Professional Practice and Development - Online Course

As part of the Director-Level Nurse Leadership Program, this course focuses on strengthening the professional practice environment through staff development and organizational structures that support nursing practice. Learners examine certification, professional growth, practice models, shared governance, and regulatory standards, and how these elements influence workforce development, practice excellence, and outcomes.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?

This course helps nurse leaders strengthen the professional practice environment by supporting staff development and understanding the structures that shape nursing practice. It examines how certification, professional growth, professional practice models, shared governance, Magnet-related concepts, and regulatory standards influence workforce development, practice excellence, and the overall nursing environment.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Professional Certification and Development
1. Explain the personal, patient, and organizational value of specialty certification and ongoing professional development.
2. Identify barriers to nursing certification, and strategies for improving organizational nursing certification rates.
2. Professional Practice Models and Standards
1. Define a professional practice model and identify its core components.
2. Identify regulatory and governing bodies that influence professional practice models.
3. Explain how professional practice models, shared governance, and related standards shape the nursing practice environment.

CONTENT REVIEWERS

Michael Cooper, Ph.D., MSN, RN, CCRN, HACP-CMS, ACUE
Dr. Michael Cooper, Ph.D., MSN, RN, CCRN, HACP-CMS, ACUE is an executive nurse leader with over 35 years of nursing experience, including 28 years in the United States Army Nurse Corps. He has served in traditional nurse executive leadership positions in critical care, from the bedside to Chief Nursing Officer, across inpatient and outpatient care settings, with a wide variety of additional skill sets, including Veteran Affairs Liaison, Telehealth, Inspector General, and Healthcare Recruiting. Dr. Cooper serves as an Assistant Professor of Nursing, Arkansas State University, in the Traditional BSN/Accelerated Program of Nursing.

Jason King, DNP, RN, CENP, FAONL
Jason King, DNP, RN, CENP, FAONL is a Chief Operating Officer, Chief Nursing Officer. In healthcare for 21 years, Jason received his Doctor of Nursing Practice from the Indiana University School of Nursing. Receiving fourteen awards for nursing excellence since 2002, this year, Jason was inducted as a Fellow into the American Organization for Nursing Leadership. Jason is an active participant in seven organizations/boards and has twice been published in Simulation Research.

AUTHORS BY SECTION

Professional Development
Lawrence A. Santiago, EdD, MSN, RN-BC, MSN, CMSRN, NE-BC, CNE

Professional Practice Models
Robin M. Weingarten MSN, PhD(c), RN, CEN