Hello. Welcome to the National Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship Training Consortium’s blog.
I am Dr. Candice Rettie, the Executive Director of the Consortium.
Spring began officially this week. Forsythia are in full bloom and the cherry blossoms are at their peak here in Washington DC. Migratory birds are returning to their summer breeding grounds. Ospreys have been sighted on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It is a time of year filled with promise and beauty. Yet, in the midst of this annual re-awakening there were more unthinkable, but not unexpected, bombings. This time Belgium was the target.
I’ve been thinking about the horrific events in Brussels and reflecting how it can be possible for a group of people to purposefully inflict such destruction on others who intend them no harm. There are experts who have a deep understanding of the history, the culture, the society, and the sense of disenfranchisement that can result in such unfathomable acts. At a personal level, what I keep coming back to is how we all search for a sense of purpose, of community, of belonging and acceptance. We need to belong. The creation of a community that is anchored in a common purpose is so incredibly powerful.
As I turn from contemplating destructive events that cause irrevocable change to my daily activities of running the Consortium, the importance of community, communication, and shared purpose continues to resonate. How are these issues relevant for the Consortium? We are a new organization devoted to advancing a rigorous model of residency and fellowship training for nurse practitioners. We stand for clinical excellence, innovation, dissemination of knowledge and collegial conversations about providing socially responsive healthcare. We will rejoice in our shared successes and join together to address emerging challenges. Our community is founded on a shared interest in accreditation that promotes best practices in nurse practitioner postgraduate training.
These musings prompt a series of questions. How do we create a community of healthcare providers who accredit nurse practitioner postgraduate residency and fellowship training? What is accreditation? Why is it valuable? Who cares? What difference does it make on a day-to-day basis? Are there implicit promises in clinical training? Where in rigorous training, clinical best practices and team-based collegiality does beauty reside?
These are some of the issues that I will be exploring. Let’s start a conversation that makes a difference. I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Until next time,
Candice
twitter: @NPPostGrad
