Why Boards of Nursing are Silent with Respect to Education Requirements for NPD Specialists
Nursing Professional Development Specialists are an important part of the health care process. Nurses working under this role have adequate knowledge and skills to provide their specialist role in the health care process. They have developed adult learning principles, which provide them with the necessary competence to play their role. They also engage in program development and management as well as continued learning and leadership (Maloney, 2016). The reason Boards of Nursing are silent about the educational requirements of NPD specialists is because they have attained their career development using the current standards for registered nurses. In essence, the standards and scope for Nursing Professional Development (NPD) provides the competencies that NPD specialists should develop. The American Nurses Association determines the kind of specialty the nurse should practice. Therefore, the Boards are silent about the specialty because the necessary skills and experience are already covered.
Furthermore, the Nursing Professional Development (NPD) specialist profession is based on technology, research and EBP, communication, change, education, and leadership. They are already experienced care providers and educators that help other professionals in ongoing learning. They play a critical role in developing and maintaining competencies as advanced nursing professionals. The current standards enable them to achieve their academic and career objectives. Besides, they operate in various care environments and practice settings, with clearly set guidelines regarding their work. They acquire their education from nursing schools and facilitates the learning experience of other nurses (Harper & Maloney, 2016). For the Board, Nursing Professional Development (NPD) specialists achieve clinical competence to support quality health care. The field has been changing rapidly, but these specialists remain critical in the improvement of professional nursing and practice.