1989: Founding of the Speciality Organization

Nursing Staff Development Organization (NNSDO) was founded by a small group of NPD practitioners (known at the time as staff development educators), who were so excited by the success of JNSD (currently JNPD) that they conducted a feasibility study on the development of a specialty organization. Based on the results of the feasibility study, a steering committee was formed and included Kathleen Fischer, Sandra Holmes, Karen Kelly, Janice Ward, and Judith Warmuth. Belinda Puetz agreed to serve this committee as staff.  These women are ANPD’s founding mothers.

Above: The Nursing Staff Development Organization charter is signed in 1989

1990 - The number of NNSDO members far exceeded the steering committee’s goal of 200 members by the end of the NNSDO’s first year, with 1,005 members.

1992 - The number of NNSDO members surpassed 2,000.

1994 - The number of NNSDO members was only 60 short of 3,000.

2010 - The number of NNSDO members increased by 10+% from 2009, with 3,320 members.

2011 - The number of NNSDO members increased by 10+% from 2010, with 3,665 members.

2015 - The number of ANPD members increased by 17% from 2014 – the largest annual increase to date, with 3,872 members.

2016 - The number of ANPD members surpassed 4,000.

2019 - The number of ANPD members reaches 5,000, the largest membership ANPD has seen to date.

Above: Nursing Staff Development Organization members stand by NNSDO's exhibiting table.