In the winter of 2023, our 270-bed hospital formally submitted its application for Magnet^® designation, a milestone that marked the beginning of an exciting transformation. At that time, our Department of Professional Development consisted of seven registered nurses (RNs). While our team members held various specialty certifications, none were certified in nursing professional development (NPD). Recognizing the importance of aligning our department with the Nursing Professional Development Scope and Standards of Practice—particularly Standard 12: Leadership, which emphasizes guiding professional growth and advancing practice through influence and development—our manager established a team-wide goal for all members to complete an NPD Certification Preparation Course and/or earn certification by the end of 2024.

Our Personal Certification Journeys

Catherine B. Matthews, MSN, RN, NPD-BC

As manager of the Department of Professional Development, I recognized that developing our hospital meant professionally developing the competence of our team. In December of 2023, an opportunity came to us from a hospital in our system. They hosted a review course for other professional development team members interested in the system. With leadership support, I arranged for most of my team to attend an NPD certification review class, either to prepare to sit for the exam or to support their professional growth, as several team members were still novices in their roles. This first step brought awareness, growth, and excitement. That excitement grew more when the 2024 Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) Aspire Convention was held in Chicago—one team member had an accepted abstract and presented, I enrolled in the certification review course, and four team members attended their first ANPD convention.  

I attribute my success with passing the NPD certification exam to the NPD Certification Preparation Course and the excitement held around and after the convention. I leveraged ANPD resources, finding the NPD Forecast Podcast particularly helpful for review. In the two weeks leading up to the exam, I listened to the podcast episodes and completed ANPD sample test questions from the ANPD question banks. As our department became more engaged in professional development, we worked to share this enthusiasm across the hospital.

Karen Marino, MSN, RN, ONC, NPD-BC

When I began my certification journey, I created a personalized, targeted study plan. I allocated myself five months to study, with an additional two-month buffer to accommodate family obligations or other priorities that might require extra time. I dedicated my weekends to focused study sessions, reading chapters from the Review and Resource Manual, Nursing Professional Development 4^th Edition, and completing corresponding practice exams.

To strengthen my preparation, I obtained several key ANPD resources: The Scope and Standards of Practice for Nursing Professional Development, Getting Started in Nursing Professional Development, and The Core Curriculum for Nursing Professional Development. Each resource provided valuable insights and reinforced my understanding of NPD practice.

The Scope and Standards of Practice was particularly foundational, as it clearly explained the NPD Practice Model and offered an in-depth look at its components: inputs, throughputs, and outputs. This resource gave me a strong starting point for my journey. When I needed further clarification after reviewing the Review and Resource Manual, I often returned to the Scope and Standards for deeper exploration, particularly around the Standards of Professional Performance.

Getting Started in Nursing Professional Development served as a practical guide for learning how to develop effective learning objectives and align learner engagement strategies with desired behavioral outcomes. It helped bridge the gap between theory and application, allowing me to translate concepts into meaningful educational practices.

The Core Curriculum for Nursing Professional Development, 5th Edition, played a key role in helping me prepare for my certification by strengthening both my knowledge and my ability to apply it in practice. This book gave me a well-rounded understanding of the formative principles, while chapter 11 specifically deepened my insight into the leader’s role within each NPD responsibility. This text reinforced essential concepts such as learning theories, organizational structure, environmental scanning, decision-making tools, and levels of evaluation, all of which are critical for effective practice. By working through these areas, I was able to expand my knowledge and build confidence in applying NPD standards to a variety of real-world situations, ultimately ensuring I was well-prepared for certification.

A pivotal part of my preparation was completing the ANPD Certification Preparation Course. The course not only covered the major domains of practice found in the certification exam but also offered realistic practice questions. To further assess my readiness, I obtained access to the NPD Certification Practice Exams. Through this process, I discovered that the leadership domain was my most significant area of opportunity. Thankfully, the extra month I built into my plan allowed me time to focus on this domain using additional readings and a review of the NPD Scopes and Standards of Practice and Core Curriculum for Nursing Profession Development. Thanks to my focused preparation, I proudly earned my NPD Certification in September 2024.

Building a Culture of Certification

While members of our professional development team were pursuing certification, our organization also strengthened its focus on system-wide professional growth. These efforts reflect key principles of the Nursing Professional Development: Scope and Standards of Practice, particularly Standard 12: Leadership. In 2023, our hospital’s percentage of all nurses with certification was 4%. To advance professional development, the organization established an annual goal of a 2% increase in registered nurse specialty certification. Our Department of Professional Development aligned its strategic goals with those set by our organization. The plan was to support an increase in specialty certification rates among eligible registered nurses, reinforcing the annual target of a 2% increase in certification rates.

In alignment with Standard 12: Leadership, Competency 3, which emphasizes influencing and leading initiatives that advance professional practice, the Professional Development Department identified the need for a structured educational plan to promote and facilitate certification.

To support this goal, we launched awareness campaigns across multiple platforms, including staff meetings, unit-based councils, and professional governance meetings, to highlight the benefits of certification and the professional and clinical value it brings. To celebrate Certified Nurses’ Day in 2024 and 2025, the nursing department honored the certified nurses with a small ceremony highlighting their achievement with special breakfast, custom-designed T-shirts, and a personalized letter of appreciation from our chief nursing officer. Certified nurses are also recognized on the “Excellence in Nursing” wall. The wall is proudly displayed in our main hall for visitors and staff to see. It is meant to inspire nurses, acknowledge achievements, and set a standard for outstanding nursing care.

During Nurses Week in May, our Department of Professional Development demonstrated leadership by hosting open-table hours in the cafeteria, creating an accessible and welcoming space for nurses to connect, ask questions, and explore professional growth opportunities. The department also used a mobile “walking cart” to round on units and educate RNs about certification pathways. These leadership-driven strategies, grounded in visibility, engagement, and support, reflect the intent of Standard 12, Competency 3, by fostering a culture that values professional growth and empowers nurses to pursue certification.

We prioritized our largest group, medical-surgical nurses, by having the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) host an on-site medical-surgical certification course. In addition, we shared information about the hospital’s professional development opportunities and tuition reimbursement, which provides financial support for nurses’ learning materials, including textbooks, certification review courses, and exam fees. As part of this awareness campaign, our department met with nurses to explain the Career Ladder Program, which incentivizes certification and encourages them to invest in their own professional development.

These efforts generated substantial enthusiasm. By 2025, RNs were so inspired that they began organizing their own peer-led certification study groups. Specialty-specific study groups emerged across several departments, including the intensive care unit (ICU), surgery (OR), pre-operative (Pre-Op), and post anesthesia care unit (PACU), allowing nurses to learn from their colleagues.

As of December 2025, our hospital surpassed its annual goal of a 2% increase in all specialty-certified registered nurses, achieving 11% certification in 2024 and rising to 14% certified in 2025.

Reflection and Impact

The journey toward NPD certification and Magnet designation has strengthened our department’s commitment to lifelong learning and excellence. It has reinforced the critical role of leadership in shaping a culture of professional development, consistent with the expectation outlined in the NPD Scopes and Standards of Practice Standard 12. It has reminded us that professional development is not only about achieving credentials, but also about fostering confidence, advancing practice, and improving patient outcomes through intentional leadership. As our professional development team continues to progress toward full certification of eligible team members, we remain dedicated to empowering nurses through education, collaboration, and the pursuit of professional excellence.

---

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ANPD.