By Lindsey Borgmann MSN, MBA, RN, CBN
Manager of Clinical Professional Development, Prolink
Being selected for the NPD Leadership Academy administered by the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) is one of the highest honors in my line of work as an NPD professional. I was grateful to be one of the 30 individuals given the opportunity to participate in the Academy, a 12-month mentored program, for the 2024-25 year. As a participant, I will be developing an evidence-based leadership project to share during the 2025 ANPD Aspire Convention.
To fully understand the impact the Nursing Leadership Academy can have—not just on my development, but on Prolink and the travel nursing space as a whole—we need to zoom out. The direction of my Nursing Leadership Academy project was inspired by my experience at this year’s Aspire Convention, which took place April 9–12 in Chicago. Below are my three big takeaways from this year’s event.
Travelers need support
As a nurse myself, I feel it is important to professionally develop and support travelers like the trustworthy, impactful nursing professionals they are. The more support and professional development we provide for our travel nurses, the higher quality outcomes for patients and the clients that we serve.
That’s where Prolink’s Clinical Professional Development Team comes in. Although it’s my job to advocate for travelers, I acknowledge that hiring them comes with a necessary set of checks and balances—how can we validate that our clinicians are confident and competent with their clinical skills? This points to a need for accountability from the talent supplier to ensure only high-quality clinicians are being placed. Our team boasts over a century of collective nursing experience and a deep understanding of what it takes to be a successful nurse. There’s a massive opportunity to define what a high-quality traveler looks like, and I strongly believe Prolink is the best team for the job.
Leaders want communication
That leads me to another big takeaway from the Convention: The need for bidirectional trust between hospital leaders and workforce solutions partners like Prolink. We’re proud of our client relationships and know that they’ll only continue to deepen and grow as we advance the work that we’re doing. However, it’s important to acknowledge the work of the nursing professional development specialists and nursing educators on the client side—it’s no exaggeration to describe them as the heart and soul of their units. As we continue to set the standard for well-trained, highly skilled travel nurses, it’s crucial that we achieve buy-in from hospital stakeholders throughout the process. Our aim is to get them involved early and obtain their buy-in to establish trust in our travelers and their clinical competence.
Clients deserve innovation
My final major takeaway from the 2024 Aspire Convention concerns the future of the healthcare industry, specifically the impact that technology will have as it continues to evolve. Everyone acknowledges the need to adapt to emerging tech, but it’s much easier said than done: It takes forward-thinking leaders, agile processes, and a growth mindset. The Prolink Clinical Team has all three, and our best-in-class leadership team will continue to build trust through embracing the latest solutions.
The 2024 ANPD Aspire Convention was only the beginning. I feel immense privilege to work for Prolink as they continue to dedicate themselves to clinical excellence and providing world-class talent to care for patients in our communities. I look forward to sharing my progress as my ANPD Nurse Leadership Academy project gets underway in the coming months.
