The use of professional portfolios and profiles for career e.docx

The use of professional portfolios
and profiles for career enhancement
Deborah C Casey and Dominic Egan
Deborah C Casey, Senior Lecturer, Dominic Egan, Senior
Lecturer, Faculty of Health, Leeds Metropolitan University
Email: [email protected]
Since the introduction of the Post-registration Education and
Practice (PREP) standard for regis-tered nurses and midwives in
1995, the relationship
between the professional development, education and
training of registrants, and their fitness for practice has been
made explicit (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2010a).
The PREP continuing professional development standard
requires registrants to:
w Undertake at least 35 hours of learning activity relevant
to their practice during the 3-year period prior to
renewal of registration
w Maintain a personal professional portfolio of learning
activity
w Comply with any request from the Nursing and
Midwifery Council (NMC) to audit how these require-
ments have been met.
In addition, to meet certain NMC practice standards,
such as the standards for mentors and practice teach-
ers (NMC, 2008a) or non-medical prescribers (NMC,
2008b), focused evidence to meet specific outcomes
must be collected as evidence of continuing professional
development. Maintaining a robust portfolio of material

evidencing professional development activities and how
they have informed and influenced practice is therefore a
mandatory requirement and failure to do so could jeop-
ardise NMC registration. However, this should not be
the only reason for evidencing personal and professional
development using a professional portfolio. This article
will discuss the wider range of potential personal and
professional benefits to the individual practitioner from
portfolio development activities.
The portfolio defined
There are a number of descriptions of what constitutes a
professional portfolio but a particularly useful definition,
provided by McCready (2007 p. 144) is:
‘…a visual representation of the individual, their
experience, strengths, abilities and skills.’
Individual portfolios will therefore be unique in terms
of content and presentation, reflecting the specific profes-
sional biography of that health professional. Although part
of the function of maintaining a portfolio may be as a stor-
age portal for certificates, transcripts and job descriptions,
it should provide much more than just a career resumé or
curriculum vitae summarizing academic and work history.
A portfolio should also provide evidence of how an indi-
vidual has developed both personally and professionally.
It is therefore a showcase for past accomplishments and
achievements, but can also be used as a dynamic vehicle to
enable future career and development planning.
Portfolio structure
Although most portfolios will be traditional paper-based
files or a folder containing a range of written or printed
material, increasingly electronic software packages for

developing electronic or ‘e-portfolios’ are available. These
can significantly reduce the volume of paperwork gener-
ated and allow for flexibility of access. More importantly,
perhaps, they have the potential to enable real-time capture
of information, activities and learning.
Anderson et al (2009) propose that portfolios may be
structured in different ways (see Box 1).
The structure and presentation of a portfolio will clearly
vary according to the individual’s preferences, experiences
and career goals, but some common information and doc-
umentation to consider for inclusion are outlined below:
w Biographical information
w Educational background
w Employment history with brief description of roles and
responsibilities
w Professional qualification certificates
AbsTrAcT
Since 1995, registered nurses and midwives have been obliged
to develop
and maintain a professional portfolio of evidence reflecting the
learning
activities that they have undertaken and how these have
informed and
influenced their practice. The aim of this article is to
demonstrate that
rather then just a retrospective account of continuing
professional
development activities, a portfolio can be used as a vehicle for
engaging in
self-assessment and personal development planning. Possible
structures
and type of evidence are explored and portfolios in the context

of gaining
accreditation for prior experiential learning, and in particular
for those
nurses in advanced clinical roles, are discussed.
KEY WOrDs
Portfolios w Profiles w Continuing professional development w
Evidencing competence w Accreditation of prior learning
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
British Journal of Community Nursing Vol 15, No 11 547
w Training and competency records
w Records of appraisal and personal development plans
w Professional development activities with supporting
notes outlining the learning from each activity and
some reflection on how it has informed and influenced
practice
w Activities to support learning and assessment of oth-
ers – including mentoring, preceptoring and teaching of
pre- and post-registration nursing students, allied health
professional students and the non-professional workforce
w Practice development activities undertaken to support
evidence-based practice such as audits, development of
protocols or guidelines, and change management projects
w Publications and conference presentations
w Professional body membership and any associated work
Registered nurses should however, feel free to be creative

in their selection of material for inclusion. Hillard (2006)
advocates that practitioners should undertake regular writ-
ten reflections on incidents that have occurred in the prac-
tice arena, and using these within a professional portfolio.
She suggests this enables the practitioner to demonstrate
self-awareness, to identify the knowledge embedded in
daily nursing practice and to consider areas of practice that
require development. This may be particularly pertinent for
nurses working in primary care. The nature of work in the
community is that it is often carried out by lone practition-
ers who, although function as part of a wider health-care
team, actually deliver care independently on a daily basis.
Reflecting on individual episodes of care may support the
autonomous nurse in evidencing skills and knowledge in
work that other wise may remain ‘hidden’ to others. Schultz
(2007) discussed how reflective practice has the potential to
help community practitioners ‘unlock the tacit knowledge
and understanding that they have of their practice.’ By
recording this, there is the potential for the knowledge to
be shared, made explicit and accessible to the wider nursing
community to enable the development of practice.
Evidence within the portfolio obviously must conform
to professional and ethical standards for protecting confi-
dentiality. This applies to patient/client information as well
as the location and identify of colleagues or other health-
care staff.
A vehicle for personal development
The evidence presented within the portfolio must be sup-
ported by some additional narrative. This is to ensure that
the outcome of any learning event, such as attendance at a
study day, is captured. In other words, how the learning was
used in practice must be considered. McMullan et al (2003)
make the point that portfolios must demonstrate ‘...both the

product and process of learning’. Records of attendance at a
study day or work shadowing a colleague, for example, are
not in themselves evidence of learning. Some discussion of
what was learnt and how new skills or theory was applied
to develop or reinforce practice is crucial to demonstrate the
value of the developmental activity undertaken.
box 1 Portfolio structures
Shopping Trolley - lots of evidence collected, but no real
attempt to pull out
themes or present in any specific order.
Spinal structure - evidence and reflective pieces aligned to
competency
standards or course objectives, for the purposes of meeting
prescribed
competencies, professional development planning and
showcasing evi-
dence for authorization, academic award or for potential
employers.
Cake mix structure - a reflective narrative tying evidence
together, which
enables a greater focus on the personal learning journeys,
reflection and
the development of personal qualities.
Source: Anderson et al, 2009
box 2. Example of a sWOT analysis related to personal
development
Strengths Weaknesses
Good clinical skills
Sound interpersonal skills

Developing leadership
skills
No formal qualification in speciality
Not done any academic study for several years
Opportunities Threats
Support in principle from
manager
Flexible degree pathway
at local university
Lack of funding from employer
High personal anxiety re work/life balance if studying
Action Plan
Contact university for degree prospectus
Contact appropriate lecturer re study skill support available
Arrange appointment with manager to discuss possibility of
studying a module
Explore alternative sources of funding – special trustees?
Look at time management and consider where time for studying
could be identified. For example, Sunday morning when
children at football

548 British Journal of Community Nursing Vol 15, No 11
The portfolio therefore has scope for being much more
then just a historical record of development. It can also be
used as a vehicle for engaging in self-assessment and personal
development planning. Evidence used within the portfolio
can be used to undertake a personal review of where a prac-
titioner currently is in terms of their development and con-
sider where they want to be. A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats) analysis can be a simple but useful
tool to analyse professional strengths (skills, knowledge and
ability) and weaknesses (areas for development.) These can
then be considered in the context of the opportunities for
development and the potential threats or barriers to develop-
ment. An action plan can then be developed ensuring that
these are addressed. Box 2 provides an example of this. In this
way, the portfolio can becomes a dynamic tool that enables
and records professional growth.
Adult learning
Knowles et al (1984) identified that adult learners share
certain characteristics:
w Self-concept: They have developed from being depend-
ent on others towards becoming self-directed individuals
w Experience: They have accumulated a range of experi-
ences that provide an increasing resource for learning
w Readiness to learn: Their readiness to learn within their
social roles is apparent
w Motivation to learn: As a person matures the motivation

to learn is internal (Knowles, 1984 p.12).
These criteria are obviously desirable characteristics for
community nurses who are taking on increasingly autono-
mous and complex roles in response to the demands of
political and societal changes. Portfolios would therefore
seem to be a very appropriate vehicle for both enabling and
demonstrating these characteristics. Indeed, for this reason
portfolios are widely utilized on university courses as part
of the assessment process in both pre- and post-registration
health-care programme.
Professional profiles
Timmins (2008 p. 24) suggests that whereas a portfolio may
be private, a profile is a selection of this evidence extracted
from the portfolio to fulfil a particular purpose. In this
way ‘...private learning may become public, thus making
it available for viewing by others’ (Timmins, 2009 p.5) An
example of this might be where a practitioner selects a range
of evidence from their portfolio to present as evidence of
having the skills and underpinning knowledge for a specific
job role as part of the selection and interview process. It is
important therefore, that while health professionals need to
maintain a portfolio evidencing ongoing competence in all
aspects of their professional life, they are likely to be required
to provide a narrower range of evidence when profiling
themselves for specific job roles or for academic or profes-
sional accreditation. In these circumstances, individuals may
be required to provide evidence of meeting pre-set criteria.
The material presented must be mapped against the specific
competencies or requirements. Box 3 provides an example
of using evidence to map against a specific competency.
Assuring quality
A professional portfolio can be defined as robust if it com-

prises evidence that provides a true representation of the
individual practitioner – in other words, their professional
identity. Wilcox and Brown (2002) suggested that the mate-
rial presented in portfolios must meet certain benchmarks:
w Valid – this means that the skills, knowledge and expertise
being demonstrated by the evidence matches the require-
ments of, for example, the employer, professional body or
higher education institution
w Sufficient – there must be adequate amount of material
for the assessor to make a judgement as to whether the
competency or skills or experience is adequate
w Authentic – the assessor must be clear that work within
the portfolio or profile is as a result of the professional’s
own effort and expertise
w Reliable - different assessors should place a similar value
on the evidence provided and make similar judgements
when confronted with the same evidence
w Current - this refers to the date of the evidence. Assessors
must be sure that the evidence submitted by the candidate
is recent enough to be considered a measure of his or
her current levels of competence. Records of attending
skills training several years previously with no evidence of
updating or ongoing development is clearly not evidence
of current proficiency.
These generic criteria can be used to as part of self-eval-
uation of a portfolio, but are particularly important when
using portfolio evidence to gain academic credit for prior
learning from a university.
Academic accreditation for prior

learning
Accreditation of prior learning (APL) is a process whereby
academic credits can be awarded for previous learning that
an individual has undertaken either through formal courses
of study (Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning
- APCL) or through unstructured, informal learning
box 3. An example of using portfolio evidence
to map against a specific competency
Competency
Candidate is able to work innovatively and be highly committed
to providing
holistic care with a passion to improve the patient experience
for service
users.
Demonstrated by:
Led and managed a change development project to set up a
nurse led tel-
ephone follow-up service for post-operative patients.
Evidence from portfolio
Project plan
Minutes of steering group meetings
Audit report of first 3 months of service
Short reflective account of the process of implementing the
service.

British Journal of Community Nursing Vol 15, No 11 551
at work or home (Accreditation of Prior Experiential
Learning - APEL). Essentially this means that universities
will review evidence of learning presented in a portfolio
and award academic credits if it meets the appropriate
academic standards. The academic standard a practitioner
is seeking should be demonstrated in the academic level of
the writing, as set by the Quality Assurance Agency (2001),
such as structure and referencing. Credits gained can be
used towards an academic award, for example, a diploma or
degree or used to grant exemption from part of a course of
study. In addition, evidence of prior learning can be used
to provide evidence of the ability to study for a specific
level of study and so enable the potential student to gain
exemption from the usual academic entry requirements.
With the ending of diploma programmes and a move to
all graduate pre-registration nurse preparation programmes
from 2013, many registered nurses may want to consider
returning to academic study on a part-time basis to achieve
a degree. Guidance on APL processes can be obtained from
individual universities but having a current and intelligently
presented portfolio reflecting past experience and learning
is an excellent starting point for those wishing to seek APL
Evidence of competence
The NMC (2009) uses the term competence to describe
the skills and ability to practice safely and effectively with-
out the need for supervision – a reasonable expectation of
the registered nurse made by both the professional body

and the employer. Since the introduction of the Knowledge
and Skills Framework (Department of Health, 2004), all
NHS staff are expected to demonstrate appropriate skills
and knowledge within their role. These are closely linked
to pay and progression through the process of annual
development reviews and personal development planning.
It is therefore helpful for health professionals to be able to
easily access evidence of competence as part of the review
process. However, there has been debate as to the best way
to assess competence and some recent work suggested that
as there is no gold standard for assessing competence in
nursing ‘...a multi-method approach to assessment is advis-
able’ (National Nursing Research Unit, 2009.) Portfolios
certainly constitute a multi-faceted way of presenting a
range of evidence and as a focus for discussion as part
of a performance development review. Local universities
increasingly offer modules to support the development of
portfolios for health professionals and a range of self-help
literature and texts have been also been published on the
topic. Local health librarians should be able to support
practitioners in accessing these.
Portfolios and advanced nursing
practice roles
There are particular reasons why those nurses who
undertake advanced clinical nursing roles, such as nurse
practitioners, consultant nurses and community matrons,
should maintain up-to-date professional portfolios. The
autonomous nature of the work of nurses in advanced roles
means that they are less subject to the scrutiny of others. In
addition, the sometimes fairly wide scope of their nursing
practice, and potential overlap with medical practice, makes
them vulnerable to questions regarding their competence
and qualifications for their practice. It is important there-
fore, that nurses in advanced roles should consider carefully

how they currently evidence that their practice is safe and
effective. Some suggestions for evidencing competence in
advanced practice within a portfolio are:
w Records of education and training in advanced skills such
as diagnostics to include some corroborative evidence
of advanced skill competency such as OSCE or witness
testimony
w Reports of audits of practice include documentation
reviews
w Patient perspective through/patient stories
w Peer review of practice
w Feedback from colleagues and line managers
w Notes from clinical supervision undertaken
w Case studies
w Reflection on practice events and incidents includ-
ing commentary on development and refinement of
advanced skills over time.
The likelihood of regulating advanced practice in the
near future is another reason for portfolio maintenance.
For several years discussions have been underway to con-
sider the regulation of nurses in advanced clinical practice
roles, following concern about their competence and
the lack of standardized educational preparation for such
posts (NMC, 2004.) Earlier this year, the NMC agreed
to establish a project group to take this work further, and
build on existing work on the competencies and processes
for regulating training and practice at an advanced level
(NMC, 2010b). It is likely that the process will involve
opening a new part of the register for advanced nurse
practitioners with eligibility requiring the practitioner to
demonstrate that the approved competencies have been

achieved, either through successful completion of an a
NMC validated course at a higher education institute, or
through an APEL route. This would mean the assessment
of competence via a range of methods, including a portfo-
lio of evidence that is mapped against the specific compe-
tencies. Those practitioners who already have commenced
the process of evidencing their skills and knowledge, will
obviously be at an advantage.
conclusion
Portfolio development is a professional requirement,
enabling staff to provide documentary evidence of skills,
knowledge and experience from a range of sources. A
well constructed portfolio should show how learning has
occurred as well as its application in practice. The acquisi-
tion and development of skills and knowledge over time
should also be evident. In this way, portfolios have the
potential to be a tool that is an accessible resource that
can assist in supporting career changes, meet professional
body requirements, attest to academic ability and ulti-
mately help to individual practitioners to implement and
promote best practice. BJCN
Anderson D, Gardner G, Ramsbotham J, Tones M (2009). E-
portfolios:
developing nurse practitioner competence and capability.
Australian
Journal of Advanced Nursing 26(4): 70-6

Bogossian F. Kellet S. (2010) Barriers to electronic portfolio
access in the
clinical setting Nurse Education Today [internet] April 28th
Department of Health (2004) The NHS knowledge and skills
framework and the
development review process. Department of Health, London
Hillard C (2006) Using structured reflection on a critical
incident to develop
a professional portfolio. Nursing Standards 21(2): 35–40
Knowles MS et al (1984) Andragogy in Action. Applying
modern principles of
adult education. Jossey Bass, San Francisco
McCready T (2007) Portfolios and the assessment of
competence in nurs-
ing: a literature review. International Journal of Nursing Studies
44: 143-51
Mc Mullen M et al (2003) Portfolios and assessment of
competence: a review
of the literature. Journal of Advanced Nursing 41(3): 283–94
National Nursing Research Unit (2009) Nursing competence:
what are we
assessing and how should it be measured? Policy Issue 18 June
Nursing and Midwifery Council (2004) Consultation on a
framework for the
standard for post-registration nursing. NMC, London
Nursing and Midwifery Council, (2008a) Standards to support
learning and
assessment in practice. NMC, London

Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008b) Guidance for
continuing professional
development for nurse and midwife prescribers. NMC, London
Nursing and Midwifery Council (2009) Review of pre-
registration nursing
education-Phase 2. NMC, London
Nursing and Midwifery Council (2010a) The PREP handbook.
NMC,
London
Nursing and Midwifery Council (2010b) Regulation of advanced
practice.
http://tinyurl.com/2uyopcr (Accessed 25 October 2010)
Quality Assuarance Agency (2001) The framework for higher
education qualifica-
tions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland- January 2001.
http://tinyurl.
com/37w7bdg (Accessed 25 October 2010)
Schultz S (2007) Reflection and reflective practice. Community
Practitioner
80(9): 26-9
Timmins F (2008) Making sense of portfolios: a guide for
nursing students Open
University Press, Maidenhead
Wilcox J, Brown R (2002) Accreditation of Prior and
Experiential Learning – A
Student Guide. http://tinyurl.com/26huokm (Accessed 25
October 2010)

KEY POinTs
w Maintenance of a portfolio is a professional body requirement
for
registered nurses and midwives.
w Portfolios offer a wide range of potential benefits for
registered nurses
and midwives in terms of their personal and professional
development.
w These include career enhancement, academic credit for prior
learning,
personal development planning and for evidencing advanced
skills and
knowledge.
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BUS707 Applied Business Research
Date: 16 March 2018

Term 1 2018
Marking Rubric for BUS707 Applied Business Research
Assessment 2: Research Plan (short response) – 15%
Criteria
Fail
(0 – 49%)
Pass
(50 – 64%)
Credit
(65 – 74%)
Distinction
(75 – 84%)
High Distinction
(85 – 100%)
Identify research problem,
providing an understanding of
the background to the problem
in respect to significance and
clarity
(20 marks)
Research problem and
background to the

problem are not well-
developed in respect to
significance and clarity
background to the problem
are somewhat developed
in respect to significance
and clarity
Research problem
and background to
the problem well-
developed in
respect to
significance and
clarity
background to the
problem are very well-
developed in respect to
significance and clarity
background to the problem
are expertly developed in
respect to significance and
clarity
Identify a suitable research

objective and research
questions relevance to
research problem
(20 marks)
Research questions and
research objectives are
not well-developed with
respect to research
questions and their links
to research objectives.
somewhat developed with
respect to research
questions and their links to
research objectives.
Research
questions and
research objectives
are well-developed
with respect to
research questions
and their links to
research
objectives.

very well-developed with
respect to research
questions and their links
to research objectives.
expertly developed with
respect to research questions
and their links to research
objectives.
Present a foundation for literature
review by demonstrating
adequate keywords and
identifying 4 (four) highly relevant
sources
(20 marks)
The foundation for the
literature review are not
well developed with
respect to: adequate
search keyword and
identification of four
relevant articles

literature review are
somewhat developed with
search keyword and
relevant articles
The foundation for
the literature
review are well-
developed with
respect to:
adequate search
keyword and
relevant articles
literature review are very
well- developed with
search keyword and
relevant articles
literature review are expertly
developed with respect to :
adequate search keyword

and identification of four
relevant articles
Clearly identify ethical
considerations
(20 marks)
Poor identification of
ethical consideration
relevant to the research
Sufficient identification of
Adequate
identification of
ethical
consideration
relevant to the
research
Good identification of
Excellent identification of
ethical consideration relevant
to the research

BUS707 Applied Business Research
Date: 16 March 2018
Term 1 2018
Apply relevant skills and
knowledge of research, the
wider context of the problem
and the inter-relationships
between them
(10 marks)
Poor ability to apply
relevant skills and
knowledge of research,
the wider context of the
problem and inter-
relationship between
them.
Sufficient ability to apply
relevant skills and
knowledge of research, the
wider context of the
problem and inter-
relationship between them.

Adequate ability to
apply relevant skills
and knowledge of
research, the wider
context of the
problem and inter-
relationship
between them.
Good ability to apply
relevant skills and
knowledge of research,
the wider context of the
problem and inter-
relationship between
them.
Excellent ability to apply
relevant skills and knowledge
of research, the wider context
of the problem and inter-
relationship between them.
Present the information in a
professional manner with
correct referencing
(10 marks)
Poor ability to present
information in professional
manner with correct

referencing
Sufficient ability to present
manner with correct
referencing
Adequate ability to
present information
in professional
manner with
correct referencing
Good ability to present
information in
professional manner with
correct referencing
Excellent ability to present
manner with correct
referencing
Total mark out of 100
Assessment mark:
_____ / 15
Comment:

ASSESSMENT 2
BUS707 – Applied Business Research
T1 2018
ASSESSMENT 2: Research Plan, short response – 15%
This assessment is designed to allow students to develop the
expertise necessary to formulate practical and usable research
questions to resolve business problems and add to business
knowledge, taking into consideration existing literature and any
ethical considerations. It is the essential start to constructing
and justifying a proposal for conducting independent research
question. This assessment relates to Learning Outcomes a, c and
d
This research plan will set as a basis for Research Proposal in
Assessment 4.
Following consultation with the lecturer or tutor, you should
identify a problem which may be answered by research – you
will be guided towards a suitable research problem in tutorials
during weeks 2 – 5 (inclusive).
Based on the problem identified, you should identify relevant
sub-problems, research questions, and provide a brief
background to the research question, why it is an issue, and
what outcomes the research may produce. Literature review plan
& data collection plan. A brief discussion of any ethical
considerations should be included.
Submission Details
· Individual Assessment
· Word limit: 1000 words (±10%) (excluding reference list)
· You need to state the word count of the assessment on the
cover page.
· The response should be professionally presented using the
template provided (see below), in Arial 10pt or Times New
Roman 12pt, single space. Harvard (Anglia) style referencing.

· Submission deadline Week 5
· Softcopy to be uploaded Turnitin via Moddle links
· Late penalties and extensions:
An important part of business life and key to achieving KOI’s
graduate outcome of Professional Skills is the ability to manage
workloads and meet deadlines. Consequently, any assessment
items such as in- class quizzes and assignments missed or
submitted after the due date/time will attract a penalty. Penalty
for written assessment is - 5% of the total available marksper
calendar day unless an extension is approved
Guide to complete the Research Plan Template (template is
available on Moodle)
Proposed research title:
What is the title of your report’
Client Organisation (if applicable)
Who is your client organisation Note : you don’t need to
mention the organisastion’s name if you want to keep it
confidential just provide an overview of the organisatioal
background (the industry, number of employees, your
connection to the organisation, if any)
Research Background
· What specific problem does your client organisation face ?

· OR if you don’t use client organisation : what specific
problem will your research project resolve and try to resolve
Why is it important to solve this problem
Research Problem / Research Question
· Based on the underlying problem addressed above, what
research questions will guide your research ?
· Formulate more specific research questions
Research Aim and Objective
What does your research aim to explore/investigate/do ?
Keywords for Literature Review
· Keywords : what keywords will you use in your search for
relevant literature, which will then be the foundation of your
literature review.
Publication details of relevant articles for literature review
· Relevant articles : list down publication details of four
relevant articles you will use as the main references in your
literature review (assessment 3) Please note, for the main
articles you must only use academic (peer-reviewed) journal
articles.
Data Collection Plan
· Type of data needed (primary or secondary data), how will you
collect your data ? Note : no need for details, just provide
general overview of what kind of data you want to

collect/analyse i.e surveys, in-depth interview, focus groups,
document analysis
Ethical Consideration
List down the principal ethical consideration of your research in
relation to participants (confidentiality, communiation,
integrity)
Marks out of 20 will be awarded based on how well the
following criteria is addressed:
Criteria
% Marks
Identify research problem, providing an understanding of the
background to the problem in respect to significance & clarity
20%
Identify a suitable research objective and research questions
relevance to research problem
20%
Present a foundation for the literature review by demonstrating
adequate keywords and identifying 4 (four) highly relevant
sources.
20%
Clearly identify ethical considerations;
20%
Apply relevant skills and knowledge of research, the wider
context of the problem and the inter-relationships between
them;

10 %
Present the information in a professional manner with correct
referencing
10 %
A full Marking Rubric will be provided in Moodle.
Name :
________________________________________________Stude
nt ID : ____________________________________________
Proposed Research Title:
IMPACT OF ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE ON THE
PROCEDURE AND TECHNIQUE OF
ACCOUNTING._______________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________Client Organisation (if
applicable)Research Background Research Problem / Research
Question
Research Aim and ObjectivesKeywords for Literature
ReviewPublication details of relevant articles for literature
reviewData Collection PlanEthical Consideration
1 | Page
48 American Nurse Today Volume 12, Number 11
AmericanNurseToday.com

•
Take advantage of your digital
footprint to demonstrate your
skills and experience.
Your online identity (including photos you
post on Instagram, status updates and likes
on Facebook, and Tweets) is a digital finger-
print that reveals who you are, personally and
professionally. And because an estimated 60%
to 80% of employers do online searches of po-
tential hires, your digital identity should not be
taken lightly. Both students and practicing nurses
should attend to their digital identities to ensure that
they’re seen in a positive light by potential employers,
academic institutions, colleagues, and patients.
One way to create a positive online presence is by
crafting an ePortfolio, which is an online presentation
of your academic and professional experiences and
achievements. (See Why create an ePortfolio?)
To build your ePortfolio, consider the platform you
want to use, how you’ll connect with other nursing
professionals, and the content you should include.
Platform
Before you start creating your ePortfolio, decide what
platform best suits your needs. If you’re a student, your
school may offer free access to platforms such as Port-
folium or Pathbrite. Reach out to your career services
center to find out if these options are available.
Other platform options, for both students and prac-
ticing nurses, include social media and sites that allow
you to create your own website. LinkedIn, for exam-

ple, is a social media platform designed specifically for
building career profiles and making professional con-
nections. The downside is that it doesn’t allow for de-
sign flexibility; your portfolio will look like everyone
else’s. No matter which social media platform you use,
take advantage of opportunities to connect to profes-
sional organizations that align with your career goals.
Career Sphere
An ePortfolio, and the process of creating one, offers many
benefits to students and nursing professionals. Here are
just a few.
• For practicing nurses, reflecting on your experiences
and skills will help you determine how prepared you
are for the positions you’re seeking.
• For new graduates, reflecting on clinical and profession-
al growth since admission to a nursing program and
outlining short- and long-term goals will aid in building
your career path.
• In some disciplines, ePortfolios are a well-established
practice to demonstrate progress, archive coursework
through college, and provide evidence of meeting
learning outcomes.
• The process of building an ePortfolio can support
preparation for academic applications and professional
interviews.
• Many employers still require traditional résumés, but
ePortfolios are an innovative way to share your experi-
ences and skills.

Why create an ePortfolio?
Craft a positive nursing digital
identity with an ePortfolio
By Jaime Hannans, PhD, RN, CNE, and Yosemite Olivo, RN
AmericanNurseToday.com
November 2017 American Nurse Today 49
Another option is creating your
own website, using platforms such
as WordPress and Google Sites.
With your own website, your ePor -
tfolio will be unique in both design
and function. Some website-build-
ing platforms are easier to use than
others, so keep that in mind when
making your choice.
Making connections
Networking has always been important to professional
growth, and the digital world makes it easy. One way
to connect with other nursing professionals is to iden-
tify relevant online articles or blogs and share your
perspectives on social media. If you’re starting a job
search, follow organizations that interest you and inter-
act with them through social media by commenting
appropriately on their activities and initiatives.
Content
Recruiters and potential employers will view your
ePortfolio in different ways. Some may click one or
two links, while others will take time to explore it.
You’ll want the content on your ePortfolio to be easily

accessible, so that in one click viewers have an imme-
diate representation of you. (See What should be in
your ePortfolio?) And whatever platform you use, famil-
iarize yourself with its privacy settings to ensure the se-
curity of the information you share.
Professional development
Many advanced-degree programs integrate the devel-
opment of ePortfolios into coursework, but they can
be developed at any career stage. Building an ePort-
folio provides opportunities for professional develop-
ment, critical reflection, and life-
long learning. Digital connections
may enhance your knowledge in
areas such as healthcare policy,
current healthcare trends, and re-
search.
Imagine a potential employer
searching your name online and
finding information about your aca-
demic and professional experi-
ences, your career goals, and your digital connections
in your ePortfolio. Isn’t that better than finding random
images or posts from social media, or even worse,
finding nothing?
Traditional résumés may still be the common method
of submission for job applications, but fast-paced tech-
nological growth indicates that ePortfolios may soon
be required, so why not be ahead of the game?
Jaime Hannans is an assistant professor of nursing, California
State University

Channel Islands, Camarillo, California. Yosemite Olivo was a
student at California
State University Channel Islands at the time this article was
written.
Selected references
Ainsa T. College students’ digital identity: Perceptions towards
em-
ployment and career. Coll Stud J. 2016;50(1):47-52.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The Essentials of
Bac-
calaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice. 2008.
aacn-
nursing.org/Portals/42/Publications/BaccEssentials08.pdf
Garrett BM, MacPhee M, Jackson C. Evaluation of an eportfolio
for
the assessment of clinical competence in a baccalaureate
nursing pro-
gram. Nurse Educ Today. 2013;33(10):1207-13.
Karsten K. Using ePortfolio to demonstrate competence in
associate
degree nursing students. Teach Learn Nurs. 2012;7(1):23-6.
O’Keeffe M, Donnelly R. Exploration of ePortfolios for adding
value
and deepening student learning in contemporary higher
education.
Int J ePortfolio. 2013;3(1):1-11.
Your ePortfolio should give potential
employers a full picture of who you are
as a nursing professional, whether
you’ve been in practice for years or are

a recent graduate.
• Provide basic information, including
your name, education, certifications,
and contact information.
• Include your professionally taken
photograph so employers have a vi-
sual representation to connect with.
• Embed a clean, edited résumé (or
the content normally found in a ré-
sumé) with the option to print. In-
clude certifications and related work
experiences.
• If you have permission, include ref-
erences with contact information.
If not, simply state that you can be
contacted for references.
• Outline your short- and long-term
goals. Consider developing a nurs-
ing philosophy statement.
• Include organizational and volun-
teer experiences. If you’re seeking
work in a specific field, such as pedi-
atrics, highlight your experience and
volunteer work with pediatric popu-
lations.
• If you’re a student, share your clini-
cal experiences. Include facility
names, units and departments to

which you were assigned, clinical ro-
tation and course hours, projects in
which you participated, and elec-
tronic documentation systems you
used.
• If you’re a practicing nurse, include
information about your clinical posi-
tions, leadership roles (both formal,
such as nurse manager, and infor-
mal, such as chair of the unit patient
safety committee), and research and
quality-improvement projects.
• Include examples of experiences
that demonstrate leadership, com-
munication skills, and teamwork.
What should be in your ePortfolio?
Make your ePortfolio
content easily
accessible for
one-click viewers.
•
See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication
at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51867499
Using Portfolios to Introduce the Clinical Nurse Leader to the
Job Market

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2012
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JONA
Volume 42, Number 1, pp 47-51
Copyright B 2012 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams
& Wilkins

T H E J O U R N A L O F N U R S I N G A D M I N I S T R A
T I O N
Using Portfolios to Introduce the Clinical
Nurse Leader to the Job Market
Tommie L. Norris, DNS, RN
Sherry S. Webb, DNSc, CNL, NEA-BC
Leslie M. McKeon, PhD, CNL, NEA-BC
Susan R. Jacob, PhD, RN
Donna Herrin-Griffith, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, FACHE
Development of a portfolio is an effective strategy used
by clinical nurse leaders (CNLs) to inform prospective
employers of their specialized skills in quality improve-
ment, patient safety, error prevention, and teamwork.
The portfolio provides evidence of competence relative
to the role of clinician, outcomes manager, client advo-
cate, educator, information manager, systems analyst/
risk anticipator, team manager, healthcare professional,
and lifelong learner. This article describes the CNL
portfolio developed by experts from the University
of Tennessee Health Science Center and Methodist
LeBonheur Healthcare. Examples of portfolio docu-
ments generated throughout the master’s entry CNL cur-
riculum are provided, along with student experiences
using the portfolio in the employment interview process.
With more than 1,400 clinical nurse leaders (CNLs)
in the United States and increasing enrollment in
master’s entry CNL programs, it is critical that CNLs

are able to clearly articulate their value. Clarity in
this regard is especially important for the newly li-
censed CNL. Portfolios provide a format to showcase
a unique understanding of patient care and frontline
care systems as a dynamic record of growth and pro-
fessional development.1 A portfolio is valuable in
the employment process, showing the newly grad-
uated CNL’s clinical experience in quality improve-
ment (QI) and safety, along with strengths gained
from training with content experts. A portfolio, or-
ganized similarly to customary career advancement
criteria, provides additional value to the CNL by dif-
ferentiating the skills and knowledge of the CNL
above those of a bedside nurse for potential employers.
This article describes the use of portfolios in the
University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC)
MSN CNL program to document academic perfor-
mance and demonstrate specialized skills to prospective
employers. The benefits of portfolios to the nurse em-
ployee, academic institutions, and organizations are dis-
cussed. Examples from student experiences using the
portfolios during the interview process are included.
Background
The healthcare system in the United States has been
reported as unsafe and fragmented.2 Fragmentation
has been identified as contributing to preventable er-
rors, unnecessary mortality, reduced quality of care,
and poor outcomes.2 To meet the challenges set forth
by the IOM to transform healthcare through address-
ing levels of education for nurses,3 the AACN, along
with nurse leaders from academia and practice, cre-
ated the CNL role. The role was conceived to address

the educational needs for nursing generalists prepared
at the graduate level who could work as lateral inte-
grators of outcome-based care at the microsystem
level.4 The role is anticipated to reduce fragmenta-
tion through incorporation of evidenced-based pa-
tient care and QI strategies.4
To prepare nurses to meet the IOM mandates,
3 important initiatives were launched.3 In 2004,
AACN convened a CNL implementation taskforce
JONA � Vol. 42, No. 1 � January 2012 47
Author Affiliations: Director of Clinical Nurse Leader Pro-
gram and Associate Professor (Dr Norris), Assistant Professor
(Dr
Webb), and Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Associate
Pro-
fessor (Dr McKeon), Acute & Chronic Department; Interim
Dean
and Professor and Ruth Neil Murry Endowed Chair in Nursing
(Dr Jacob), Primary Care and Public Health, the University of
Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Nursing,
Memphis;
and Senior Vice President/Administrator and CNO, Martin Me-
morial Health Systems, Stuart, Florida, and Clinical Associate
Pro-
fessor, the University of Alabama, Huntsville (Ms Herrin-
Griffith).
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Correspondence: Dr Norris, College of Nursing, The University
of Tennessee Health Science Center, 877 Madison Ave, Suite
637,
Memphis, TN 38163 ([email protected]).

DOI: 10.1097/NNA.0b013e31823c18e3
Copyright @ 201 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Unauthorized
reproduction of this article is prohibited.1
to identify and recruit academic-practice partnership
models that would implement and evaluate CNL
pilot/demonstration projects. As of August 2011,
there are 99 MSN CNL programs.5 In 2007, the
Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN)
project, funded by the RWJF, published the crucial
quality and safety nursing competencies needed by
prelicensure students to achieve quality patient out-
comes in the practice environment.6 Quality and
Safety Education for Nurses competencies encom-
pass the essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes in
the domains of patient-centered care, teamwork and
collaboration, evidenced-based practice (EBP), QI, in-
formatics, and safety.6 Phase 2 of QSEN focused on
the development and evaluation of classroom, clin-
ical, and simulation quality and safety learning strat-
egies by 15 schools of nursing across the country.
In 2009, phase 3 addressed faculty development for
teaching safety and quality in professional entry
nursing programs.6 The AACN revised the Essen-
tials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional
Nursing Practice7 to guide baccalaureate nursing cur-
ricula. The revised document includes greater empha-
sis in patient-centered care, interprofessional teams,
EBP, QI, patient safety, informatics, clinical reasoning/
critical thinking, genetics and genomics, cultural sen-
sitivity, professionalism, and practice across the life-
span in a complex healthcare environment.7

Implementation of the CNL role in practice has
been led by Veterans Health Administration medical
centers, in addition to a few early adopter health-
care organizations such as Maine Medical Center in
Portland, Maine. Early outcomes from the Veterans
Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System in
Nashville, Tennessee, demonstrated that CNLs had
a positive impact on patient readmission rates,
hospital-acquired infection rates, length of stay, and
patient satisfaction.8 Remarkably, 3 years after im-
plementation, outcomes of CNL practice have been
sustained; additional CNL-led improvements include
decreased blood transfusions after joint replacement
surgery, increased venous thromboembolism prophy-
laxis for intubated patients, and decreased cancella-
tions for elective surgery.9
Preparation for the Role
The CNL provides and manages care at the bedside
or point of care to individual patients and cohorts.4
The flexibility and broad scope of this role support
employment in a variety of practice setting.10 Imple-
mentation of the CNL role is being explored by
more than 175 practice institutions and employers4;
however, roles vary across settings.
The CNL curriculum includes didactic and clin-
ical content for preparation as an advanced nurse
generalist with specific focus on nursing leadership,
clinical outcomes management, and care environment
management.4 In addition to graduate coursework
in health assessment, pharmacology and pathophys-

iology, 400 to 500 hours of clinical experiences are
expected. Curriculum topics include epidemiology,
EBP, health policy, finance, QI, informatics, and health-
care systems complexity.
Portfolios
Historically portfolios were used in non-healthcare
professions including art, architecture, and finance.
Portfolios are used today by the nursing profession in
academic settings and for career advancement.11,12
The components and formatting of the portfolio
have been refined over time to current electronic
versions.13-18 Because CNLs are knowledge workers,
a portfolio is an effective strategy to demonstrate
their unique skill set for transforming care at the
bedside. In academia, the portfolio has become a
collection of student work19 providing evidence of
achieved competence.20
Practice innovations for complex patients, error
reduction strategies, examples of interprofessional
collaboration, and microsystem improvements are
examples of CNL transformational care practices.
Portfolios that include both successful and unsuc-
cessful outcomes can profile CNL problem-solving
skills. Evaluations of current practices demonstrate
critical synthesis21 and command of process evalua-
tion, both guiding principles for future patient care
delivery.22 Ongoing maintenance of the portfolio pro-
vides the CNL with evidence of career development
useful for licensure and certification renewal.18,23
Academic and practice leaders from UTHSC
and Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare in Memphis,

Tennessee, collaboratively developed the CNL port-
folio with application for both the academic and
practice settings. A 2-phase pilot project was used
to evaluate the use of portfolios. Phase 1 addressed
CNL use of a portfolio including competencies ac-
quired in nursing coursework, clinical experiences,
and CNL clinical immersion outcomes.
Documentation of CNL Competencies
The CNL portfolio is developed at the beginning of
the program in the informatics course using an elec-
tronic format. During the advanced leadership and
internship classes, UTHSC CNL students organize
evidence of professional nursing competencies ac-
quired through coursework and clinical experiences
in preparation for graduation. Students complete the
portfolio at the conclusion of a 315-hour CNL clin-
ical immersion experience. The portfolio is organized
48 JONA � Vol. 42, No. 1 � January 2012
according to the CNL role competencies established
by AACN.4 Documents include examples of com-
plex patient care interventions and outcomes, error
reduction strategies based on systematic assessment,
demonstration of interprofessional collaboration, and
systematic microsystem improvement. A professional
resume with cover letter to potential employer; a
personal mission, vision, and values statement; and
earned certificates, such as continuing education, are

usually included in the portfolio (Table 1).
For the role systems analyst/risk anticipator,
students include a de-identified Microsystem Assess-
ment in their portfolio to demonstrate QSEN and
CNL competencies related to systematic microsys-
tem improvement. At the start of the clinical immer-
sion, CNLs complete a comprehensive assessment of
an aspect of the healthcare system. Examples include
assessment of nursing practices and protocols; per-
formance of an environmental safety or safety cul-
ture assessment; microsystem profile that analyzes
the system’s purpose, patients, employees, processes,
and patterns; microsystem core and supporting pro-
cesses inventory to determine staff’s perception and
rank order; and those processes that need improve-
ment. Other criteria include discharge process cycle
time to measure the time from the patient being dis-
charged until the patient has left the unit, interdisci-
plinary team observation, care transition maps to
diagnose the quality of patient care transitions be-
tween both healthcare practitioners and settings as
care needs dictate, and medication administration
interruption analysis that analyzes patterns of inter-
ruptions, waits, and delays in the process of safe med-
ication administration. Specific details for these and
other assessments are described in a previous pub-
lication.24 The data from these assessment documents
are used to identify opportunities for practice im-
provement. One student led a process improvement
project to reduce the patient no-show rate for a clin-
ical research unit. Using QI analysis tools including
Table 1. Examples of Documents/Content for Clinical Nurse
Leader (CNL) Portfolio

CNL Role Evidence in Portfolio
Clinician Complex patient concept map
National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators Pressure Ulcer
Prevention Training
Cultural assessment
Outcomes manager Care path analysis for complex acute care
Community assessment project
Microsystem Core and Supporting Processes Inventorya
Discharge process cycle timeb
Client advocate Presentation to an official on a healthcare issue
or impending bill
Advance directive interview
Educator Teaching project for community safety in pediatric
population
Health literacy teaching project: revision of patient education
materials using
principles of health literacy
Information manager Personal digital assistants at point of care
competency evaluation
Quality improvement project presentation
Microsystem Profilec
Systems analyst/Risk anticipator Medication administration
interruptions analysisd
Ergonomic assessment for bariatric patients
Team manager skill validation Bed huddle analysis of patient

flow
Interprofessional role collaboration analysis
Geriatric interdisciplinary team training, team meeting analysis
Professional associations Validation of Student Nurses
Association membership
Abstract for CNL summit presentation
Demonstration of commitment as
lifelong learner
Distinguished visiting professor lectureships
IHI basic safety certification
CNL certification
Abbreviation: IHI, Institute of Healthcare Improvement.
aMicrosystem core and supporting processes inventory =
interview strategy to gain staff’s perception to rank order those
processes that need
improvement.
bDischarge process cycle time = measures the time from the
patient being discharged until the patient has left the unit.
cMicrosystem profile = analyzes the microsystem’s purpose,
patients, employees, processes, and patterns.
dMedication administration interruptions analysis = analyzes
patterns of interruptions, waits, and delays in the process of
safe medication
administration, including recommendations to reduce
interruption using evidence-based strategies.

process maps, cause and effect diagram, and Pareto
analysis, she and her team identified myriad quality
gaps resulting in a 13.2% no-show rate. Through
process redesign using advanced technology and in-
corporating patient preference in the scheduling pro-
cess, the team reduced the no-show rate to 2.1%. The
student added select de-identified project documents
to her CNL portfolio, including the executive sum-
mary, data tables and graphs, team meeting minutes,
and a revised standard operating procedure as an ex-
ample of her mastery of the QI process.
For the role of a member of profession, students
participating in the Clarion competition held at the
University of Minnesota show evidence of interpro-
fessional collaboration in their portfolio to demon-
strate QSEN competencies related to teamwork and
collaboration through inclusion of presentation slides
and reflections on participating in a professional team.
The Clarion competition is an interprofessional team
competition held annually and focuses on healthcare
quality and safety. The intercollegiate competition
provides medical, pharmaceutical, nursing, and health
services students across the country with the op-
portunity to analyze a complex healthcare case study
based on actual events. Teams present their anal-
ysis and recommendations to a group of judges who
evaluate the presentations; summative evaluations
are provided to the teams for deeper learning. Re-
flections from CNL students have included comments
about the importance of communication among
healthcare providers in the acute and primary care
settings to prevent error; application of leadership,
critical thinking, and financial principles throughout
the project; and validation that multidisciplinary

teams work.
An Interview Tool
Portfolios provide documentation of specialized skills
that can help CNLs market themselves more effec-
tively in the interview process. Portfolios may provide
an advantage in screening for high potential candi-
dates because the tool communicates a particular level
of interest in pursuing a position.25 An electronic for-
mat allows CNLs to customize their portfolio for a
specific practice setting and share the portfolio by
simply embedding a Web-link in the cover letter.
In an informal survey of recent UTHSC gradu-
ates, former students reported their professional
portfolios useful during the employment process to
generate and direct discussion with the nurse man-
ager conducting the interview. Graduates shared that
during the interview, some nurse managers were sur-
prised at the level of professionalism and quality of
the projects showcased in the portfolios. In general,
the graduates believed the time spent collecting and
organizing the data was worth the effort and agreed
that it was important to keep the portfolio updated.
One student reported that after viewing her portfo-
lio, the nurse manager who conducted the interview
noted a need to begin collecting her own information
and projects.
Conclusion
Portfolios are an effective marketing and communi-
cation strategy to introduce the CNL to the practice
setting. In particular, portfolios developed through

the academic-practice partnership help demonstrate
that the CNL has successfully bridged theory with
practice.26 A well-documented portfolio can also
boost a new CNL graduate’s confidence and sense
of professionalism. The process of developing a port-
folio provides a format for self-reflection on prac-
tice, competencies, and goal planning.11 It is likely
that employers will perceive the entry-level CNL as
more capable of pioneering this new role in the prac-
tice setting through the presentation of a professional
portfolio. Finally, the ongoing use of the portfolio
format facilitates role development of the CNL as the
lifelong learner, continually adapting as the needs of
the healthcare system evolves and helping to be a
record of personal and professional outcomes.
The portfolio provides benefits for nursing insti-
tutions and employers. Because of the fluidity of prac-
tice settings for nurses, many need something like a
portfolio to document skills and outcomes.27 Port-
folios supplement the employee’s resume and provide
employers with evidence of the nurse’s commitment
to continued competence.28 The portfolio also aids the
organization in annual performance appraisals to doc-
ument how the employee met or exceeded standards.25
The portfolio also offers an opportunity for the em-
ployee to demonstrate a commitment to life-long learn-
ing and professional development to the organization.
The portfolio provides academic institutions with
authentic assessments of student learning and pro-
motes deeper learning as students connect learning
across courses and time. Portfolios help students plan
their own academic pathways as they come to under-
stand knowledge deficiencies. Portfolios provide a

means for monitoring student skills and achievement.
Electronic portfolios allow students and faculty
to create, manage, and run reports on achievements
using standard templates or by customizing fields to
their liking. Students have the ability to merge reports
and upload documents, assignments, and experiences
into their portfolios. Faculty can monitor, validate,
comment, and evaluate content within the portfolio.
Students have a complete catalog of experiences to
share when applying to the workforce or advanced
educational programs.
50 JONA � Vol. 42, No. 1 � January 2012
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