ANPD is thrilled to introduce its newest staff members, Naomi Fox, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CCRN, Director of Education, and Mary Smith, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, NC-BC, AMB-BC, C-EFM, CCE, NPD Program Manager. Naomi and Mary join the ANPD staff in an effort to further educate NPD practitioners and better prepare them for changes within healthcare.
How did you get your start in nursing?
Naomi: I started my healthcare journey as an emergency medical technician for the New York City Fire Department. I then decided to go to nursing school, because I was influenced by the nurses in the emergency department. Plot twist: I have worked in critical care units, including the burn center, cardiothoracic intensive care unit, and general intensive care unit, and not the emergency department.
Mary: I began my nursing career in 1998 as a labor and delivery nurse. My passion for vulnerable population nursing care and healthcare equity has led me down a winding path to leadership in nursing professional development. As NPD practitioners, we are all leaders – committed to our craft, to ever-evolving transformation, and to innovation. My professional passion has expanded from providing patient care to providing care for the nurses who provide patient care as an NPD specialist. This is what I do and what I love.
What have been some highlights of your career thus far?
Naomi: While every role that I have held has been extremely rewarding, highlights that stand out are celebrating holidays with patients at the bedside, teaching my first course, watching some of the new nurses I once oriented take on leadership roles, gaining accreditation with distinction as a program director for an RN residency program, having a manuscript published, and now having the honor of being selected for this position with ANPD.
Mary: As a nurse specializing in women’s health, I have wonderful memories of direct patient care. As I grew in nursing, I found supporting other nurses in their practice was equally as rewarding as the patient care I provided myself. Whether serving in a formal nursing leadership structure or as an NPD specialist, I have found tremendous satisfaction in supporting nurses in their professional growth, from new graduates to seasoned nurses. To use the words of one of my dearest mentors, I have become “a nurse’s nurse.”
What inspires you most about the NPD practitioners that are part of the ANPD community?
Naomi: I am inspired daily by the unequivocal commitment to instilling knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to take on and maintain a clinical nurse role. Every challenge will be in front of an NPD practitioner and the NPD practitioner has a unique way of maintaining a “we” culture. Once, we may have cared for patients. Now, we care for nurses by uplifting and guiding the current and future workforce of our profession. The ANPD community reminds me that I am a part of a large pool of like-minded professionals who are equally devoted to advancing the profession.
Mary: I am inspired by the ANPD community’s persistent question of, “What else can we do, and do better?” Blending the art and science of professional development, the ANPD community is constantly pushing the boundaries of their practice. More recently during the pandemic, NPD practitioners repeatedly demonstrated their ability to shift with the dynamics of healthcare and make substantial impacts on healthcare outcomes with their innovation, dedication, and passion.
What are you most looking forward to in your new role with ANPD Education?
Naomi: I am looking forward to the ability to interact with and share knowledge with NPD practitioners, specialists, and peers to further our reach and impact on clinical education.
Mary: I am so excited to work with ANPD, an amazing organization of which I have been a member for many years. I have the privilege to work with those who positively impact clinicians and health outcomes by utilizing their professional development expertise. I consider it an honor to hold this role and serve the broader ANPD community.
How can NPD practitioners better prepare themselves for changes to the healthcare landscape, and how does ANPD Education aid in this preparation?
Naomi: The current healthcare landscape calls for rapid, innovative strategies to meet the nursing shortage and role adaptation of nurses. This specialty is going to expand as healthcare organizations allocate resources to focus on training and education linked to quality outcomes. ANPD education is essential for preparing NPD practitioners, both new and seasoned, as we all venture into new horizons.
Mary: NPD practitioners can prepare for changes in the healthcare landscape by leveraging their ability to see both big and small-scale issues through the NPD lens. On a large scale, we must be knowledgeable of trends at local to global levels. We must be adept at demonstrating the financial impact of effective professional development expertise in healthcare settings. We must be aware of regulatory requirements and how they impact our work. We must be innovative and risk-takers. And, on a small scale, we must be able to see and understand the individuals our work impacts, both clinicians and healthcare consumers, to address their needs. We must meet them where they are in the moment. We must also see and understand ourselves and our needs, to be fully present and intentional in the work that we do. Each of these roles as NPD practitioners is found within the Nursing Professional Development Practice Model, and ANPD provides premier education in all its aspects. ANPD provides the means for NPD practitioners to understand each component of their broader roles. In each moment of NPD work, we have the potential to positively impact both big and small scales across the healthcare landscape.