The Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) staff, board, and committee volunteers have been hard at work to expand our footprint and scope of influence. In late 2021, two new programs were launched that are intended to do just that. The ANPD is excited to now offer an Advanced Nursing Professional Development Certification and the Preceptor Certificate of Mastery (COM).
Through environmental scanning, ANPD recognized that members desired an advanced certification for nursing professional development (NPD). The Competency and Credentialing Institute launched the Nursing Professional Development Advanced-Board Certified credential (NPDA-BC) in October 2021 (ANPD, 2021b). The NPDA-BC certification is a portfolio-based method of certification and requires recertification every 5 years. Portfolio content for this advanced recognition involves the following:
* professional curriculum vitae/resume that supports the portfolio contents and
* evidence of addressing all NPD roles, responsibilities, and standards at the NPD specialist level,
three exemplars, each demonstrating advanced NPD practice within the past 5 years in one NPD responsibility (template provided), and
responsibility table providing evidence of demonstrating advanced NPD practice in the responsibilities not covered in the three exemplars (template provided; https://www.anpd.org/p/cm/ld/fid=1736).
Through this advanced certification, the NPD professional demonstrates specific roles and responsibilities achieved (ANPD, 2021c).
Another need recognized through environmental scanning involved precepting. ANPD identified that no nursing specialty organization "owned" preceptor development, nor were any focused on a specialty designation for preceptors. Although the evidence shows that focusing on preceptor development and support improves outcomes for both patients and new hires, there is no national standard for preceptor competence (Harper et al., 2021; Kennedy, 2019; Senyk & Staffalino, 2017). Who better to step into this void than the organization focused on the growth, development, and succession planning for NPD practitioners? Preceptors are a natural first step into the world of NPD, and frequently, they choose to take that path to further their career goals.
The ANPD Preceptor COM recognizes the role of the preceptor as a subspecialty within nursing and honors the work and passion it takes to be a high-quality preceptor (ANPD, 2021a). The process to achieve the designation focuses on key preceptor competencies, which include communication skills, clinical expertise, enthusiasm, and learning facilitation. To achieve the designation, preceptors will submit a portfolio, with supporting evidence, to demonstrate their expertise in the seven defined roles of a preceptor. Nurses interested in the Preceptor COM can visit the ANPD's website to obtain the handbook and submit a preapproval form (ANPD, 2021a).
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