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The Why Behind the "GY": Why Educators in Nursing Continuing Professional Development Must Understand Ontology,
1American Nurses Credentialing Center, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Abstract:
In nursing and health care, professional development is more than the transfer of knowledge-it is a dynamic process that shapes professional identity, ethical practice, and lifelong adaptability. This column examines the significance of ontology (the nature of being), epistemology (the nature of knowing), and the continuum of pedagogy, andragogy, and heutagogy as foundational frameworks for educators in nursing continuing professional development (NCPD). These are not just abstract concepts; they are deeply rooted in the nursing profession, guiding the transformational education of nurses. Drawing on current scholarship and the American Nurses Credentialing Center Accreditation in NCPD™, it positions these "GYs" as philosophical and practical anchors for transformational education. The discussion highlights implications for educators, accreditors, and health systems and offers a reflection for integrating these concepts into practice.
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