Have you or a colleague been struggling with a role transition? As a former clinical educator, Jessica Guenser-Onstot shares insights on her challenging shift to managing a nursing professional development department at a large healthcare system. Drawing from her own experience, she highlights key resources and strategies to help NPD practitioners navigate role transitions with confidence.

The first time a nurse new to a hospital or practice interacts with a nursing professional development (NPD) practitioner is during orientation and onboarding. At Peace Hospital, Kentucky’s largest psychiatric hospital, the NPD team, lived out the role of Change Agent as outlined in The Nursing Professional Development Scope and Standards of Practice (Harper & Maloney, 2022).

As professional development associates, we are responsible for ensuring our clinical staff stays current with the latest information and requirements for their roles, but what happens when required education starts to be seen as a burden? One team created an educational product that challenged learners and effected real change in their nursing practice.