Nursing Professional Development Specialist
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Merle Hendricks, MSN, RN, CNOR, is a Nursing Professional Development Specialist (NPDS) at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Merle’s diverse background in perioperative services has allowed her to practice in ambulatory surgery and hospital OR settings. Merle’s career path towards nursing education was paved by her clinical experiences and deep understanding of the crucial role that evidence-based teaching strategies, mentorship and preceptorship play in professional development that elevates nursing practice. In her current position as NPDS, Merle oversees onboarding and orientation for all MSK operating rooms, facilitates numerous hospital-wide staff education, develops competency assessments and is an AORN Periop 101 program administrator. Her commitment to advancing nursing practice is evident by her multidisciplinary quality improvement collaborations and active membership on numerous shared governance councils across the organization. Merle’s a Certified Perioperative Nurse and her professional organization memberships include the American Nurses Association (ANA), the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD), the Association of Peri-Operative Registered Nurses, and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.