Meritorious Academic Partnership Designation: Recognizing Nursing Professional Development in Graduate Curricula

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Professional Development
• Healthcare Workforce

Background:

• Graduate nursing education typically prioritizes academic preparation.
• This focus leaves many newly graduated nurses unprepared for essential roles in the practice environment, specifically in nursing professional development (NPD).
• There is a need for specialized training to equip nurses for NPD practitioner roles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of an innovative collaborative partnership designation program.
• To create an educational program specifically designed to prepare NPD practitioners.
• To provide a practical tool for NPD departments to advocate for their specialty.

Main Methods:

• A collaborative partnership was established between a specialty nursing organization, a health system, and academic institutions.
• An educational program was co-developed by these partners.
• A designation program was created as part of the educational initiative.

Main Results:

• An innovative collaborative partnership designation program was successfully developed.
• The program provides targeted education to prepare nurses for NPD practitioner roles.
• The designation program serves as a tool for NPD departments to advocate for the specialty.

Conclusions:

• Collaborative partnerships between academia, health systems, and specialty organizations are effective in developing targeted educational programs.
• The developed program addresses the gap in preparing nurses for NPD roles.
• The designation program offers a valuable resource for advocating for the NPD specialty within healthcare settings.