1 in 5 U.S. adults experience a mental health condition every year, and 1 in 20 experience a serious mental health condition. We may sometimes forget that we need to care for the mental health of every single patient who walks into the hospital, regardless of their primary diagnosis or reason for visit, because mental health is an integral part of a person’s overall health. This article discusses the roles of the nursing professional development (NPD) practitioner in two key programs that have benefited the Allegheny Health Network's patients, teams, and community.

The 2025 ANPD Aspire Conference is an exciting opportunity for nursing professional development practitioners (NPDPs) to gather, learn, and grow. In today’s Aspire session preview, Laykin Forthun, BSN, RN, HNB-BC, PMH-BC, shares a sneak peek into her microlearning session “Empowering Inclusive Education: Supporting Neurodivergent Adults” taking place in Las Vegas.

With the 2025 ANPD Aspire Conference just over a month away, Michelle Emick, BSN, RN, NPD-BC, shares a sneak peek into her microlearning session “ICU Mobility Olympics: Using Gamification to Go for Gold.” Her session will show how gamification created friendly competition to engage an ICU team and their patients to improve outcomes and change unit culture.