Development of Nurses
Nursing Professional Development Practitioners Are Key to Organizational Success
Nursing Professional Development (NPD) practitioners are nurses who support workforce members across the continuum and develop individuals, teams and departments so they are prepared to provide optimal care for patients. This specialty work focuses on onboarding, competencies, quality improvement, collaborative partnerships, competency management, clinical inquiry, professional development and continuing education.
Every new nursing-related clinician (e.g., nurses, certified nursing assistants, nurse technicians, medical assistants, surgical technologists) interacts with an NPD practitioner during onboarding and orientation. Further, an NPD practitioner provides continued support throughout the new clinician’s various career stages via professional development, role development and competency assessments.
Nursing Professional Development team members at a 2022 meeting. Pictured: Severine Chardon, Heather Kays, Sarah Lewicki-Hendrix, Gracie Fisher, Brooke Ruybal, Laura Glen, Sarah Rainville, Chelsea Eckart, Lauren Kalember, Ashley Turner, Hai-Yen Tang, Amy Barker, Alison Fucile, Lara Cady, Samantha Koehler, Dorothy Alcafaras, Sam Byrd, Jack Jorgensen, Sara Reynolds, Christina Galvez, Julia Martinez, Abbie David, Katy Scott, Alex Kent, Anna Dineen, Kristy Bahnmiller, Stephanie Vargas, Jensine Mittet, Mindy Roberts, Alex Sokolov, Mari Moore, Erika Metzenberg, Lily Cabatan, Aidan Willers, Katie Meyers, Cortney Michalak, Athena Apostle, Heather Guthrie, Courtney Walker, Lyn Sapp, Crystal Tan, Susan Budiman-Steinley, Janelle Reidy, Katie Ketchum.
NPD Practitioners Are Key to Seattle Children’s Success
As integral members of the nursing leadership team, NPD practitioners “design, implement, and evaluate the learning process to support competent practice” of all nursing and related staff, as described in the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) Scope and Standards of Practice.
As an example, Nursing Professional Development Practitioner Anna Dineen improved the Evidenced-Based Practice workshop for nurse residents to increase engagement and satisfaction for the nurse residents, while reducing costs. The Ambulatory NPD team, which added an additional five NPD practitioners in 2022, currently is completing a broad needs assessment to better support clinic-specific orientation, education and improvement work. And Nursing Professional Development Practitioner Heather Kays and Nursing Professional Development Manager Lauren Kalember implemented the Clinical Development Nurse role on the Medical Unit, leading to 1,224 support encounters for new nurses; this effort resulted in a demonstrated reduction in staff turnover of 3.62%.
In 2022, we:
- Onboarded and supported 1,240 team members, including nurse residents, nurses, nurse technicians, certified nursing assistants, medical assistants and surgical technicians.
- Offered 325 continuing education offerings and facilitated 813 classes for a total of 5,120 facilitated hours of class time.
- Grew our team by 10 additional NPD practitioners and 3 additional NPD project coordinators to support staff across the organization.
Major NPD-led initiatives in 2022 include:
- Opening of Forest B
- Implementation of a Safe and Healthy Work Environment training
- BounceBack check-ins for resilience in our Nurse Residency Program
- Implementation of Inclusive Assessment of the Clinical Learning Environment Best Practices Guide to review 55 learning objects for biases and inclusion opportunities
- Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection refresh training for 1,200 nurses
- Implementation of mental health simulations with standardized patients for Medical Unit nurses that significantly (p < .0001) improved nurse self-efficacy in caring for patients being seen for mental health services
In alignment with ANPD scope and standards, the title and job description of Seattle Children’s team members was moved from Educator to NPD Practitioner in early 2022 in recognition of the specialty work and function of the role at Seattle Children’s.
The scope and standards of a Nursing Professional Development practitioner are guided by the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD), an organization that advocates for and advances the specialty of nursing professional development for the enhancement of health outcomes.
The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) recognizes NPD as its own nursing specialty and offers both an NPD and an Advanced NPD specialty certification.
Learn about this work and more in the 2022 Nursing Annual Report. (PDF)
Recognizing Nursing Excellence
At Seattle Children’s, our nursing team demonstrates excellence around every corner. While it’s impossible to acknowledge all acts of excellence, one specific program started in 2021, the Nursing Excellence Program, recognizes nurses for their contributions to the advancement of nursing practice at Seattle Children’s. This program is a way for nurses to demonstrate their participation in activities such as shared governance, mentorship, policy development and nursing research.
“Nurses are doing so much within our organization to support our patients and families, and to advance their own profession. This program is a way for those workforce members to share their incredible work and be recognized for all that they do,” comments Melissa Liu, director, Nursing Professional Development.
Nurses put together a professional portfolio to showcase the great work they have accomplished over the calendar year. In its inaugural year, 17 nurses completed the application process and submitted portfolios to the Nursing Excellence Program; all were judged to have met the program requirements and received an award for their work.
I was honored to be recognized through the Nursing Excellence Program. The application process was an opportunity for me to validate what my nursing philosophy has been over the past more than 30 years working as a pediatric nurse. While technology, nursing standards and practices may have changed and evolved over time, the one thing that hasn’t changed for me is the importance of patient/family relationships. I am humbled and amazed at the amount of courage that children and their families exhibit in the face of complex medical challenges. I hope that in some small way I can make contributions to partner in their care, and by learning from their experiences, to always strive to become a better nurse!
— Connie Mantel, nurse, Reconstructive Pelvic Medicine
Applications for Recognition Have Almost Doubled
In 2022, 30 nurses signaled their intention to submit a portfolio. All portfolios are reviewed by at least one clinical nurse and one nurse leader who score the portfolio based on a defined rubric. If the two reviewers’ scores do not match, a second nurse leader will review for the final determination. In February 2023, a small group of nurse peers and nurse leaders reviewed each portfolio.
Reviewers were impressed with the portfolios. “It was inspiring to see the level of work and engagement demonstrated in the applications for the excellence program,” says Kristi Klee, director, Clinical Nursing Quality and Safety; Nursing Bioethics; Department of Nursing Practice, Professional Development and Innovation.
“This was a nice opportunity to see examples of how nurses make contributions in so many different ways — through patient care, shared governance, leadership activities, contributions to policies and quality improvement activities,” adds Elaine Walsh, nurse scientist at Seattle Children’s Center for Pediatric Nursing Research. “Each portfolio provided a comprehensive picture of the many aspects of nursing.”
The awardees will be announced in spring 2023. Each outstanding nurse will receive a monetary bonus, a pin and well-deserved organization-wide recognition for their hard work.
Learn about this work and more in the 2022 Nursing Annual Report. (PDF)
Working at Seattle Children’s
To reach our goals, we are committed to recruiting and retaining the best nurses. We invite you to search our current job openings.
Seattle Children’s provides opportunities for our nurses to learn and grow in an innovative environment while being in full partnership with other providers on multidisciplinary teams. We support and engage our nursing staff with training and educational opportunities, state-of-the-art-facilities and equipment, shared governance and comprehensive benefits.
When hiring, we look for nurses who share our passion for family-centered care and who practice at the top of their profession. Whether you are a new nursing graduate eager to participate in our healing environment, or a seasoned professional committed to advancing the practice of nursing, we welcome your application.