Rachel Senefeld Kromer, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, NEA-BECAUSE, remembers the impact Mary Hofmann Holtschneider, MEd, MPA, BSN, RN, NPDA-BC, CPTD, had on her and many other ANPD members' careers, leaving a legacy of optimism and a well-rounded skillset. The ANPD Board of Directors is honoring her by creating the Mary Holtschneider Fund, a way for NPD practitioners to grow courageously in their NPD journey with scholarships and grants for continuing education opportunities as wide-ranging as the life that Mary lived.

The first in a three-part series illustrating how nursing professional development practitioners at Novant Health developed a hackathon to brainstorm ways to restructure its competency management validation. The overall goal was to create a standardized process that meets annual competencies per regulatory or policy requirements and can be tailored to meet the competency needs of individual units with input from bedside nurses, nursing leaders, and NPD practitioners.

When OSF HealthCare Little Company of Mary Medical Center's Department of Professional Development set out on a journey to NPD certification, it became a catalyst for broader cultural change at the hospital. The momentum gained by the NPD certification led to a system-wide strategy to increase specialty certification. Within two years, the hospital exceeded its annual certification goals and fostered confidence, advanced practice, and improved patient outcomes through intentional leadership.