Advancing Nursing Practice: The Evolution and Impact of Continuing Professional Development.

American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Accreditation in Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) emphasizes the importance of maintaining competence, ensuring patient safety, and supporting career advancement in nursing through learning and development. It underscores the shift toward competency-based and outcome-oriented education models, addressing challenges such as misconceptions about the demands of NCPD and focusing more on the impact. This column provides the "why" for organizations, leaders, and nurses to engage in ANCC accredited NCPD educational programs. It further explores a future where NCPD fosters a skilled, equitable, and diverse health care workforce, promoting transformational learning experiences. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(4):153-156.].

Humanness in Learning: Nurturing the Human Spirit in Accredited Nursing Continuing Professional Development.

Learning is an intrinsic part of the human experience, and it is through education that individuals acquire knowledge, skills, and perspectives that shape their personal and professional lives. While learning has evolved significantly over the centuries, one constant remains-the essence of humanness in learning. This column explores the profound connection between humanness and learning, delving into how innate human qualities, such as curiosity, empathy, and creativity, shape educational experiences. It also discusses the challenges of and opportunities for infusing more humanness into nursing professional development. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(2):53-56.].

2023: A Year in Review.

In 2023, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) and Transition to Practice Directors highlighted the ever-changing professional development environment. This column highlights this year's key topics: academic and practice partnerships, workforce development, updated accreditation standards, and mentoring. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2023;54(12):545-547.].

Call to Action: Leveraging American Nurses Credentialing Center Nursing Continuing Professional Development Credit for Prior Learning Assessment-Part 1.

American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Accreditation in Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) provides rigorous and objective evidence of the quality of education that supports nursing professional practice. Accredited, competency-based education (CBE) that is outcome driven demonstrates the value of education to the nurse, to the profession, and to the patient. The ANCC as a global standard setter and innovator in NCPD has led this effort with the inception of the OB-CE Model©. Further, the ANCC has created a vision for CBE to be a preferred method for educational design and learner assessment for change. The ANCC NCPD accreditation program has led the charge for academic institutions to rethink their position on CBE and acceptance of accredited NCPD as evidence of prior learning for academic credit. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2023;54(8):341-343.].

Preceptor Development: Incorporating the Future of Nursing Recommendations and the American Nurses Credentialing Center Outcome-Based Continuing Education Model.

The American Nurses Credentialing Center outcome-based continuing education model is a method of outcomes-driven professional development that is learner-driven. This model can be used to incorporate the Future of Nursing recommendations into a preceptor development program. The use of this competency-driven model can empower preceptors and nursing professional development practitioners as they work together to facilitate the acquisition of preceptor competencies though learning experiences and achievement of outcomes.

2022: A Year in Review.

In 2022, program directors in ANCC accredited nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) organizations and transition to practice (TTP) programs embraced innovative and dynamic ways to envision the future of nursing and health care from a new vantage point. This column highlights key topics from the year: workforce development; the interprofessional learning environment; return on investment for NCPD and TTP programs; and outcomes-driven professional development. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2022;53(12):525-527.].

Considerations for Faculty and Presenters in Interprofessional Continuing Education.

Interprofessional (IP) continuing education (IPCE) has evolved to focus on team performance and a commitment to education delivery that enables team members to learn from, with, and about each other. Evidence shows substantial benefits from IPCE that improve team-work, care delivery, and patient outcomes. Continuing professional development and IPCE faculty and presenters play a key role in IPCE and must understand the tenets of IPCE and how to facilitate the learning of an IP team. This column will focus on the role of faculty and presenters in IPCE activities to enhance effective collaboration and improve health outcomes. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2022;53(10):432-435.].

Leveraging NCPD Departments to Achieve Strategic Goals in Health Care Organizations.

Nursing professional development practitioners and nurse planners lead the charge in providing and evaluating nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) to achieve strategic goals. Organizations accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) have well-structured nursing professional development departments uniquely positioned to leverage NCPD to achieve organizational goals. This column will demonstrate how ANCC Accreditation in NCPD, in conjunction with the Association for Nursing Professional Development's Nursing Professional Development: Scope & Standards of Practice, underpins the critical role of NCPD and the nurses within the specialty of NCPD. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2022;53(8):341-343.].

The Future of Workforce Development in Professional Nursing Practice.

The nursing shortage has caused health care systems-as employers-to re-evaluate how to support their nurses better, provide opportunities for nurses to achieve their goals, and address workforce shortages. In the white paper Pathways to Lessen the Nursing Shortage and Increase Equity in the Field for Working Adult Learners, a strategic plan is laid out to address workforce development via partnerships and innovative models. This column builds on that work to address the shortage of nurses in advanced roles. It examines how to account for the real lives of nurses who are working adult learners, including credit for prior learning, and how ANCC accredited CE can be leveraged to propel academic and professional role advancement. The time is now for health care organizations and institutions of higher education to partner and create meaningful talent pipelines and innovate and evolve the growth and learning of nurses on a continuum. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2022;53(6):246-250.].

The Foundation for Operational Excellence: Being Accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

What is accreditation? Why is accreditation important? Is accreditation the same thing as getting certified? We receive these common questions about accreditation at the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). This column will explore the concept of accreditation and ANCC Accreditation. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2022;53(3):100-103.].

2021: The Year in Review.

This year was a challenge in so many ways! Yet, it offered nursing professional development practitioners opportunities to think creatively and collaboratively while implementing new and better ways of delivering education and professional development. This column looks at some of the more notable events of 2021 and how they impacted education and professional development. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2021;52(12):545-548.].

Why Criteria for Successful Completion Matter.

American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) educational design requirements include determination of the criteria learners need to meet in order to earn contact hours for participation in an activity. This column explores the purpose for that requirement, how the determination is made, how information is shared with learners, and how the plan is implemented in the context of the educational activity. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2021;52(9):400-401.].

A Framework for Nursing Excellence.

As the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) marks its 30th anniversary in 2021, the world's largest and most prestigious nurse credentialing organization has unveiled a new Credentialing Framework for Nursing Excellence. In this month's "Magnet Perspectives," the directors of the ANCC's 6 credentialing programs introduce a new conceptual framework, outline the key concepts for exceptional nursing practice, and describe how ANCC's programs interconnect to invoke a powerful model that healthcare organizations can use to develop and sustain nursing excellence.

2020: The Year in Review.

When we look back on 2020, it is hard not to focus on the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected everything from nursing practice to world politics. Along with those challenges, there has been tremendous opportunity for nursing professional development change and growth. 2020 brought several key issues into play related to nursing continuing professional development. This article highlights many of these important issues. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2020;51(12):537-540.].

Nursing Continuing Professional Development-A Paradigm Shift.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created the need for rapid development and implementation of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) to scale up nurses and other health care providers to meet a surge in critically ill patients. Through retooling and upskilling nurses and other health care providers, professional development is more important now than ever before. A heightened need for flexible professional development activity planning that is fully integrated into the professional environment is integral to prepare nurses to meet the challenges posed by this pandemic. This article addresses strategies to facilitate delivery of quality NCPD educational activities in real time. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2020;51(7):297-299.].

Continuing Education as a Core Component of Nursing Professional Development.

Nursing professional development and continuing nursing education are often used interchangeably. However, there is a difference, and as educators we need to be able to speak to these differences. This article depicts the unique aspects of both and their valuable contributions to the profession of nursing. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2020;51(1):6-8].

The Future of Professional Development: A Recap of the 16th Annual American Nurses Credentialing Center Continuing Nursing Education Symposium.

In April 2019, the Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) Accreditation program of the American Nurses Credentialing Center held their annual Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) Symposium. The focus for the symposium was on igniting, inspiring, and innovating the future of professional development. This article is an overview of the 2019 CNE Symposium. You can also follow highlights on Twitter at @ANCCcne. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2019;50(9):386-388].

Continuing Professional Development: Utilizing Competency-Based Education and the American Nurses Credentialing Center Outcome-Based Continuing Education Model©.

This article addresses how nurse planners, nursing professional development practitioners, and any individual who is responsible for the facilitation of learning and professional development in health care can use a competency-based education framework as a methodology to design and evaluate outcome-based continuing education. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2019;50(3):100-102.].