NURS-6003 Module 5: Discussion STRATEGIES FOR ACADEMIC PORTFOLIOS

Hi Amy,

I enjoyed reading your post and completely agree with you in regards cultural sensitivity. Walden’s mission statement reads, “Walden University mission provides a diverse community of career professionals with the opportunity to transform themselves as scholar- practitioners so that they can affect positive social change (Walden University Catalog, n.d.) ”. Walden’s 2022 A Vision for Change further expands on designing a community where applied knowledge and expertise to solve critical societal challenges and “empower students to make a difference by confronting those challenges where they live, their professions, and on a global scale” (Walden University, 2022). Under its 2023 Vision for Change, Walden’s fourth goal illustrates a spirit of continuous improvement and aligns with my goals also.

References

Walden University. (2022). Social Change Report. Retrieved from https://www.waldenu.edu/-/media/walden/files/about-walden/walden-university-2017-social- change-report-final-v-2.pdf

Hello, Zheman. I enjoyed reading your post regarding the development of portfolios for one’s profession. I agree with the standard of topics you have listed for inclusion. While researching for this assignment, I found much more than I had previously considered regarding what elements to include to further enrich the portfolio. You listed some of these such as case histories and exemplars that demonstrate competence that as suggested by Casey and Egan (2013). In addition to these, Burns (2018) suggested the inclusion of such elements as professional memberships, awards and recognitions, scholarly works, poster presentations, community service, and letters of recommendation. By providing such information a potential employer, college, and peers can get a more accurate picture of who that person in the portfolio is professionally and personally. Portfolios can be tailored to those to whom they are being presented too, or in the case of a digital portfolio, may include much more. It is my intention to have both a digital portfolio on a website as well as a Word-type document that can be sent paper-form or electronically.

References

Burns, M. (2018). Creating a nursing portfolio. Ohio Nurses Review, 9(3), 16-17. Retrieved from https://eds.s.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=33753712-568d-4400-bf30-48aa314ca846%40redis

Casey, D.C., & Egan, D. (2013). The use of professional portfolios and profiles for career enhancement. British Journal of Community Nursing, 15(11), 547-552. Retrieved from https://eds.s.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=ff7e35ad-d1e1-4dbf-9c2c-5740ff904b2f%40redis

Hello Zheman,

Your discussion was concise and well-written. The point that resonated with me was that an academic portfolio is important for storing academic qualifications. Vazquez-Calatayud et al. (2021) explain that nurses should practice continuous professional development to improve their skills and competencies needed to improve care quality. After continuous learning, nurses are awarded certificates or licenses, and including them in an academic portfolio shows potential employers the evidence of learning. According to Cope and Murray (2018), academic portfolios are also important since they help show the strengths and learning needs of nurses. Nurses can evaluate themselves and determine where they should improve.

References

Cope, V., & Murray, M. (2018). Use of professional portfolios in nursing. Nursing Standard, 32(30), 55–63. https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.2018.e10985Links to an external site.

Vázquez-Calatayud, M., Errasti-Ibarrondo, B., & Choperena, A. (2021). Nurses’ continuing professional development: A systematic literature review. Nurse Education in Practice, 50, 102963. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2020.102963Links to an external site.

Hi Zheman,

Excellent post and very informative. Portfolios are essential, especially for us nurses in advanced roles such as nurse practitioners. Concerns and questions regarding competence and qualifications for practice, the lack of standardized educational preparation, and potential new regulations for APRNs are reasons having and maintaining up-to-date professional portfolios is essential. APRNs should carefully analyze “how they currently demonstrate that their practice is safe and effective. Some recommendations for indicating competence in advanced practice within a portfolio are documentation of education and training”(Casey DC, & Egan D. 2010) in advanced skills such as diagnostics, results of practice audits, documentation reviews, patient perspectives, peer reviews, feedback from colleagues, and notes from clinical supervisions (Casey DC, & Egan D. 2010).
An individual development plan that clarifies strengths, identifies opportunities for improvement, and determines learning needs are essential strategies and performance tracking and ongoing professional development evaluation to accomplish one’s goals and contribute to social change. “A necessary tool in one’s career growth and development is a well-constructed portfolio that can help support career changes, meet professional body requirements, attest to academic ability, and ultimately assist practitioners in implementing and promoting best practices” (Casey DC, & Egan D. 2010).
“What’s important to include in the professional development plan is the connection between evidence-based practice and theory. It should also include areas for serving one’s community and profession. This aligns well with Walden’s commitment to social change. All professional development plans should also include a provision to participate, on an active level, in a professional organization” (Laureate Education, 2018).

References

Casey DC, & Egan D. (2010). The use of professional portfolios and profiles for career enhancement. British Journal of Community Nursing, 15(11), 547–552.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2018). The Walden Journey to a Masters in Nursing: Your Professional Development Plan [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author. Retrieved from https://cdnfiles.laureate.net/2dett4d/managed/WAL/NURS/6003/05/WAL_NURS6003_05_B _EN.pdf

Hello, Jeffy. I can relate to several elements of your post. I too have various continuing education journeys leading up to where I am today as a master’s degree-prepared nurse. I began at the associate level and decided on two occasions, once for a bachelor’s degree and another for my master’s degree, to return to school to pursue higher education. I agree that these are important to include in one’s professional portfolio. This highlights our growth as a nurse and our commitment to the profession by wanting to continue to grow so that we have more to offer those we impact as nursing professionals. I always think of Benner’s novice to expert continuum and how one continually goes back and forth on that line related to pursuing a new area that he or she has yet to have experience in. I may include something related to this in my portfolio as well. If you have considered a digital portfolio, a good site to check out is Squarespace. It lets you personalize every element of the portfolio. Hannaans (2017) encourages the development of a digital portfolio in order to have some control over what potential employers and peers find about you on the internet through a name search. I feel like this is a great idea, and intend to pursue doing just that, as well as having a printable Word-type version.

References

Hannans, J. (2017). Craft a positive nursing digital identity with an ePortfolio. American Nurse Today, 12(11), 48-49. Retrieved from https://www.myamericannurse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ant11-Digital-Identity-1017a-1.pdf

Squarespace. (n.d.). Create your website. Retrieved from https://www.squarespace.com/websites-start/?channel=pbr&subchannel=go&campaign=pbr-go-us-en-core_squarespacealone-e&subcampaign=(squarespace-alone_squarespace_e)&&cid=15698980512&aid=130361054086&tid=kwd-1988643730&mt=e&eid=&loc_p_ms=9013650&loc_i_ms=&nw=g&d=c&adid=571893406304&channel2=pbr&subchannel2=go&gclid=CjwKCAiAzp6eBhByEiwA_gGq5JLHqP1geVOyzMNtZN2-gU9DkjDn0Lh8jfv77r45pDVuZIr0uBWi-hoCdlMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Hello Jeffy,

Thank you for your insightful discussion. I agree with you that the essence of a professional portfolio is to highlight the knowledge and skills that one has gathered over the years. One of the ways through which that is possible is to present the educational qualification. Advancing one’s education is one of the ways of gaining knowledge and skills in any profession. For instance, as you have highlighted, the master’s program in nursing enhances once knowledge and skills in areas such as leadership and research (Heinen et al., 2019). These can be documented in the professional portfolio. Participating in evidence-based practice and quality improvement initiatives can also improve a student’s portfolio. Clinical practice offers a nursing student an opportunity to gain skills in various facets of healthcare provision. While undertaking clinical practice, students can strive to incorporate both evidence-based practices and quality improvement initiatives in the clinical setting. This can improve the outlook of a student’s portfolio. Participating in activities organized by professional organizations can also be essential in helping students gain leadership skills (Poorchangizi et al., 2019). This can also be captured in portfolio.

References

Heinen, M., van Oostveen, C., Peters, J., Vermeulen, H., & Huis, A. (2019). An integrative review of leadership competencies and attributes in advanced nursing practice. Journal of advanced nursing, 75(11), 2378-2392.

Poorchangizi, B., Borhani, F., Abbaszadeh, A., Mirzaee, M., & Farokhzadian, J. (2019). Professional values of nurses and nursing students: A comparative study. BMC medical education, 19(1), 1-7.

Hi Jeffy,

In your posted you cited that an academic portfolio is made of various documents that show one’s academic and professional achievements. I too also believe this is one of the many benefits of having an academic portfolio. Nursing as a science is constantly evolving. As nursing professionals, we are not limited to the different areas we can one practice in, but also specialize in. It shows professional requirements that have been met. Assadi et al. (2021), mentioned academic portfolios “increase students’ awareness of their strengths, weaknesses, and limitations.” Having the academic portfolio outlines all the different areas one has been in. Using the portfolio enables nurses to identify improvements that can be made. The portfolio also can be rewarding and help promote self-confidence. Research have shown students who use portfolios present higher levels of self-efficacy (Lopez- Crespo et al., 2021). Academic self-efficacy leads to better performance as students reflect on their capabilities.

References

Assadi Hoveyzian, S., Shariati, A., Haghighi, S., Latifi, S. M., & Ayoubi, M. (2021). The effect of portfolio-based education and evaluation on clinical competence of nursing students: A pretest–posttest quasiexperimental crossover study. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, Volume 12, 175–182. https://doi.org/10.2147/amep.s231760

López-Crespo, G., Blanco-Gandía, M.C., Valdivia-Salas, Fidalgo, C., & Sanchez-Perez, N. (2021). The educational e-portfolio: Preliminary evidence of its relationship with student’s self-efficacy and engagement. Education and Information Technologies 27, 5233–5248 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10827-2

Response 1

Hello Jeffy,

I truly enjoyed reading your post. The following statement stands out to me the most, ” This journey has taught me to always work towards my goals, and I have learned that for a nurse to obtain academic and professional growth, one must leave their comfort zone. Moreover, for growth and development, one must be ready to expand their skill, knowledge, and competencies regarding evidence-based practice, nursing leadership, and nursing research, among others”. I couldn’t agree more with you. It is so important for nurses to expand in their skillsets, and to remain up-to-date on evidence based practices, because those areas are critical for building a quality and impressive nursing portfolio. According to the nerdynurse.com, evidence-based practice is a conceptual framework for all clinical decisions that combines the most up-to-date research evidence with the values and beliefs of each of our unique patients. In nursing, you must examine research, examine findings, and base your decisions on what you discover. It’s a strategy that has been acknowledged as among the best for delivering safe medical treatment in hospitals across the nation. The cornerstone of all nursing interventions is evidence-based practice, which combines clinical knowledge with research findings to give patients the best care possible. An article written by a professor at Marquette University states the following, “Portfolios are considered by some to be a “portable mechanism for evaluating competencies that may otherwise be difficult to assess, such as practice-based improvements, use of scientific evidence in practice, professional behavior and creative endeavors” (Byrne; 2019). Again, thank you for sharing. Your post was very insightful.

References:

Marquette University E-publications@marquette. (n.d.). Retrieved January 21, 2023, from https://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1688&context=nursing_facLinks to an external site.

Writing portfolio. The Nerdy Nurse. (2022, March 4). Retrieved January 20, 2023, from https://thenerdynurse.com/writing-portfolio/

Module 5 Discussion Response 2

Great Post Jeffy,

I really enjoyed your post. I agree with your insightful assessment of the importance of an academic portfolio in the nursing profession. An academic portfolio can be utilized to document and demonstrate one’s professional development and advancement as well as to demonstrate one’s evidence-based knowledge and skills (Assadi Hoveyzian et al., 2021). Including any relevant ongoing professional development courses, or certifications. The portfolio demonstrates the dedication of a nurse or any healthcare provider to ongoing professional growth.

Academic portfolios should also include a summary of the applicant’s education, licensure, and employment history with documents required, such as copies of university or graduate degree transcripts, licensing, continuing education, awards, annual performance evaluations, dates of promotions, and recommendation letters from colleagues, previous or current employers.

Reference:

Davis, C. (2015). Developing a professional nursing portfolio. Nursing Made Incredibly Easy!

Hi Yanet,

Self-assessment is very important. Of equal importance to employers is Emotional intelligence. It plays a significant role team building and being effective in almost all forms of communication and interactions in any work place (Lebeck & Chighizola, 2018) . Self- assessment and self-awareness are the first steps to a deeper understanding of ones thoughts, strengths, weaknesses, emotions, behaviors, needs, and drives which in turn helps them recognize and understand those thoughts and feelings of other individuals around them (Purushothaman, 2021). One can enhance their self-awareness by receiving feedback from others and through the act of introspection (self-reflection). The human mind can be a powerful tool when it is being used and channelized in the right way.

LEBECK, B. W., & CHIGHIZOLA, N. R. (2018). Emotional Intelligence and its Effect on Performance Outcomes in a Leadership Development School. Journal of Values Based Leadership, 11(2), 223–235. https://doi.org/10.22543/0733.62.1223

Rajagopalan Purushothaman. (2021). Emotional Intelligence. Sage Publications Pvt. Ltd.

Hello Yanet,

Thank you for your insightful discussion. Indeed, a professional portfolio is essential in highlighting the skills and expertise that one has gathered throughout the years. One of the benefits of a portfolio is that it tracks one’s proficiencies (Madden et al., 2019). When a student develops a portfolio, they can determine their strengths. A student can also determine areas of deficiencies or where to improve upon. This can guide the steps that a student takes to improve one’s portfolio. Regarding specific steps that a student that can take to improve their portfolio I would like to add the importance of volunteering to provide healthcare services to diverse populations. For instance, a nursing student can volunteer in the community clinics. This offers the student an opportunity to gain skills and experience in healthcare delivery to diverse populations (Carey & Kies, 2022). Students can also improve their portfolio through undertaking certification programs to garner various skills in healthcare delivery.

References

Carey, S. K., & Kies, J. M. (2022). Unexpected Learning Opportunities for Nursing Students. AJN The American Journal of Nursing, 122(1), 44-47.

Madden, K., Collins, E., & Lander, P. (2019). Nursing Students’ Perspectives on ePortfolios: Themes and Preferences Compared with Paper-Based Experiences. International Journal of ePortfolio, 9(2), 87-96.

Module 5 Discussion Response 2

I have had an opportunity to read through your post. It is not only detailed and informative but also attractive to the readers. The basic idea of an academic or professional portfolio is that it should describe knowledge, competencies, and skills alongside professional growth and achievements that one has attained in the course of study. In addition to an academic portfolio’s essential components, one can add information on case histories and exemplars that demonstrate competency, narratives reflecting one’s practice. Nurses may even include detailed summaries of patient case histories in which one played a significant role in positive clinical outcomes. Therefore, there are various ways to create a professional portfolio. Still, the essential thing is to choose selectively the information to include and ensure that the portfolio is updated accordingly. As indicated, academic portfolios increase students’ awareness of their strengths, weaknesses, and limitations (Assadi Hoveyzian et al., 2021). I am impressed with your decision to create an online portfolio accessible anytime using digital devices. Research shows that “creating and maintaining an academic portfolio in paper-based or web-based formats can be cumbersome and time-consuming” (Puneet Bhargava, 2015). Hence the emphasis on creating and maintaining a digital academic portfolio. The article cited provides a clear guide to creating an e-portfolio applicable across specialties. 

References

Assadi Hoveyzian, S., Shariati, A., Haghighi, S., Latifi, S. M., & Ayoubi, M. (2021). The effect of portfolio-based education and evaluation on nursing students’ clinical competence: A pretest-posttest quasiexperimental crossover study. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 12, 175–182. https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S231760Links to an external site.

Puneet

Bhargava, c. a. (2015). Academic Portfolio in the Digital Era: Organizing and

Maintaining a Portfolio Using Reference Managers. J Digit Imaging, 28(1), 10-17.

Claire,

You brought up some good points in your post, with this generation being a social media generation it is vital to point out that it can also be used to enhance ones professional profile. linked in is certainly a favorite of mine as well, and I have come across job applications that asked if I had a linked in profile, it just shows how employers are also using social media to recruit and more like pre interview their potential employees. which is reminiscing of my nursing school days when our professors would emphasized on keeping a clean social media because you never know who’s watching, it sounded like a joke then, but having had my experience with job hunting, I appreciate it now.

Helo Claire,

One of the most important characteristics of healthcare is that it is constantly evolving. And with the constant evolution, as nurses we find ourselves in a unique position where we have to adapt to the changes that occur in the profession and this includes ensuring that we care constantly developing our skills in order to evolve and grow into the profession (Rubio-Navarro et al., 2019). In line with social change objectives set out by Walden, it goes without a doubt that the trajectory of these objectives will change in a few years to come, depending on the need in the world. Therefore, we may use opportunities like continuing education and mentorship to adapt to these changes. Continuing education and mentorship will ensure that there is exposure to new trend and new skills that can be used to further contribute to revolutions in the profession (McMahon, 2021).

References

McMahon M. F. (2021). Lifelong Learning. Journal of trauma nursing : the official journal of the Society of Trauma Nurses, 28(6), 339–340. https://doi.org/10.1097/JTN.0000000000000612

Rubio-Navarro, A., Garcia-Capilla, D. J., Torralba-Madrid, M. J., & Rutty, J. (2019). Ethical, legal and professional accountability in emergency nursing practice: An ethnographic observational study. International emergency nursing, 46, 100777. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ienj.2019.05.003

Hi Claire,

I am really interested in creating a ePortfolio. I also use social media to keep up to date with a lot of things nursing related. 83% of nurses use some form of social media to stay engaged with nursing information, developing information, employment, seminars, workshops, education, etc. (Wang et al., 2019). I know that I have personally used social media to see new trends, employment, and workshops for nursing. Even though I am not currently seeking employment with anyone, I like to see what is out there and where the need seems to be. There also can be misleading or disinformation out there that we need to be careful of. Social media and the media in general take advantage of and manipulate news and propagate ideas to their own benefit and cause much distrust (Marwick & Lewis, 2017).

Fredericks, S., Au Duong, J., & Lamaj, P. (2020). Using Social Media to Network, Converse, and Build Community Within Graduate Nursing Education. Online Journal of Nursing Informatics, 24(3), 8.

Marwick, A., & Lewis, R. (2017). Media manipulation and disinformation online. New York: Data & Society Research Institute. https://datasociety.net/library/media-manipulation-and-disinfo-online/

Wang, Z., Wang, S., Zhang, Y., & Jiang, X. (2019). Social media usage and online professionalism among registered nurses: A cross-sectional survey. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 98, 19-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2019.06.001

Zulay, I absolutely love what you said about setting “specific, measurable, and time-bound goals” and tracking progress. You are so right that this strategy can be beneficial for academic and professional development, and I believe including this goal-setting and progress-tracking in your portfolio can be incredibly rewarding and valuable. Future employers would be impressed that a potential employee sets goals and realistically tracks them. I also like your idea of seeking out leadership and community engagement. Participating meaningfully in these types of experiences are beneficial to both you and the community/people involved, not to mention this is a skill that many employers would find important.

Jessica, I really like your ideas of including papers/projects/coursework in your portfolio as well as participating in networking and professional development. The inclusion of your work exemplars from school will show employers what you are capable of and that you can put in the time and effort to succeed. Additionally, the networking and professional development opportunities that you take will be mutually beneficial. You will gain confidence, relationships, and professionalism ideally, and those around you will learn from you as well. Future employers will be glad to see evidence of the skill of working with others and professionalism.

Jessica,

The history of the CV was designed to be a self-marketing portfolio to demonstrate accomplishments, meaning the course of one’s life. The CV lists accomplishments in broad areas of a professional’s career including scholarship, education, research, service, and practice. The difference a CV and a resume is academic institutions use the CV to assess an individual’s qualifications and assign rank (instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or professor), whereas the resume is to convey unique qualifications in response to an advertised position (Hicks et al., 2020).

As we progress through our master’s prepared program we need to determine which portfolio we will use to represent our accomplishments, whether it be through an eportfolio, CV or resume. Like you said we need to make sure that we include networking events in our professional development along with nursing organizational affiliations. All these things on an individual’s portfolio, resume or CV shows potential employers your commitment to advance learning. We will be moving from one level of nursing to an higher level of nursing with obtaining our advanced practice degree and at first our resume’s will lack the years of experience we once had as a bedside nurse, therefore we will need to be able to include our academic acknowledgements and practicum experiences, or organization affiliations to speak on our behalf. We also can represent ourselves through business cards, resume’s, eportfolios, and a professional photograph.

Hi Jessica, I agree with you about keeping the portfolio and listing all your accomplishments, it is a great way to keep track of all your awards and certifications especially when you’re looking for new jobs or speaking with potential employers. It will also make things easier as we all move on in our careers with advanced degrees.

Cindy, I really latched on to what you said about professional networking platforms and “getting noticed.” These platforms are still relatively “new” to those of us who are Gen Xers, and I am really fascinated by branding and selling yourself via platforms such as Linkedin, Meetup, etc. I think these platforms can be so valuable for employers and employees alike. They allow future employees to showcase experiences, characteristics, accomplishments, self-reflection ability, and even creativity. If any of you have used any of these platforms, I would love to hear your experience. I have a Linkedin account, but haven’t done a lot with it.

Hi Cindy, I am totally new to the whole professional network platform.  I know about these types of resources for marketing oneself for a potential job.  I really never knew a lot about it for social net working but I will definitely look into now.  I enjoyed reading the article about Linkedin.  It made me think about what keywords I would use to make my profile more noticeable.   I want to describe my abilities in my portfolio to have my experiences be noticed by a possible employer.  Adding my skills, knowledge and professional development will help with obtaining that new job as an APRN.

Bell, J. (2021). But it is work: My perspective on social media. Medical Writing, 30(1), 6–11.

Great Post Sarah,  

Your post was truly knowledgeable and concise. It is great that you stated that there is no right or wrong way to create your personal e-portfolio. Nevertheless, you referred to different clubs, and the organization to include in your portfolio is a notable example. Academic activities and accomplishments are essential to a student’s portfolio (Al-Madani, 2019). Portfolios are a wonderful way to stand out from other candidates in this job market. I feel that most portfolios do not contain personal items, most of the time we are focused on professional and academic growth and development we tend to leave out our personal effect as nurses. Individual portfolios will therefore be unique in terms of content and presentation, reflecting the specific professional biography of that health professional (Casey&Egan, 2010) Most nursing portfolios should show evidence of professional growth, as on the reflection as a nurse. Let me ask do you think portfolios accurately record nurse’s achievements? 

References 

Al-Madani, M. (2019). Exploring Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Perceptions About Using Portfolios in Nursing Education. Int J Nurs Health Care Res, 4, 081. 

Casey, D. & Egan, D. (2013). The use of professional portfolios for career enhancement Links to an external site.Links to an external site.

Links to an external site.British Journal of Nursing, 15(11), 547–552. 

Great post Sarah!

I love how you mentioned your history of precepting and how that speaks to your professional development. Mentoring requires patience, confidence, leadership, and being knowledgeable in your field. I too have been a mentor and preceptor in many previous positions and have always enjoyed helping mold and guide students and new nurses in those positions. While we may not have thought about this previously, in those selfless moments we are also gaining rewards that can be documented in a portfolio. One of the ways to show your success as a mentor is to demonstrate that your pupils have gone on to lead successful careers. Document who you have taught over the years and show what they have accomplished and what academic appointments they have obtained (Little-Wienert & Mazziotti, 2017).

References

Little-Wienert, K., & Mazziotti, M. (2017). Twelve tips for creating an academic teaching portfolio. Medical Teacher, 40(1), 26–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159x.2017.1364356

Week 5 Discussion Response 2

Hi Sarah,  Incorporating leadership roles and preceptor experience into the development plan is a great strategy to showcase one’s strengths. In addition, getting an early start on a portfolio allows for the opportunity to ensure that all certifications are up to date. A portfolio is an expression of one’s professional journey. Showcasing one’s professional and academic achievements requires supporting current evidence. Burns (2018) recommends reassessing a portfolio every six to twelve months and providing verifiable information to reinforce credibility. In today’s job market, versatility is imperative to success. An e-portfolio offers another platform to “display a unique showcase of visual integration of knowledge, skills, and capabilities” (Leahy & Filiatrault, 2017. p. 218). I enjoyed reading your post. Thank you for sharing.

Reference

Burns, M.K. (2018). Creating a nursing portfolio. Ohio Nurse Review, 93(3), 19-17.

Leahy, R., & Filiatraut, A. (2017). Employees’ perceptions of the benefits of employment

Electronic portfolios. International Journal of ePortfolio, 7(2), 217-223.

Hi Shantae, I agree with you and Walden University and your commitment to advanced mental healthcare in this country. Mental health care is an essential part of our overall health care, and at the moment, it is lacking not only funding but in practitioners that can help the community.

I was one who never thought of making an e-portfolio. I thought a resume was really all that was needed. Our readings this week showed me that we can put our professional and personal information into one portfolio keeping it in one place and still having the ability to share only what we want to share. Burns lists two different types of portfolios, growth and development and best work (Burns, 2018). The growth and development one I feel relates closely to my resume. It lists all details of my education and professional life information. I do keep a folder with accomplishments and such that fit the best work portfolio, but never thought to keep them together. Good luck developing your portfolio. I know I’ve been inspired to create one for myself.

Burns, M. K. (2018). Creating a nursing portfolio Links to an external site.. Ohio Nurses Review, 93(3), 16-17.

Ieshia, excellent points here. You mentioned that new nurse practitioners have no work experience as nurse practitioners when job-seeking, and I hadn’t really thought about it from that perspective. It is essential, because of that, to showcase your skills, competencies, time invested, work experiences, etc. I also think that taking time to explain what you have done in a short narrative way will be valuable so future employers can really see who you are and what you bring to the table.

Great post Ieshia. I love how you mentioned that as a new nurse practitioner, there won’t be any work experience but one way to help develop is through creating a portfolio detailing the tools and accomplishments you have completed. Creating an academic portfolio may appear daunting at first but with careful advanced preparation, organized evidence collection of your educational work, proof of scholarship, and thorough documentation of self-reflection and change, you can produce a successful product that accurately represents your educational beliefs, accomplishments, and growth throughout your career (Little-Wienert & Mazziotti, 2017). This is great and also speaks to mentorship in developing a portfolio, imagine how many first time NPs would be inspired by veteran and new grad NPs when they discover that even documenting competencies is a start and that it’s never too early to start building their portfolio.

References

Little-Wienert, K., & Mazziotti, M. (2017). Twelve tips for creating an academic teaching portfolio. Medical Teacher, 40(1), 26–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159x.2017.1364356Links to an external site.

I couldn’t agree more. Sometimes I forgot others may have decided to become an NP from a completely different career. I have been a nurse and have some skill set and some experience that could go to NP positions that I apply for. Building a very good portfolio would be important with a nursing background, but especially important for someone with no medical background. “Electronic portfolios (e-portfolios) are a way for a potential nurse hire to showcase talents and skills, and draw attention to his or her uniqueness for those responsible for hiring (McMillan, et al., 2014).” The goal is to make yourself stand out. Showcase your best features through the portfolio. I am looking forward to creating mine.

McMillan, L. R., Parker, F., & Sport, A. (2014). Decisions, decisions! E-portfolio as an effective hiring assessment tool Links to an external site. Nursing Management, 45(4), 52-54.

Hello Ieshia,

I loved your idea of using a portfolio to sell a new, aspiring practitioner who has no prior experience working as a nurse practitioner. They may use this as a platform to demonstrate their abilities, skills, and clinical hours. Therefore, a portfolio is a wonderful approach to keep track of the abilities obtained in practicum early on and continuously as we progress through the program. The Journal of Perioperative Nursing in Australia makes this point quite clearly by ICN Pierre Theraulaz, “Your hard work and newly acquired skills will be vitally important to the health of populations in your countries and add to the strengthening of nursing everywhere”.

References:

Burns, M. K. (2018). Creating a Nursing Portfolio. Ohio Nurses Review, 93(3), 16–17

East, R. (2015). Developing a nurse practitioner portfolio. ACORN: The Journal of Perioperative Nursing in Australia, 28(4), 35.

Beverly, great points throughout here. One big focus of your strategies seems to be continuing education, whether it is formal classroom learning, seminars, webinars, or certifications. I think this is so important for you, for future employees, and for your patients. We all know that learning never ends in nursing and health care in general. In order to stay current and be the best practitioners we can be, continuous learning is one of our most important strategies! Well-said.

Beverly,

I’m glad to hear you mention attending seminars and/or webinars related to your nursing specialty because I think this is not thought of as much as other things when it comes to building your portfolio. In my early part of my nursing career I would only attend a seminar or listen to a webinar if it was mandatory at my job, but now I try to attend as many as possible to advance my knowledge and skillset. If I didn’t know how to perform a certain thing I would just get another nurse to show me how to do it, relying on that individual’s knowledge in performing that task. I live in a state that doesn’t require nurses to have a certain number of CEUs, unless you have a certain specialty, like other states. Multiple states require a specified number of contact hours of education for relicensure to ensure that nurses are current in their practice. Also, if you work at an organization that is considered to have Magnet status it is proof of the organization’s commitment to continued learning for professional nurses (Kowalski, 2021).

Attending training sessions whether in-person or online is beneficial to increasing the lifetime learning journey. A study showed that the combination of didactic and simulation sessions yielded an increase in confidence among medical-surgical nurses by reducing anxiety, providing resources and accommodation of training sessions. Continuing education can lead to fewer worries and greater confidence in the nursing care not only to specialty nursing but to non-specialized nursing as well (Bagley et al., 2018).

Natasha,

References

Kowalski, K. (2021). Creating Relevant Continuing Education Through Certification Requirements. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 52(11), 495-496. https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20211008-01Links to an external site.

Bagley, Kimberly A, DNP, RN, AGPCNP-BC,A.G.A.C.N.P.-B.C., C.C.R.N., Dunn, Sarah E, MSN,R.N., A.G.N.P.-C., Chuang, E. Y., M.D., Dorr, V. J., M.D., Thompson, J. A., PhD., & Smith, Sophia K,PhD., M.S.W. (2018). Nonspecialty Nurse Education. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 22(2), E44-E51. https://doi.org/10.1188/18.CJON.E44-E51

Module 5 Discussion Response 1

Hi Beverly, I agree with including academic accomplishments in one’s professional development goals. Burns (2018) recommends showcasing academic and professional achievements with objective supporting documents that can be verified. This a great way to provide supporting evidence of work ethic, perseverance, and commitment to continuous learning. The certifications acquired with continuous learning provide a higher level of skill, understanding, and tangible evidence of one’s hard work. Attending seminars and webinars is another strategy you mentioned to contribute to professional development. In addition to improving nursing skills, this strategy is an excellent opportunity to network and interact with like-minded professionals. Fernandez (2022) explains that professional networking through workshops and seminars is a great way to be proactive in one’s career, promote self-care, and open doors to professional growth and new jobs. The compilation of strategies discussed in your post provides a wealth of evidentiary supporting information to add to one’s professional development plan and a plethora of knowledge that can be applied to the global social change platform Walden university provides. Thank you for sharing.

Reference

Burns, M.K. (2018). Creating a nursing portfolio. Ohio Nurse Review, 93(3), 19-17.

Fernandez, A. (2022, June 16). The benefits of networking for nurse practitioners. American

                Association of Nurse Practitioners. Retrieved January 18, 2023, from

https://www.aanp.org/news-feed/the-benefits-of-networking-for-nurse-practitionersLinks to an external site.

Hello Beverly, I appreciate the way you identified academic portfolios as “self-branding “tools which will open doors for employment and put them in positions of leadership in their field. I concur with your plan to tie academic success to professional growth objectives through furthering education and participating in seminars and conferences advances professional development and enhance abilities. By going to seminars and conferences in the past, I personally learned a great deal, and this helped me apply that information to my nursing work as well. In order to maintain the level and quality of service, companies must be able to fund staff for certain conferences related to their area.

References:

Coelho, Paulo MSc, BSN, RN, CPHQ. Relationship Between Nurse Certification and Clinical Patient Outcomes: A Systematic Literature Review. Journal of Nursing Care Quality 35(1): p E1-E5, January/March 2020. | DOI: 10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000397

Mlambo, M., Silén, C., & McGrath, C. (2021). Lifelong learning and nurses’ continuing professional development, a metasynthesis of the literature. BMC Nursing, 20(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00579-2

Hello Beverly,

As you consider the strategies needed for professional development, I would like to recommend the use of mentors. Mentors are individuals that are senior in one’s profession, and they are instrumental for professional growth because the mentor and coach tehri followers and empower them with the skills necessary to navigate one’s professional life (Ranzenhofer et al., 2020). When it comes to mentorship, you have more power to dictate what you wish to gain through the mentorship relationship. Furthermore, mentorship and also provide growth way beyond  professional guidance and this is because mentors are also likely to provide personal growth as well, thus facilitating the growth of an all-round professional (Gulla et al., 2019).

References

Gulla, C., Flo, E., Kjome, R. L. S., & Husebo, B. S. (2019). Implementing a novel strategy for interprofessional medication review using collegial mentoring and systematic clinical evaluation in nursing homes (COSMOS). BMC geriatrics, 19(1), 130. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-019-1139-6

Ranzenhofer, L. M., Wilhelmy, M., Hochschild, A., Sanzone, K., Walsh, B. T., & Attia, E. (2020). Peer mentorship as an adjunct intervention for the treatment of eating disorders: A pilot randomized trial. The International journal of eating disorders, 53(5), 497–509. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23258

Nice post Pamela,

A professional portfolio is known as evidence of the skills, achievements, and professional experience of an individual (Moran, J., 2016). Strategies that can be followed in the creation of portfolio elements that concentrate on my academic achievements are: highlighting my academic achievements, talking about special training and qualification courses that I have taken and completed, talking about my leadership skills during team work at school, thus filling my professional portfolio documents with all my achievements, keeping them in place and ready to go for updating my resumes as I pursue a higher position in any job interviews.  Mlambo et al. (2021) When this is stored electronically it would be much easier to update, also known as the ‘E-portfolio.’ Moore, K. (2019.

REFFERENCES:

David, A. (2021, June 15). The benefits of networking for nurse practitioners. American

                Association of Nurse Practitioners. Retrieved January 19, 2021.

Walden University. (n.d.). Walden University catalog Links to an external site. Links to an external Links to an external site.site. Retrieved October 4, 2019, from https://catalog.waldenu.edu.

Nathan, I agree with you that using the portfolio to emphasize some of your experiences is vital. I like how you mentioned teaching, research and publications, presentations, teamwork, and leadership. If I was on the hiring end, and I saw a portfolio that emphasized these experiences, I would definitely want to consider that person. Most every nursing position would be glad to have someone with leadership and positive teamwork experience, and the teaching, research, and presentations showcase a lot of talent as well. Thank you for bringing up those specific experiences, and for all of you, be sure you emphasize these in your portfolio if you have been part of those situations.

Meagan,

I enjoyed reading your post. great point about becoming a mentor and that enhancing your portfolio. I can imagine showing your leadership skills in that form would certainly impress your potential employers, and as you mentioned it also has a positive impact on you as person when a mentee is successful. building a portfolio, I believe can be likened to building ones personal brand, therefore, our personal lives also have a significant impact on our portfolio especially for us nurses. with social media being so commonly used, one more than a third of recruiters are checking their potential employee’s social media ( Cotriss, 2023).

References 

Cotriss, D., (2023). Keep It Clean: Social Media Screenings Gain in Popularity. retrieved from: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/2377-social-media-hiring.html

Anna, you make some excellent points here. I am glad that your workplace has required the portfolio from you. It forces you to keep up with your experiences and accomplishments, some of which you may not have remembered. Additionally, it forces you to make long-term and short-term goals and evaluate yourself and reflect upon your professional life. Have any of the rest of you had to do this for work and had similar experiences?

Hi Anna,

I agree with your statement that creating a professional portfolio is a smart move for any professional. It allows individuals to document their engagement, activities, and academic accomplishments to assess their professional and personal growth better. Answering Dr.Nabers question,  I have never personally had to make a portfolio for work or previous employer, as it was never a requirement, but it is a great idea. It can help employees keep a clear career path. A portfolio can also be a valuable tool for setting and achieving professional goals and presenting oneself as a well-rounded and dedicated professional to potential employers. Sherrod (2018) stated, “In nursing, the professional portfolio provides a record of your professional development where you can list personal and professional goals, growth, and achievements,” which makes it even more important to have one.

Anna, It sounds like you have developed an excellent portfolio for yourself, and keeping up with it each year demonstrates an ongoing commitment to professional growth. It can benefit you when applying for promotions or new job opportunities. According to a Healthcare Financial Management Association study, “employers view continuing education as a commitment to the profession and personal and professional growth” (O’Neil, 2018). Another study by the Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing states that “employers view continuing education as a way to improve job performance, patient outcomes, and the overall quality of care” (Suresh, 2019).

References: 

O’Neil, J. (2018). Why continuing education is important for healthcare professionals. Healthcare Financial Management Association. https://www.hfma.org/content/why-continuing-education-is-important-for-healthcare-professionalsLinks to an external site. 

Suresh, K. (2019). The Importance of Continuing Education for Nurses. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 50(2), 63-68. https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20190117-01Links to an external site.