When the 2024 ANPD Aspire Convention comes to Chicago in early April, the Chicago ANPD Affiliate (CANPD) will be perfectly situated to welcome out-of-state and local members alike. Look for members of this affiliate at their booth, and don’t hesitate to ask one of these ANPD Ambassadors for their recommendation on local eats and activities.

Whether you are involved in an ANPD affiliate, looking to join one, considering starting a local group yourself, or hoping to learn more about CANPD prior to heading to Chicago, you’ll find the experiences and insights shared by three affiliate members in this Q&A valuable to your networking goals.

Tell us about your affiliate.

Leanna Bonczkowski, MS, BSN, RN, NPDA-BC (LB): The purpose of CANPD is to act as an official association for and in support of all nursing profession development (NPD) practitioners in healthcare settings. Our affiliate serves NPD practitioners across the Chicagoland area. We draw members from the inner city, the north, west, and south suburbs and even Indiana! We have also started networking with our neighboring affiliate in Wisconsin.

Our mission is to provide an opportunity for NPD practitioners to network and learn from one another while promoting best practices in NPD across local healthcare organizations. We promote the development of NPD practitioners by providing focused continuing education with nursing contact hours that support and strengthen the growth of our members.

How did your affiliate form?

Danene Coroneos-Shannon, PhD, BSN, BA, MCHES, NPD-BC, NC-BC (DCS):, The original affiliate  was formed in the 1980s by Lutheran General Hospital called the Chicago Area Nursing Staff Development Organization (CANSDO). In the early 2000s, there were two Chicagoland groups of strong NPD practitioners: Lutheran General Hospital and Resurrection Healthcare. Resurrection Healthcare NPD practitioners were very active in NPD and in search of other NPD practitioners to begin collaboration. In their search, they discovered Lutheran General Hospital NPD practitioners and began conversation to activate and begin work together. They wrote a charter and bylaws and organized a board utilizing both groups to lead the affiliate. In January 2007, these groups joined forces and established themselves as the Chicagoland affiliate of the NNSDO. The groups officially merged in December 2009. The affiliate name changed to CANPD in 2012 to reflect the national organization’s name change from NNSDO to ANPD.

What types of events or networking opportunities does your affiliate hold?

LB: We encourage members to join in person for networking and dinner but understand that this may not be possible due to travel and other obligations. For that reason, we offer a virtual option allowing everyone to benefit from the educational activity and take part in our affiliate meeting. Each year, we use one of our six planned educational offerings to host a poster consortium that is open to members and non-members. This is an amazing opportunity to not only disseminate information locally, but to get feedback on poster design and layout for those thinking about presenting at a conference or to get practice presenting and networking before speaking to a larger audience.

In addition, members of our affiliate have access to a network of professionals who can help with gathering data and promoting events. Members can submit a communication request through our board which is then emailed to active members. This is an avenue for communicating volunteer opportunities, seeking research participants, and finding answers to commonly asked NPD questions.

Carissa Blumenshine, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, PCCN (CB): Planning interactive educational events falls in my scope as CANPD’s president-elect. In addition to timely presentations from our members, find it stimulating to have non-nursing presenters to offer fresh insights, innovative approaches, and unique viewpoints that enrich the educational experience for our members. We also collaborate with neighboring affiliates for networking. Several CANPD members and board members have presented at a past Midwest ANPD conference to share best practices across state lines. This collaboration was highlighted by ANPD in 2022.

Why do you think it’s important for NPDs to connect and network?

DCS: Connection is particularly important in the social and learning aspect in the role of the NPD practitioner. The beauty of the NPD practitioner role is that it can be experienced in many ways—through a variety of environments. Being present in the unfolding of another NPD practitioner's lived experience and learnings brings about an extraordinarily rich understanding that cannot be matched.

LB: I think it is important for us to realize that we all face the same challenges and barriers. There are so many times that I will be talking about a struggle at my organization, and someone will share that they are dealing with something remarkably similar. This is very validating. It also gives us an opportunity to share strategies for overcoming barriers and moving forward.

What are the benefits of being a member of both ANPD and your affiliate?

DCS: For me, the benefits are the opportunity to network with so many knowledgeable and seasoned NPD practitioners, to discover new perspectives, models, tools, and research in our field. In this, a great depth of resources and practices are shared. I appreciate the steadfast dedication of both ANPD and CANPD in perpetual work in evidenced-based practice to drive knowledge and practice.

LB: Membership at both the local and national level offers a unique synergy. I love the camaraderie and informal nature of our local affiliate. We come together for learning and fellowship and to support each other. However, the best practices for our specialty are defined at the national level by ANPD, and this drives the decisions we make locally. So being part of ANPD gives us access to robust resources and insights that allow us to see beyond what is happening locally.

How can someone newly involved in ANPD or an affiliate strengthen their connections and learning through these membership opportunities?

DCS: By just coming to a meeting—there is a sense of invitation, a cultivation of making connections, and this is what opens the door to many opportunities (practitioner relationships, preceptorships, mentorships, committees, presenting, writing, and publishing).

LB: Seek out information on the ANPD website or on the affiliate website. ANPD provides a list of local affiliates if you are looking for one in your area. Connect with your local affiliate and see what you can do to get involved. Typically, local affiliates are always looking for help and are eager to gain members. If you do not have a local affiliate, join ANPD and take advantage of the podcast and webinars to gain CE hours and keep your eyes open for opportunities to join special task forces or committees.

CB: I mentor new NPD practitioners, and this is something that I share during one of our first meetings. I want them to know they are not alone in their onboarding process as a novice NPD practitioner. There are plethora of learning and networking opportunities through both ANPD and CANPD.

What do you enjoy most about your affiliate?

DCS: The collegiality of learning, sharing resources and perspectives, and being with other NPD practitioners. The gatherings afford the opportunity to form strong connections with others. Through our networking, I have developed professional relationships but also some very near-and-dear-to-my-heart friendships.

LB: I love the camaraderie. I feel like we are a close group and incredibly supportive of each other. It is a wonderful place to grow professionally and expand your skill set in leadership and public speaking. It is also a wonderful opportunity to meet with people from across the Chicagoland area that I otherwise may never meet and build new friendships and relationships.

Is there anything that you feel is unique to your affiliate?

LB: I think we are unique in that we have many hospitals within close proximity of each other which allows us to continue to meet in-person while offering a virtual option for those who are not able to travel. Being able to keep this in-person option has been important to our members and helps us keep a sense of community.

CB: I may be biased, but we have one of the best groups of NPD practitioners! We donate annually to the Carmen Hovanec scholarship fund. This is a pathway for attending the national convention by relieving the financial burden for CANPD members. It gives them an opportunity for professional growth and allows them to experience the excitement of the national convention.

This year’s convention is being held in Chicago. How is your affiliate involved?

CB: We are very fortunate to have a CANPD table at the convention this year. Come see us near the registration table to learn more about CANPD and how you can get involved! You don’t have to be from the Chicagoland area to be a member since we offer virtual options. We’ll also be serving as the Chicago Ambassadors at the convention and here for questions you may have about your visit to Chicago—like restaurants and fun things to do! Danene and Leanna will be part of a panel discussion at the Affiliate Connections for Collaborative Learning Pathway Session on Friday, April 12 at 10:15 a.m.

If you are interested in learning more about ANPD’s affiliates, visit our webpage.