There are numerous ways to implement professional portfolios in professional nursing practice. For instance, they can be used for professional development and effective job applications. Also, portfolios can be used to conduct performance appraisals and track employee performance. Nurses can make the best use of portfolios when applying to educational programs and developing the documents that would signify the continuing competence.
In terms of professional development, a portfolio can enable any given nurse to monitor their performance through a certain period of time so as to evaluate the progress if there is any (Karsten, 2012). In this way, portfolios can help the nurse to ensure that all the documents that can serve as evidence of what has been done are in line with professional learning needs and can contribute to the process of acquiring knowledge and achieving career goals. Therefore, professional portfolios can be considered one of the most prevalent ways to sustain continuous nursing learning. This approach also allows nurses to develop an extensive plan intended to display the way of professional development for any nurse.
From this perspective, a decent portfolio can pave the way for recertification and the inclusion of a learning plan. A great portfolio can also include a set of professional activities that have to be backed by necessary documentation that certifies learning outcomes (Haverkamp & Vogt, 2015). Moreover, a professional portfolio can be used as a tool to document all the nursing competencies. This means that nurses may have the possibility to keep track of all the learning activities they have accomplished and evaluate their overall effectiveness in terms of professional growth and continual nursing aptitude. Portfolios can also include the goals that have to be achieved in the future.
Even when applying for a new position, a nurse can use their portfolio to facilitate the process. The rationale behind this is the fact that all the skills possessed by the nurse will be listed there, and it will be easier for the potential employer to evaluate any given nurse’s experiences on the spot (Bahreini, Ahmadi, Shahamat, & Behzadi, 2012). The presence of a professional portfolio broadens the horizons in terms of marketing one’s nursing image and illustrates their value without much effort.
The employer can also be able to envision how that nurse could perform their responsibilities and fulfill the demands of their specialty. Additionally, each nurse has access to their professional development, and that can be considered to be one of the biggest advantages of professional portfolios in nursing. Even annual performance appraisals can be conducted by means of portfolios. When self-growth is on the line, a portfolio can serve as a means of formative evaluation that would provide the nurse with relevant feedback regarding their professional development and the competencies that yet have to be improved (Haverkamp & Vogt, 2015).
Professional portfolios facilitate the process of evaluating the nurse against certain nursing standards that have to be either met or exceeded. Therefore, it is safe to say that each professional nursing portfolio contains all the relevant information about a particular nurse that can be used when completing an annual review of nursing practice at any healthcare facility. There are numerous clinical specialties that can significantly benefit from having a professional portfolio. It is important to have a portfolio so as not to miss any opportunities that will be encountered in the future in terms of career, for example. In order to develop a portfolio of the highest quality, the nurse will have to review it intermittently and include new personal development milestones and career goals.
References
Bahreini, M., Ahmadi, F., Shahamat, S., & Behzadi, S. (2012). The Impact of professional portfolio on nurses’ clinical competence. Strides in Development of Medical Education, 8(2), 107-114.
Haverkamp, J. J., & Vogt, M. (2015). Beyond academic evidence: Innovative uses of technology within e-portfolios in a doctor of nursing practice program. Journal of Professional Nursing, 31(4), 284-289.
Karsten, K. (2012). Using ePortfolio to demonstrate competence in associate degree nursing students. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 7(1), 23-26.