As of March 2022, the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) published the new and revised scope and standards for our profession. The process for this revision started in 2019, with ANPD aligning with the American Nurses Association (ANA) guidelines to review, revise, and update the current scope and standards. The Nursing Professional Development: Scope and Standards, 4th Edition (Harper & Maloney, 2022b) reflected the work of a diverse group of nursing professional development (NPD) practitioners who reviewed previous editions of scope and standards, the ANA guidelines, research conducted by Harper and Maloney, and additional literature. Finally, the ANPD Board and Directors and the ANPD constituency had opportunities to provide comments about the new edition prior to its go live in spring 2022. Finally, the ANA Committee on Nursing Practice Standards reviewed the document and accepted the Scope and Standards. At the 2022 ANPD Annual ANPD Convention in March, the Scope and Standards workgroup presented their work, and ANPD released the book for purchase!
Just as nursing continues to advance with the changing healthcare landscape. NPD roles and responsibilities continue to evolve. The updated Scope and Standards delineates our scope of practice, as well as standards and competencies for NPD. There was no change to the evidence-based roles and responsibilities of the NPD practitioner; however, change agent and consultation were included to align with standards supported by the ANA (2021). Another addition included the term of practice judgment into the standards.
The new edition's model for practice still envisions the NPD responsibilities as integral parts of the employing organization's mission and vision. The organization's mission and vision emphasize the guiding principles for making decisions and setting priorities. The revised standards support the system practice model composed of inputs, throughputs, and outputs. Inputs focused on the NPD practitioner, who continuously conducts environmental scanning, and the learner. Inputs consist of items imported from the external environment, which may include supplies or human resources. Throughputs are the processes that occur within the system to transform the inputs. The throughputs occur in the practice and learning environments and still include the seven NPD roles and six key areas of responsibility.
The seven roles include learning facilitator, change agent, mentor, leader, champion for inquiry, advocate for NPD specialty, and partner for practice transitions. Areas of NPD responsibility still include (a) onboarding and orientation, (b) competency management, (c) education, (d) role development, (e) collaborative partnerships, and (f) inquiry. The standards of practice serve as the center of the model, with the cogs on the central gear of the standards representing the NPD roles. Responsibilities are in a circle outside the cogs, signifying that NPD practitioners can engage any of the roles simultaneously as they guide the learner toward the desired outcomes. Outputs include learning, change, and professional role competence and growth, which contribute to optimal care and health and the protection of the public (Harper & Maloney, 2022b; see Figure 1).
The standards of practice, Standards 1-6, have expanded to include NPD "initiatives" that include competencies that differentiate the NPD practitioner and NPD specialist roles. The standards of professional performance, Standards 7-18, include new standards on advocacy, communication, and environmental health. All standards incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion as a primary focus in all areas of NPD practice (Harper & Maloney, 2022a). ANPD is excited to see how NPD practitioners operationalize the new Scope and Standards!
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