A 2015 study exploring the correlations between nursing professional development (NPD) staffing and organizational outcomes was replicated in 2021. Part 1 of this two-part report provides background information and descriptive data, including organizational characteristics, NPD department structures, and NPD practitioner ratios per employee, per RN, and per hospital bed. Findings reflect the proliferation of hospital systems, expansion of NPD practice to include other professions and all employees, and little change in NPD certification.
Nursing professional development (NPD) leaders often reach out to the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) to determine appropriate staffing levels for NPD departments. Data collected in 2015 provide the only evidence-based metrics correlating NPD staffing to organizational outcomes . Given the proliferation of hospital systems and other changes in health care over the past 7 years, new evidence is needed to guide decision-making about NPD resources.