Mary Harper, PhD, RN, NPDA-BC, FAAN, serves as the Director of Innovation and Program Development for Creative Health Care Management, where she partners with healthcare organizations and leaders to advance professional development, leadership excellence, and evidence-informed practice. With a strong foundation in nursing leadership, research, and innovation, Mary is widely recognized for her ability to help healthcare professionals translate evidence into meaningful action that strengthens both practice and outcomes.

Mary earned her Master of Science in Nursing with a focus in nursing leadership and management from the University of Florida and her PhD from the University of Central Florida. A respected leader in nursing professional development, she is a former Director on the Board of Directors for the Association for Nursing Professional Development and currently serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, where she is also the column editor for the Leadership Column.

Throughout her career, Mary has published extensively on nursing professional development, leadership, preceptorship, and related research topics. Her work has earned numerous recognitions and awards, including the recent JNPD Editor’s Choice Manuscript recognition for the March/April issue and the 2026 JNPD Annual Impact Award. She is known for her thoughtful, evidence-based approach to leadership development and for empowering healthcare professionals to continuously grow, question, and innovate.

Mary is especially passionate about developing nurse leaders and nurse researchers who understand not only what they do, but why they do it — and who can confidently apply evidence to improve practice, leadership, and outcomes. Guided by the philosophy, “Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less,” — John Maxwell, Mary continues to mentor and inspire healthcare professionals to lead with purpose, curiosity, and impact.