the Recognition Committee and, of course, another fabulous convention organized by the Program Planning Committee. The Education Committee has planning for the 2014 Webinar series well underway.
As we move forward into this new year, full of both uncertainty and possibilities, having a professional organization that is responsive to members and committed to the advancement of our specialty is essential. Your active involvement is a great way to have your voice heard. Please feel free to share your thoughts by contacting the ANPD office at [email protected]. We look forward to the year ahead and a continued opportunity to serve.