On behalf of myself and the ANPD Board of Directors, I would like to wish our members a very happy National Nurses Month! This special month is dedicated to you and the services you provide in a variety of healthcare settings. I have had the honor of being a nurse for over thirty years, and National Nurses Month is a time I truly look forward to and cherish. Those emotions are elevated more now that I am serving as President of the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD).
It is during this month that many of us take time to reflect on why we became a nurse and what it means to us to be a nurse. I took the opportunity in preparing for this note to query other ANPD board members for their thoughts on these topics. It is not surprising that some common themes emerged. Like myself, several board members entered the profession of nursing because of past experiences with nurses. Whether that experience was grieving the loss of a first baby, seeing care given to grandparents as a young child, or enduring other difficult events, it was a nurse that was present providing excellent care and showing compassion. The experiences led to careers in nursing where that same care and compassion is being paid forward. I would imagine that many of you pursued a career in nursing for similar reasons.
As nursing professional development practitioners, we impact lives daily through educating and mentoring nurses who care for patients and communities, using both our brains and our hearts. We ensure that nurses and other staff are equipped with the tools, skills, and resources to provide exceptional care. So, it is fitting that the theme of National Nurses Month (established by ANA) is You Make a Difference. Each of you really do make a difference as NPD practitioners!
The ANPD board thanks you for your commitment and extraordinary service to the practice of nursing professional development. You contribute to making a difference in the lives of nurses and patients. You are persistent in providing high-quality professional development opportunities. You serve the body of nursing that is over four million strong. Thank you for being a nurse and for working in the specialty of nursing professional development to help other nurses succeed and grow. Take time this month to participate in some self-care and personal professional development (ANPD’s self-care webinar bundle is a great option). You deserve it!
Thank you to President-Elect Dale Calicutt, PhD, RN, CV-BC, NPD-BC, CCRN-K, Treasurer Rachael Frija, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, and Directors Debbie Buchwach, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, Ashlee O’Meara, MSN-NL, BS-Ed, RN, NPD-BC, Elizabeth Fritz, PhD, RN, NPDA-BC®, NPD-BC, and Stephanie Zidek, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BC, NEA-BC, NPD-BC, for sharing your thoughts, which are woven through this message.
Again, the ANPD board thanks you and wishes you a happy National Nurses Month!
Sheila St.Cyr, MS, RN, NPD-BC
President, ANPD
Sheila St.Cyr, MS, RN, NPD-BC
President, ANPD
Sheila St.Cyr, MS, RN, NPD-BC, is the current President of the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD). Prior to this role, she served on the ANPD Board of Directors as President-Elect for one year and as a Director for two years. Sheila's involvement in the specialty of nursing professional development began more than 20 years ago and she has been an active ANPD member since then, including roles on ANPD’s Recognition and Convention Content Planning committees and presenting at the ANPD Aspire Convention several times. Her areas of clinical expertise include oncology, controlled substance diversion prevention, and substance use disorder.
In addition to her volunteer leadership with ANPD, Sheila also sits on the Oklahoma Opioid Overdose Fatality Review Board as a governor-appointed Oklahoma Nurses Association representative. Sheila lives in Jones, Oklahoma with her husband, Mark.