The Center for Education Simulation and Innovation (CESI) was honored to host the 2nd Annual Hartford Hospital Nursing Professional Development Practitioner (NPDP) Council’s retreat on October 8, 2024. This event included NPD practitioners and specialists collaborating with the CESI educators to share insights and strategies for enhancing nursing practice with the creation of realistic, high-fidelity scenarios that reflect common and complex clinical situations. The NPDP workgroup includes Director sponsor Cheri Cronin; Council leaders Allison Middleton and Lisa Slowkowski, and members Rachel Hankinson, Sarah Hong, Sarah Quadrato, Tabitha Whetham, Kate Yoder, and Kimberlee Perez.
What is Nursing Professional Development?
Nursing Professional Development (NPD) practitioners or specialists focus on the ongoing education and professional growth of nurses. Their primary role is onboarding new staff to the organization, support continuous learning, improve clinical competencies, and enhance the overall quality of patient care. They play a crucial role in fostering a culture of learning within healthcare organizations.
How to Become an NPD Practitioner
To become an NPD practitioner, a nurse typically needs:
Roles and Responsibilities of NPD Practitioners
1.Education and Training: Develop and deliver educational programs tailored to the needs of nursing staff.
2.Mentorship and Support: Provide guidance and coaching to help nurses advance in their careers.
3.Quality Improvement: Evaluate nursing practices and implement changes to improve patient care outcomes.
4.Leadership: Collaborate with nursing leadership to promote professional development initiatives.
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Tom Nowicki
The retreat featured Dr. Tom Nowicki, CESI’s Medical Director and Hartford Hospital Emergency Room physician, as the keynote speaker. Dr. Nowicki delivered insights on the importance of simulation in nursing education, emphasizing how realistic training scenarios enhance clinical skills and decision-making in real-world situations.
This event not only provided valuable learning opportunities on simulation scenario creation, briefing, and debriefing but also fostered networking and collaboration among nursing professionals committed to advancing their practice.
Other speakers included Tracy Tierney who spoke about Generational Differences and Sarah Jones on Stress First Aid.
Retreat Activities
The retreat featured a variety of engaging activities:
This structure provided a unique opportunity for the NPD team members to immerse themselves in the learning experience by assuming the role of students.
CESI educators collaborated on the design curriculum that incorporates simulation-based learning experiences. This ensures that simulations align with both educational objectives and clinical competencies required in real-world sessions. The collaboration of the NPD team and the CESI team is crucial for enhancing the quality of nursing education and improving patient care outcomes. Such collaboration fosters an interdisciplinary approach, integrating theoretical knowledge with simulation-based learning utilizing innovative educational methods to enhance clinical skills and ensure safe, high-quality patient care. By combining the expertise of CESI educators in simulation training and the NPD team’s focus on continuous learning and competency development, this partnership showcases a commitment to advancing nursing education and patient care standards through innovation, teamwork, and communication.
Group Photo From The 2024 NPDP Council Retreat