During the week of June 23, 2024, I was privileged to represent the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) at the American Nurses Association (ANA) Assembly. As president of ANPD, I am both able to represent ANPD and—because ANPD is an Organizational Affiliate (OA) of ANA—with this role, I am also a voting delegate for ANA. In attendance with me were representative leaders from each state’s ANA affiliate, along with leaders of the many professional nursing organizations who work collaboratively with the ANA.

The week was filled with events that reminded me of ANPD’s influence and impact to make a difference for patients and nurses—a power I believe each of our members individually possess. Throughout this experience, ANPD members were at the forefront of my mind and heart, so therefore, I seek to share some highlights so you can feel like you were there with me—and feel inspired to advocate for the value of our profession in small and big ways in your daily lives and work.

For me, one of the biggest highlights of the visit was meeting congressional representatives. An ANA Assembly kick-off meeting included listening to Suzanna Bonamici, a representative from Oregon. She stressed the importance of “knowing your passion” and specifically emphasized the value of “knowing your why”—something I consider daily in my work. She shared that, although it can be important to acknowledge differences with colleagues, this should be done with kindness. It is okay to disagree, but you must stay professional. These conversations are not about power, but about striving to be better. Representative Bonamici’s demeanor was so warm; she grabbed my attention with her insightful session, and it reminded me of my passion for being a nursing professional development practitioner.

Reflection question: How are you striving to disagree (kindly) this week?

Another highlight was the opportunity to visit Capitol Hill and meet with three representatives from North Carolina. I got to share with them important issues ANA has recognized as serious calls to action for our profession. Specifically, I was able to speak on behalf of academic programs and advocate for the passage of bills that will help with recruitment into nursing, namely through increasing student enrollments and improving financial assistance for nursing faculty.

Additionally, throughout the week, I listened to position statements proposed to the ANA by member delegates, voted on new ANA board members, and witnessed collaborative efforts among state delegations. The 2024 dialogue forums included discussion of three proposed position statements:

1. Breaking Barriers to Nurse Workforce Wellbeing: A Call for Licensure and Employment Policy Reform to Combat Stigma
2. Improving Care for the Veteran Population
3. Enhancing Ethical Practice Through the Voice of Nursing: 2025 Code of Ethics Revision

Learn more about these by reading the 2024 Report of the Professional Policy Committee - Dialogue Forums and reviewing the slides from the dialogue forums.

I participated in each dialogue forum while casting a vote for our constituency. One forum that touched me most was focused on providing more assistance for nurses stigmatized by addiction. The challenges they face when trying to get back into the workforce struck me. A nurse from Colorado, Courtney Hickey, shared her moving story which exemplifies this experience.

Courtney shared how, after years of making things right, her name was still on a public website outlining a previous offense, and she had a tough time finding a job. Even if nurses like Courtney find another nursing job after a criminal offense, stigma can persist. I encourage you to consider the current challenges faced by our fellow nurses in situations such as Courtney’s. We have a shortage in nursing, yet the industry is being picky about people returning to the profession after addiction.

Reflection question: After reading through the dialogue forums summary, what stands out? Would any improvement of these topics impact nursing professional development work?

I additionally listened to suggestions made by the ANA Assembly about ANA’s financial position, namely their transparency in spending and investments, and the future focus ANA members shared they want to see from leaders. This caused me to reflect on my role as ANPD president, and my responsibility to maintain transparency and collaboration with the Board of Directors and members.

Throughout the week, I met many ANPD members. One delegate approached me and shared she renewed her ANPD membership because of my president’s message published earlier this year in NPD in Motion. Another delegate reminded me that I influenced her career 20 years ago, by assisting in her growth and development in critical care. I also got to see my former ANPD Leadership Academy mentor, Lindsey Cardwell from Virginia—it was so great to catch up with her! And finally, I was invited by a few ANPD affiliate representatives to visit their states to share details of ANPD’s value and how their members can become more involved.

By the way, I did take a few selfies with the people I met from ANPD!

  

My biggest takeaway and reminder from this week: I am honored to serve as ANPD’s president. I will continue to lobby for our members and will be glad to promote ANPD as we grow our organization. Overall, this experience was positive and fulfilling.

Reflection question: Have you shared your ANPD membership experience with anyone recently? How can you get the word out about the value of our association?

I look forward to the many more upcoming opportunities to represent ANPD and share the value of our community. If you see me at one of these events, I hope you’ll say hello, grab a selfie, and tell me your thoughts on the reflection questions in this article.