As the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) concludes 2020, it is time to reflect on our successes and lessons learned. From pandemic education to addressing routine organizational responsibilities, ANPD continues to be an important source of information for the members served.
As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in 2020, it rapidly became the most significant event for 2020. This virus rocked our nation! Because of this uninvited guest to our world, ANPD had to cancel the April 2020 annual conference in Chicago. This was a difficult decision, as staff, committee, and board members, as well as ANPD members, had worked diligently to make this a successful conference. As an alternative to the live event, ANPD hosted its first ever virtual conference in September. Although it saddened the Board, ANPD staff, and Content Planning Committee to not see everyone in person, the virtual conference was an excellent opportunity to provide some of the key content and reenergize our membership. It provided synchronous and asynchronous learning, a live networking session, and as many as 18 nursing professional development (NPD) focused contact hours! Thank you to all who participated!
Throughout 2020, the ANPD continued to provide monthly educational offerings through webinars and provided needed resources to assist members in NPD practice. These webinars provided a variety of topics that helped with everyday functions of the NPD practitioner, including calculating value in NPD and preceptor development. The Frontline Nurse Leader course, offered through the ANPD Professional Development Center, was overhauled in 2020. Content included delegation, unit management, scope of practice, and other topics pertinent to the charge nurse role.
ANPD was able to offer COVID-19 resources such as environmental scanning with the "Response to COVID-19 Education Needs: Just in Time Learning" (King et al., 2020) and webinars including "Optimizing Nursing Staff During a Pandemic." Some other resources included "Tap Into Technology to Make Education More Accessible: Using Videos and QR Codes" and a 3-day free self-care (resiliency) webinar series focused on music therapy, mindfulness, and storytelling.
The commitment of our members to their own professional development is evident in the level of participation and interest in all the association has to offer. To meet the needs of our members, the ANPD was excited to transition the NPD certification preparation course into a virtual format, allowing better access to members across the globe! The ANPD continues to develop new quick reference guides, which are short, easy-to-absorb microlearning books on specific topics of interest to the NPD practitioner. You can buy one, or the whole set, on the ANPD website. Some other highlights for 2020 include the following:
* completed another cohort of the ANPD Leadership Academy;
* launched the inaugural Evidence-Based Practice Academy;
* collaborated with the American Nurses Credentialing Center to update the NPD certification credentials (NPD-BC);
* added the healthy work environment tract for the annual conference;
* collaborated with the Association of Critical Care Nurses to provide resources during the COVID-19 pandemic;
* integrated research into the preceptor roll, with over 1,400 participants;
* continued webinar offerings for Profession Development Associates;
* conducted an NPD scope and standards virtual cafe with 30 ANPD members from diverse backgrounds;
* created NPD forecast podcasts.
* partnered with Sigma Theta Tau to provide a webinar series that launched in October;
* developed an advanced NPD certification (NPDA-BC), coming in 2021; and
* planned the 2021 conference with the theme Aspire[horizontal ellipsis] to Inclusivity.
At the close of this year, ANPD looks forward to carrying this momentum into 2021. The ANPD is anticipating an even better year! The annual conference in Atlanta will be a great opportunity for us all to be back together again, networking and learning in community. Stay well, and see you in 2021!
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