Rachel Senefeld Kromer, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, NEA-BC, director of Clinical Education and Professional Development for Vanderbilt University Hospital, has been elected to the board of directors of the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD).
The ANPD “advances the specialty practice of nursing professional development for the enhancement of health care outcomes,” according to the organization. “Professional development as a specialty of nursing practice is defined by standards, based on research, and critical to quality patient and organizational outcomes. The goal of ANPD is to be acknowledged as the expert voice, advocate and leading resource for nursing professional development practice.”
Kromer won ANPD’s Leader award in 2022, has been a member of the ANPD Implementation Committee since 2021 and served as that committee’s chair in 2022-2023. She is a mentor for the ANPD EBP (Evidence-Based Practice) Fellowship and has been a contributing author to ANPD books, podcasts, webinars and modules.
Kromer started at Vanderbilt as a care partner in 2007 and was in the first cohort of the Nurse Residency Program in 2008. She has held several nursing roles since, including clinical staff leader and nursing education specialist. She has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Middle Tennessee State University and a Master of Science in Nursing degree from Vanderbilt University.
“It means a lot to me that my career is proof of the professional development options available to those starting out in VUMC Nursing,” Kromer said. “As a future director on the ANPD Board, I look forward to using my voice to represent the interests of Nursing Professional Development practitioners and associates and advocating for the unique specialty of Nursing Professional Development. It’s an honor and a privilege to be in a leadership position for the specialty at a national level.”