2015 is well underway-with new goals and opportunities for nursing professional development (NPD). Many organizations have recently launched new goals, which provides strategic opportunities for NPD specialists. I am energized by the opportunities we have to influence the care environment for our patients and staff. We are transformational leaders.
Our complex healthcare environment requires increased focus on return on investment, as the public seeks the highest levels of quality, safety, and service. As NPD specialists, we can capitalize on these opportunities. Nurses are key to advancing healthcare improvements. NPD specialists are key to advancing nursing practice. We have the opportunities to raise questions, plan effectively, and evaluate sustainability. NPD specialists are in unique positions to influence and leverage our expertise to promote the provision of safe quality care.
Our NPD practice includes focusing on evidence-based practice (EBP) and practice-based evidence (PBE). The Nursing Professional Development Specialist Practice Model (American Nurses Association & National Nursing Staff Development Organization, 2010) exhibits EBP, science to service, and PBE, practice to science, as throughputs to the NPD process and the core of the NPD model.
As I partner with NPD colleagues across the country, I am continually impressed with the level of insight, expertise, and commitment of our specialty. I see the excitement when our colleagues share their focus on the following:
[Black Square] Championing bedside nurses to engage in PBE
[Black Square] Mentoring new authors to share practice innovations
[Black Square] Developing dedicated education units
[Black Square] Redesigning comprehensive nurse residency programs with proven return on investment
[Black Square] Establishing innovative academic-practice partnerships
NPD specialists can continually seek opportunities to be at the decision-making table, and to make the most of being there. We can capitalize on the unique opportunities we have to influence decisions in our organizations by articulating EBP and PBE. For example, promoting the highest level of nursing practice may include sharing that Magnet hospitals are significantly more likely to be early adopters of the National Quality Forum's Safe Practices for Better Healthcare (Lindrooth, Jayawardhana, Scanlon, & Welton, 2013).
I encourage you to nurture and articulate that EBP and PBE enhance the quality and service of nursing care, and to promote the expertise of your nurses. Leverage your knowledge gained from EBP and PBE featured in the Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, dialogue with colleagues, and partner with expert staff and leaders. In dealing with the complexity of care delivery, we facilitate nurses to broaden their focus beyond tasks and to continually innovate. We are transformational leaders advancing health care.
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