The National Nursing Staff Development Organization is an association that is aimed at advancing the specialty practice of nursing professional development for the enhancement of healthcare outcomes. Professional development as a specialty of nursing practice is defined by standards, based on research, and critical to quality patient and organizational outcomes. In short, this is an organisation that exists to ensure that the quality of nurses who practice in specialised areas is as high as possible and that they will be a credit to the profession. regulations and advocacy forma n important part of achieving this aim.
The National Nursing Staff Development Organization has the following vision:
ANPD Vision for 2013
“By 2013, ANPD is recognized as the most influential organizational authority across all healthcare disciplines providing state of the art, evidence based education, resources and research support which meets the needs of its over 10,000 members worldwide“.
Member Benefits
As with all nursing associations, the National Nursing Staff Development Organization is aware that in order to attract and retain members it needs to offer a certain number of benefits to those members. These benefits can be felt at two levels:
- An individual level: Each individual member will be given the opportunity to enhance their career and improve their skills in the profession.
- A general level: The benefits that each member receives are also instrumental in improving the nursing profession as a whole. Hence the National Nursing Staff Development Organization benefits the profession at two levels.
There are a number of benefits available for the members of the National Nursing Staff Development Organization. These include the following:
Members of the National Nursing Staff Development Organization will receive a bimonthly subscription to ANPD’s official journal. This journal, called the Journal for Nurses in Staff Development, is an excellent resource for nurses interested in working towards the enhancement of nursing practice. Another bimonthly newsletter you will have access to is TrendLines. This newsletter will keep you up to date with all of the latest developments in the field. Members of the National Nursing Staff Development Organization are eligible for discounts on convention attendance. These conventions are aimed at enhancing your knowledge within the field of nurse developments as well as at providing you with opportunities for networking with others in with the same interests as yourself, thereby enhancing your career opportunities and general success in your job. Discounts are also available for members on certification and recertification fees in nursing professional development through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
These fees can be fairly steep and many nurses are unable to recertify because of these fees, but the National Nursing Staff Development Organization makes an effort to provide opportunities for these individuals. The National Nursing Staff Development Organization provides you with the opportunity to network at the local affiliate level 
and at the ANPD convention. Networking is the best way of enhancing your knowledge and improving your options in the job market. Further networking opportunities are available through the ANPD’s website, including access to the members only section. This part of the website is only accessible by individuals who are members of the association. Although there are many parts of and resources on the website that can be accessed by anyone, only members are able to make full use of the networking opportunities offered by the National Nursing Staff Development Organization. One of the primary uses of networking is the chance to find a mentor to guide you through any major decisions you need to make.
The National Nursing Staff Development Organization has a mentorship program through its ANPD Resource Network. Last, but not least, membership with the National Nursing Staff Development Organization will give you access to the ANPD List Serve through which you can easily make contact with others in your profession.
To apply for membership you can follow the steps that begin here.
Alternatively you can mail your application to:
ANPD Lockbox
8444 Solutions Center
Chicago IL 60677-8004
There are 6 different membership options that are available through the National Nursing Staff Development Organization:
- Guest: As a guest member you will only be able to make store purchases. This type of membership account is free, but it does not include any member benefits or access to the member’s only section of the website.
- Regular: This membership is for RNs who are interested or involved in Nursing Professional Development. You will be granted full access to the Members Only Area of the website with this membership. The Annual Dues are $125.
- Associate: This membership type is for people who are employed in the area of Nursing Professional Development but who are not RNs. However, although you are not a nurse, you will have access to the Members Only Area of the website. In order to maintain this membership you must pay $125 a year.
- Retired: This membership is for retired RNs 65 years of age or older and interested or involved in Nursing Professional Development. The Annual Dues are $105. You will be granted full access to the Members Only Area of the website with this membership.
- Group: In order to get group membership with the association there must be a minimum of three members who will apply for the account. Each member of the group must pay $105 a year in membership fees which is a $20 discount as in comparison to individual membership options. Applications must be submitted together with payment.
- Military: Each new ANPD member from the military will pay only $105.00 for a year membership; a savings of $20.00 off the regular individual membership price of $125.00. Application and proof of active military status must be submitted together with payment.
Awards and Scholarships
There are a number of awards and scholarships available through the National Nursing Staff Development Association. These are aimed at ensuring that as many nurses as possible have the opportunity to reach their goals:
- Belinda E. Puetz Award
- Excellence in Professional Development Researcher/Consultant Practice Award
- Excellence in Professional Development Leader/Communicator Practice Award
- Excellence in Professional Development Educator/Facilitator Practice Award
- Excellence in Professional Development Educator/Academic Liaison Practice Award
- Excellence in Professional Development Change Agent/Team Member Practice Award
- Excellence in Professional Development Collaborator/Advisor/Mentor Practice Award
- Excellence in Educational Technology Award
Although the scholarships and awards on offer are limited, it is still worth trying. Some of the awards are given on the basis of financial need, while others are awarded based on merit. Before applying for any of these awards it is important that you research the eligibility criteria for each one as well as following the application process carefully once you have determined that you are, in fact, eligible for the award. The National Nursing Staff Development Organization aims to provide as many opportunities as possible to its members. If you would like to find out more about these opportunities, please visit this link.
Contact Information
If you would like to make contact with the organisation please use the information provided below.
ANPD (formerly known as NNSDO) National Office
330 N. Wabash Ave., Suite 2000
Chicago, IL 60611
info@anpd.org
Toll Free: (800) 489-1995
Main Line: (312) 321-5135
Fax: (312) 673-6835
- Kaye Englebrecht – Executive Director – 312-673-4992
- Meredith Daniels – Operations Sr. Coordinator – 312-673-5819
- Erica Naranjo – Operations Associate – 312-673-4864
- Jack Moulton – Operations Associate – 312-673-5912
- Robb Rabito – Education Manager – 312-673-5529
- Megan Laatsch – Education Sr. Associate – 312-673-4947
- Hallie Jaeger – Sales Services – 312-673-5732
- Courtney Toms – Event Services – 312-673-5470
- Catherine Perkins – Trade Show Services – 312-673-5817
- Ricardo Lopez – Registration Services – 312-673-4929
- Kelly Rehan – Publishing (TrendLines Newsletter) – 312-673-4889
- Kate Meehan – Marketing and Communication Services – 312-673-5516
Alternatively you contact the organisation directly at this link. This is a link that will take you directly to the organisation’s contact form. By filling in the various fields on the contact form you will be able to submit a query. Ensure that you complete your personal contact information correctly or else the organisation will be unable to respond to your query. If you intend to call one of the people listed above, it is important that you call during office hours only as you will not receive an answer to your call otherwise. Make sure that you call the correct person or your query.
Membership with the National Nursing Staff Development Organization will enhance your personal development within the nursing profession, but it will also help enhance the development of nursing in general. This twofold benefit makes it even more attractive to join the association. When you apply for a job your membership with this organisation will boost your resume significantly. Joining the association is a fairly easy process. All of the information you need to do this can be found quite easily on the National Nursing Staff Development Organization’s website.
