Throughputs
NPD Forecast: NPD Roles in Action (Live From the 2025 Aspire Convention)
June 17, 2025 — Jenny Harshman, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CPN
Rachel Senefeld Kromer, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, NEA-BECAUSE
Shara Rhodes, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, MEDSURG-BC, NPDA-BC®
Live from the ANPD Aspire Convention in Las Vegas, this special episode of the NPD Forecast discusses the roles of the nursing professional development practitioner: learning facilitator, change agent, mentor, leader, champion for scientific inquiry, advocate for NPD specialty, and partner for practice transitions.
Hosts Stephanie Zidek, PhD, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BC, NEA-BC, NPD-BC, and Naomi Fox, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, CCRN, speak with guests Shara Rhodes, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, MEDSURG-BC, NPDA-BC®; Jenny Harshman, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CPN; and Rachel Senefeld Kromer, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, NEA-BE, about how role clarity contributes to advancing the NPD profession, empowers the next generation of leaders, and more.
Tune in to this episode via the player on this page or wherever you get your podcasts.
Jenny Harshman, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CPN
Senior Director, Clinical Learning and Patient Education, Children’s Health
Jenny Harshman, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CPN, is a nursing professional development leader at Children’s Health in Dallas, Texas. She serves as the senior director of clinical learning and patient education and has a special interest in how modern learning design impacts outcomes. Harshman is an active member of the Association of Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) and currently serves as the treasurer on the ANPD Board of Directors. She has presented both learning and leadership methods at national and international conferences, is a published author, and serves as a subject matter expert for leadership in healthcare learning. Harshman was a finalist for International Manager of the Year for Gallup Inc in 2022 and was ANPD’s Leader Award recipient in 2024.
Rachel Senefeld Kromer, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, NEA-BECAUSE
Director of Clinical Education and Professional Development, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Rachel Kromer is the director of clinical education and professional development at Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s adult hospital, where she manages a team of 36 NPD practitioners and PD associates. She serves on ANPD’s Board of Directors and as a mentor for the EBP Fellowship Academy. She won ANPD’s 2022 Leader Award and has contributed to ANPD books, webinars, and more.
Shara Rhodes, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, MEDSURG-BC, NPDA-BC®
Assistant Chief Nursing Officer, Grand Strand Health
Dr. Shara Rhodes is the assistant chief nursing officer for Grand Strand Medical Center in Myrtle Beach, SC. Dr. Rhodes has been a nurse for nearly 20 years, practicing clinically in many areas across the adult inpatient care setting from medical surgical nursing to emergency services. She has enjoyed progressive advancement through various leadership and nursing professional development roles since 2010, and volunteers her time and insights with multiple professional nursing associations. Throughout her career, she has also achieved nursing certifications in nursing professional development, executive leadership, professional mentoring, and medical surgical nursing. Most recently, she was recognized as a Top 20 Under 40 by the Emergency Nurses Association, and awarded the South Carolina Palmetto Gold award for nursing excellence.
Dr. Rhodes serves on the national Board of Directors with the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD), where she champions collaborative partnerships. She is the proud author of The Nurse First Handbook, which addresses the importance of preventing and addressing burnout in healthcare workers. She also serves as a Commissioner with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Commission on Board Certification.