your development framework part 1 · 5. getting started 15 6. what to put into your portfolio 19 7....

YourDevelopment Framework

Part 1

A Guide to Building and Maintaining Your Professional Portfolio

Contents

1. Foreword 1

2. Introduction 3

3. What is a portfolio? 7

4. Using your portfolio 11

5. Getting started 15

6. What to put into your portfolio 19

7. Organising your portfolio 25

8. Creating your profile 33

9. Reflection 37

10. Portfolio development questions 45for newly qualified Nurses and Midwives

11. Other frequently asked questions 49

12. Glossary of terms 55

13. References and Bibliography 59

1. Foreword

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Foreword

The Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council for Nursingand Midwifery (NIPEC) was established in 2002 with a remit tosupport the practice, education and professional development ofnurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses(SCPHN) in Northern Ireland. One of NIPEC’s initial prioritieswas to undertake the design of a Development Framework,within which nurses and midwives in Northern Ireland (NI) couldbest develop roles which were safe for the public, responsive toneed, professionally stimulating and ethically sound.

I am delighted to provide everyone registered with the NMC, andworking in Northern Ireland, with this publication as the first partof the Development Framework. NIPEC is also developing anelectronic resource which will allow you to compile your portfolioonline and to use other components of the DevelopmentFramework which are relevant to you. The ‘nipecdf’ will beavailable for you to access online in early 2006, when I will alsosend you Part 11 of Your Development Framework.

I would encourage you to read and consider Your DevelopmentFramework Part 1: Building and Maintaining Your Professional Portfolioand ask you to keep in touch with NIPEC’s ongoing work, bylogging on to www.nipec.n-i.nhs.uk. I would appreciate anycomments you may have on this or any of NIPEC’s other work.

Yours sincerely

PADDIE BLANEYCHIEF EXECUTIVE, NIPEC

2. Introduction

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Introduction

Would you like to develop a portfolio butdon’t know where to start?

Have you lots of information and you don’tknow what to do with it?

Are you overwhelmed by the whole ideaof portfolios?If the answer is ‘yes’, then this guide is for you.

As a nurse or midwife “you are personally accountable for yourpractice” and you must “maintain your professional knowledgeand competence” (NMC 2004) and it is increasingly important todemonstrate evidence of continuing professional development.Portfolios are an effective way of gathering, tracking anddemonstrating your professional journey over time, by providingevidence of your ability, achievements and strengths.

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The NIPEC Development Framework (df) Portfolio Resource hasbeen designed to help you do just that. It is created anddeveloped by nurses and midwives* in NI, and shows you how to:

• develop your own portfolio

• use your portfolio to:

– demonstrate competence– tap into a wide range of learning opportunities– enhance your career development and opportunities.

The other components of the Development Framework, whichwill be available in early 2006, will also help you build up theevidence you require to demonstrate your competencies,knowledge, skills and achievements.

* Throughout the Portfolio Guide reference to nurses and midwives will also include SCPHNs.

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The components include:

Generic Competency ProfileThe competency profile enables you to assess yourself against thecore generic competencies and to identify areas for personal andprofessional development.

Learning ActivitiesThe Learning Activities (LA) section provides you with a range ofactivities that will help you meet your development needs.

Career Development GuideThis guide provides you with the information which will help youplan and develop your career.

Role Development GuideThis focuses on new or significant role development and providesyou with a structured approach to guide the development of safeand effective roles for nurses and midwives.

These will be made available to you in early 2006 on the ‘nipecdf’website.

3. What is a portfolio?

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What is a portfolio?

A portfolio is simply a collection of evidence – from a variety ofsources – which provides a record of what you have done andlearned. It is much more than a collection of certificates and paperwhich you keep in a box; it provides examples of your workwhich, together with your reflections, turn those pieces of paperinto evidence of your competencies, skills and achievements. Yourportfolio, if well organised, enables you to retrieve easily all theevidence required for a particular purpose. Your portfolio willshow how you have developed over time. It will:

• put you in charge of your own learning

• enable you to demonstrate what you have learned through your day-to-day experiences

• inform your appraisals and interviews

• help you plan for the future you want.

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What is the difference between a portfolio and a profile?

There is some confusion surrounding the terms portfolio andprofile. A simple analogy would be to consider a portfolio as aphotograph album with a collection of photographs, and a profileas a collection of some of those photos to illustrate a specific pointor meet a specific need, for example to prepare for your annualappraisal or to demonstrate learning through a formal educationprogramme.

Brown (1992) defines a profile as “a collection of evidence whichis selected from the personal portfolio for a particular purposeand for the attention of a particular audience” – such as a jobinterview. This illustrates that a profile is a snapshot in time; asummary of the more detailed information kept in your portfolio.Note that the profile referred to above should not be confusedwith that used in the Agenda for Change matching process.

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Types of portfolios

Portfolios can take a number of different formats. The importantthing to remember when choosing a format is to select one thatbest suits you.

• Make up your own by simply using a Lever Arch file and coloured dividers.

• Create your own e-portfolio using the Development Framework interactive online resource ‘nipecdf’ (available early 2006).

• Use one of the many different portfolios available.

4. Using your portfolio

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Using your portfolio

Nurses and midwives have busy, demanding and at times stressfuljobs so when you decide to build your portfolio, you must be ableto see real value in it for you. It is essential, therefore, that thestructure and format of your portfolio serves a number ofdifferent and distinctive purposes for both yourself and yourcurrent and future employers. From the information in yourportfolio, you will be able to create different profiles. Listed beloware some of the advantages of having a portfolio.

Your portfolio will help you:

• provide a record of ongoing professional development forre-registration, which meets NMC requirements and helps you stay a safe and competent practitioner (www.nmc-uk.org).

• develop your Personal Development Plan (PDP). This gives youthe opportunity to reflect upon and evaluate your own learningexperiences and plan for your own development. It helps you consider how best you learn, and the opportunities available to you. Your portfolio is a way of providing evidence of how you have developed over a period of time.

• provide evidence which will demonstrate how you meet the competencies in the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF). Your portfolio will show that you have maintained your competence in your current job and that you are continuing to improve your competence, which may help you to move through the KSF gateways.

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• prepare for your Appraisal. This is a two-way process between you and your line manager to assess and review your performance. Appraisals allow you to look back and identify your achievements, and to look forward to identify your objectives and the learning needs to meet those objectives. This process is made much easier if you have maintained your portfolio.

• prepare for your one-to-one development review meetings.Your portfolio will enable you to review your knowledge and competency development for discussion with your reviewer e.g. supervisor of midwifery practice, clinical supervisor or mentor.

• gain academic and/or professional accreditation for prior and experiential learning. Your portfolio can be used to summarise your past educational and work experiences as a basis for advanced credit from a programme. When you are submitting extracts from your portfolio for assessment, you need to be very clear as to what is required. It is important that the evidence is relevant, easy to read, accessible and well organised.

• provide evidence to help you demonstrate that you meet competency requirements for a structured pre- or post-registration educational programme.

• become a lifelong learner. Because of their continuous nature, portfolios encourage you to develop self-reflection and take charge of your lifelong learning.

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• when applying for a new job. By using extracts from your portfolio, you can develop a profile for potential employers, enabling you to demonstrate your career accomplishments, abilities and the competencies required for the post.

• create your CV. If you have maintained your portfolio, you will already have most of the information required to develop your CV.

• with your career progression. Portfolios can act as development tools to assist with your career development and enable you to identify and develop a route map to achieve yourgoals.

5. Getting started5

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Getting started

If you have never created a portfolio before, then this may initiallyseem daunting and overwhelming. If, however, you break it downinto a series of small steps, it becomes more achievable. It may behelpful if you and your colleagues start working on portfoliostogether, as you will give each other help and support. Compilingyour portfolio is going to take time, effort, discipline anddetermination – but it is well worth it!

What newly appointed staff in an acute Trust had to say:

“I feel privileged to be working in a Trust that supports me in developing my portfolio. It has built up my confidence.”

If you have never kept a portfolio before, then there is no timelike the present; start today! The following points may help youget started. These points are not sequential – any one could beyour starting point.

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• What information do you already have? You could start by gathering together some of the supporting evidence you already possess, demonstrating your competencies, knowledge,skills and achievements. Try and get into the habit of placing into your portfolio a copy of any relevant documentation as you produce or acquire it.

• How do you put this information together? Consider a structure (Organising your portfolio, page 25, will help you with this). Completing your biographical details may be the firststep you take to create your own portfolio.

• You might consider starting to keep a diary or notebook. This will enable you to capture and record all those experiences and activities that are sudden and spontaneous and occur throughout the normal course of your day-to-day work. When you have more time, you will be able to reflect more fully on what you have learned from these experiences and to include these reflections in your portfolio.

• You could start writing your own reflective pieces. Think back over the last few weeks and identify an event or experience in which you learnt something. This could be something from your day-to-day practice or from a study day you attended. Using the Guide to Reflection (page 37) write a brief description of the event, analyse it – what went well and not sowell, what you learned and how it changed your practice. Don’t worry about how long this might take in the first instance– it will be quicker as it becomes part of your everyday life and as your skills develop. For examples of reflective pieces from nurses and midwives in NI visit ‘nipecdf’.

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• You could start developing your portfolio online using the Development Framework portfolio documentation.

• You might think about creating your own CV. Do you have one?Is it up to date? If you have not developed one, then this may be a good time to do so. (See ‘nipecdf’ for guidelines to assist you in creating your own CV.)

• Regularly set aside time, so that you can add to and review your portfolio. It is difficult to say how often you should updateyour portfolio, for example the first Tuesday in every month, but you should be revisiting it at least before your annual appraisal and six-monthly review.

6. What to put into your portfolio 6

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What to put into your portfolio

The content of your portfolio should reflect your personal andprofessional goals, containing some background information aboutyou as a person and as a professional.

What is evidence?

Evidence is simply proof that you can do what you claim to do. It means providing material that best illustrates the achievement of your goals and competencies. You could include the followingevidence:

• reflective accounts of your professional learning activities(for more information on learning activities visit ‘nipecdf’)

• self-assessment of your performance (refer to the online Generic Competency Profile)

• your Personal Development Plan

• your contributions to multi-disciplinary work you are involved in piloting or implementing

• evaluations of new working practices that are being piloted

• future directions your present work may take you.

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Types of supporting evidence

Below are some examples that you might consider including inyour own portfolio, along with a reflective statement/shortdescription stating what you have learnt and how your practicehas changed as a result. Remember what you choose to includedepends on your own goals and objectives.

• Personal development plans• Appraisals• Development review• Reflective diaries• Reports/Memos/e-mails• Testimonials• 360 degree feedback• Action learning sets• Supervision session records• Letters

– patients– relatives– colleagues

• Presentations– poster– multimedia

• Critical incident analysis• Case studies/care plans

• Essays• Audits• Poems/drawings/

photographs• Publications• Meetings

– agenda– minutes– actions

• Project work • Voluntary/Community

work • Learning achieved through

formal education– Certificate– Diploma– Degree

• Research work • Programmes developed

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Use a variety of examples

Just as artists use different media and styles to convey a broaderpicture, you will produce a much more rounded picture of yourwork to date if you do not rely solely on written pieces but alsoinclude a range of media such as letters from relatives or patients,drawings from children, patient questionnaires, audio or videoevidence of your achievements. Remember the learning youachieve through each stage of the portfolio development processis as valuable as the evidence it contains.

How to develop your evidence

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Gathering material

For most of us, significant learning can occur when we leastexpect it and unless you make time to capture and reflect on it, its value may be lost forever. Start, therefore, by collecting as youwork anything and everything that demonstrates learning hastaken place. This process has been described as the “scavengerhunt”, remembering that not everything will be included in yourfinal portfolio. Examples include case studies/care plans, good andbad experiences, letters from patients/colleagues, testimonials etc.

One of the most effective ways of learning from your practice isto write about it. Writing about a significant experience gives yougreater insight into it. Simply recalling a situation from your past isnot enough on its own, you need to do something with it. It mightbe quite useful, therefore, to keep a reflective diary which will:

• provide you with a record of your thoughts and feelings at the time closest to the event

• act as a spur to regular reflection.

Reviewing and selecting material

Biggest doesn’t mean best; it’s the quality of your evidence not thequantity that counts. So review your material and select thosepieces which you think are of particular significance and value toyou and which can help you demonstrate achievement of aspecific competency or goal.

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Reflecting

This is a key component of portfolio development. By becoming areflective practitioner you can evaluate your own growth anddevelopment over time, as well as identifying those areas youneed to develop. How do I reflect? (See Page 38)

Planning

Match the evidence that you already have against your future goalsor objectives and plan how you are going to meet these. To helpyou with this, you could refer to the performance indicators in theGeneric Competency Profile which will enable you (and if youwish your employer/manager) to assess your performance andidentify areas for personal and professional development, settinglearning goals for the future. You can then refer to the LearningActivities for a selection of descriptors of learning activities, whichyou may choose from to help you meet your development needs.

Presenting evidence

Portfolios are highly personalised with no two being alike; boththe content and structure differ widely. Your portfolio is yourpersonal record which will portray your achievements, qualities,competencies and abilities. You must clearly indicate why you haveincluded specific evidence, so you should write a short synopsisillustrating the link between the goal/competency and theevidence provided. So when choosing a format select one thatsuits your individual needs.

7. Organising your portfolio

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Organising your portfolio

This section will give you some ideas as to how you might like tostore the information you require for your portfolio. (Please referto page 9 for different types of portfolios.) Your portfolio is yourpersonal record which should portray your achievements,qualities, competencies and abilities. You may decide to:

• simply use a Lever Arch file and coloured file dividers and develop your own record pages from the following guidance

• use one of the different portfolios already available

• develop an electronic portfolio using the Development Framework portfolio documentation available soon on ‘nipecdf’ website.

Suggested format

You might consider having an open and a private section withinyour portfolio. The contents in the open section can be sharedwith others, whilst keeping your personal thoughts in the privatesection confidential.

Contents page – this page contains the main headings with pagenumbering, ensuring easy access. See page 31 for an example of acontents list.

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1. Biographical details

1.1 Personal details – name, address, telephone number, e-mailaddress and your NMC PIN number and expiry date.

1.2 Introduction – you should provide a brief introduction aboutyourself, why you want to develop your portfolio, what yourcurrent role is, what your future career and educationalaspirations are. Think about where you would like to be, or whatyou would like to achieve, in one, three and five years’ time. Whatare your strengths and the potential barriers to achieving this?

1.3 General education – this section contains information aboutyour secondary and third level education. Include names ofschools, colleges and universities, dates attended and title ofqualification.

1.4 Professional qualification – record those qualifications thathave led to registration on any part of the NMC register, i.e.Registered Nurse, Registered Midwife or Registered SpecialistCommunity Public Health Nurse (SCPHN), and any otherprofessional qualifications. Include title of qualification, dates andnames of College of Nursing or university.

1.5 Work experience – start with the most recent and work yourway back. Include names of employers, dates, job titles, a briefaccount of key responsibilities and main achievements, and anyvoluntary, temporary or holiday jobs.

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You may wish to include your certificates ofeducational and professional achievements,your job description and your CV in thissection. Your portfolio will, therefore,provide a useful resource for when youhave to provide this type of evidence.

2. Continuous Professional Development(CPD) – What is it?

CPD is any activity that contributes to your personal andprofessional development. It incorporates a lifelong learningapproach and should not be based merely on your needs butthose of your employer, profession and patients/clients.

This section should contain all those learning activities/experienceswhich occur formally and informally and which relate to yourprofessional development.

• Record the activity – what was the nature of the activity (e.g. observing practice, reading a relevant article or attending astudy day)?

• Date participated in.

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• Give a brief description of the activity – how did the learning opportunity come about? How did you do it and what did you expect to gain from it?

• What was the learning outcome? How did the activity relate to your job, what did you learn from it and have you any plans for any follow-up learning? (NMC 2004)

The Guide to Reflection will assist you in doing this. Include anysupporting documentation, for example:

• Personal Development Plan

• Appraisal/Development Review

• Reflective accounts of:– study activity e.g. critical reading, internet searches, clinical

supervision sessions, action learning set– mandatory training e.g. CPR, fire, etc.– research, audit and project work– complaints – near misses– contribution to development of guidelines or protocols– conferences, seminars, study days and any courses attended.

For you to gain maximum benefit from your portfolio, you need togive some thought as to how you can find the appropriate materialfor the particular purpose required. NIPEC DevelopmentFramework Generic Competency Profile will help you meet theprofessional requirements of your role. You might considerorganising your information using the Generic Competency Profileseven Domains.

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The GCP Seven Domains are:

• Communication and Interpersonal Relationships

• Care Provision and Management

• Developing Self and Others

• Ethical and Legal Practice

• Quality Improvement

• Technology Competence

• Partnership Working

For individuals in the HPSS you will need to consider how thisinformation will help you provide evidence against the KSF coreand specific dimensions relevant to your post.

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Organising your information in this waywould be very useful to you; for example,if you apply for a new job and one of theessential criteria is “demonstrates goodcommunication skills”, then you can easilyretrieve all the evidence you possess thatproves you have this competency.

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Example of a contents list you might use for your portfolio:

• Personal Details

• Academic and Professional Achievements

• Current Role

• Employment History

• Personal Achievements

• Learning Activities Log

• Evidence Log

• Reflective Diary

• Other Information

8. Creating your profile

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Creating your profile

Once you have built up your portfolio you can use it as a basis foryour profile. The purpose of your profile will largely determine itscontent, for example if it’s for a particular course, then there maybe predetermined requirements as to how it should be presented.

When creating a profile from the material in your portfolio it isimportant that you take into account:

• whether the material selected is appropriate for its purpose i.e. appraisal or job interview

• who the audience is

• that the evidence you present is relevant, easy to read, accessible, well organised and is the best you have to offer.

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Profile checklist

• Do you have a clear table of contents?

• Is it well presented and well organised?

• Is your profile clearly signposted for other readers to find their way around?

• Have you cross referenced your work?

• Have you drawn your evidence from a variety of sources?

• Have you used different media (written, taped, sketches etc.)to demonstrate your work?

• Have you reflected on what you have learned?

• Is your evidence specific and does it clearly demonstrate that you have achieved what you claim?

• Have you taken other people’s perspective into consideration?

• Have you respected confidentiality?

• Is it a true and accurate reflection of your work?

• Is it up to date?

If you have answered ‘yes’ to these questions, then you will clearlyindicate that you have compiled a good profile.

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df GUIDE TO REFLECTION

IDENTIFY Event

e.g. Incident where you made a difference,

conflict situation, complaint

ANALYSEEvent

Influencing factors, what was good and bad about experience

LEARNING from Event

How have you learned? Have you shared your experience?

DESCRIBEEvent

Who, what, when, where and why

df Guide to Reflection


IDENTIFY Event



ANALYSEEvent


LEARNING from Event


DESCRIBEEvent




IDENTIFY Event



ANALYSEEvent


LEARNING from Event


DESCRIBEEvent




IDENTIFY Event



ANALYSEEvent


LEARNING from Event


DESCRIBEEvent




IDENTIFY Event



ANALYSEEvent


LEARNING from Event


DESCRIBEEvent



9. Reflection

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Reflection

Learning is derived from experience but it just doesn’t happen.For it to take place you not only need to engage in reflection, youmust record it. Reflection, therefore, is a critical component ofportfolio development.

“Learning without thought is labour lost, thought without learning is perilous.” Confucius

Reflective Practice – what is it?

It is a thought process; thinking about what you are doing and whyyou are doing it is what turns your experiences into meaningfullearning, to make sense of the world around you and to build onwhat is happening. If you are to become a reflective practitioner,

you have to use that learning to increaseyour professional knowledge and

skills to the benefit of yourpatients and yourself.

A portfolio acts,therefore, as a tool for

reflective thinking; itprovides you with astructured format fordocumenting and reviewingyour reflections on practice.

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How do I reflect?At some point in your life – whether at work or at home – youwill have wondered why something happened, why you didsomething in a particular way and what might have happened ifyou had done it differently. We all can recount events vividly ifthey have been significant to us but we have not been recordingthem, probably because most of us have difficulty putting ourthoughts down on paper. Writing reflective pieces is notsomething that comes naturally or easily to some, but it is a wayof thinking and doing that can be learned and, like everything inthis life, practice makes perfect!

When you reflect, ask yourself questions which enable you toprobe a little deeper into what happened. A number of modelsare available to help you reflect upon and analyse events i.e. Johns(1996), Gibbs (1988), Mezirow (1981).

NIPEC has adapted a simple model which you may find helpful(see page opposite).

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IDENTIFY Event



ANALYSEEvent


LEARNING from Event


DESCRIBEEvent



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Tips on reflective writing

• Set aside time to write regularly, for example, every 2 weeks.

• Be honest and frank – record it as it is and how you feel.

• Be spontaneous – use your own words and keep it simple; your writing will improve with practice.

• You might simply want to write it down, or speak it out loud and record it, or perhaps you would like to illustrate it through a drawing, sketch or poem; use whichever works for you.

• Record it in your reflective diary as soon as possible after the event, when it is still fresh in your mind and your account will be a true reflection of what happened.

• Share your thoughts and feelings with a colleague/mentor – one who will not only support you but also challenge you; this will significantly enhance the process of reflection.(Boud et al 1985)

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What are the benefits of reflection?

Benefits of Reflective Practice

• Allows you to look objectively at your practice.

• Helps you recognise what you do well.

• Improves your professional judgement.

• Allows you to learn from you successes and mistakes to enhance your performance.

• Helps you to plan for future situations and thus respond more positively to change.

• It is a critical component of CPD cycle.

• Allows you to resolve uncertainty.

• Encourages and fosters independent learning.

(Adapted from Institute of Healthcare Management 2004)

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Points to remember

• It is your learning not your experience that matters.

• The evidence you choose must clearly demonstrate

that you have actually achieved what you have

claimed.

• Entries in your portfolio should be dated and as you

update your evidence, discard old pieces; this will

keep your portfolio manageable and show that it is

ongoing and live.

• You can enhance your portfolio by including reflective

pieces on non-nursing/voluntary activities in which you

are involved.

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If you choose to share your portfolio, then you must also remember that:

• it should respect the confidentiality of others, so you should anonymise reference to the names of patients and other colleagues.

• you need a clear route map through the evidence showing and explaining why it has been included. One good piece of evidence can be used for more than one purpose for example, to show competence or excellence against more than one competency/objective.

• you are aiming to convince your reader/assessor that you meet the competencies, not tell them everything you know.

10. Portfoliodevelopment questions

for newly qualifiedNurses and Midwives

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Q. I thought I had left portfolios behindwhen I completed my training. How willcontinuing with a portfolio benefit me nowthat I am a qualified practitioner?

A. Portfolio development does not end when you complete yourregistration programme and you become a newly qualifiedpractitioner; but it is a different type of portfolio. This will befamiliar territory for you as you have already well developedportfolio-building skills.

When you were a student, the portfolio was used to help you:

• identify what you needed to learn while on placement

• gather a range of evidence of what and how you were learning

• allowed mentors and lecturers to chart your progress and establish your level of competence during and at the end of the programme.

So when you were a student, the portfolio – evidence of developing and achievedcompetence – was an integral part of yourlearning journey throughout the programme.You had ownership of it, but it was a centralcomponent of the training institution’sassessment strategy which you had to pass.

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Q. So what is different about developingand keeping a portfolio now that I am anewly qualified practitioner?

The simple answer is that you have ownership of it; it is yours.

What newly qualified staff had to say when they were appointedto an acute Trust where portfolio development was part of thework-based learning provision:

“We soon realised that it was a different type of portfolio than we were used to as students. It belonged to us and would help us in identifying our developmentneeds and how we were going to meet them.”

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As you make the transition from student to being a registered andautonomous practitioner, you can use your portfolio to identify with your workplace preceptor, clinical supervisor or manager:

• what your goals and objectives are

• how you are going to achieve these over a period of time

• the learning resources and supervisory support you will requireto achieve your goals.

So this can be part of your employer’s induction and orientationprogramme; it can capture reflections and feedback from yourPreceptor; it can help you to prepare for staff appraisal reviewsand evaluate your development as a recently qualified registrant.

In short, if you start as you mean to go on, you will be continuingto build solid foundations as a lifelong learner. You will besurprised how easy it is to keep your evidence fresh and up todate.

Remember this belongs to you; look after it and watch it growinto something really useful and meaningful, as you use it tocapture the development of your knowledge and skills, inwhatever setting you find yourself.

11. Other frequentlyasked questions

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Other Frequently Asked Questions

When am I going to find the time?

Finding time is a problem often expressed by those wishing tokeep a portfolio. The reality is you have a busy, demanding joband at times feel that you do not have enough hours in the day toget through the jobs you need to do, let alone extra ones. Acouple of tips which may help you are:

• keep your reflective diary with you at all times so that if you have even a few unexpected free minutes, you can delve a littledeeper into an experience

• have a good filing system so you do not waste time looking for information that you need.

Why do I need a portfolio, how will itbenefit me?

Your portfolio has many real benefits to you: from the material inyour portfolio, you can construct your personal professionalprofile to demonstrate continuing professional development whichis currently required by the NMC; you can also use it todemonstrate ongoing competence regarding the Knowledge andSkills Framework (KSF); it will help you provide supportingevidence for your annual appraisal/development review and aidyou in your career planning and development. If you have aportfolio, it will be much easier to construct your up-to-date CV.

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If the NMC asked me to submit mypersonal professional profile what wouldthey expect?

The NMC audits compliance with the PREP (CPD) standard,therefore you might be asked to provide them with a briefdescription of your learning activities and how this learning hasenhanced your performance. If you are asked to take part in thisaudit, the NMC will send you a PREP (CPD) summary form, alongwith guidance notes on how to complete it. If your portfolio is upto date, then it is only a matter of transferring the necessaryevidence on to the form. If you wish to view the form, visit theNMC website www.nmc-uk.org

What happens to my portfolio once I have it completed?

Your portfolio is never complete; it is a live document and, likeyou, should develop and change over time. Once you havedeveloped a fully up-to-date portfolio, then it is only a matter ofreviewing it regularly and replacing the original entries with moreup-to-date evidence as you gain new experiences, develop newskills and undertake further study.

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Under the Freedom of Information Act(FOI), do I have to share my portfolio with anybody?

No, the FOI Act applies only to public bodies and your portfoliois private and personal, for you to do with as you wish. You shouldbe able to enter anything into your portfolio that you considerimportant and relevant to you and your development. This mayvery well include information that you do not want to share. It is,therefore, a good idea to divide your portfolio into two sectionsan “open” and a “private” section; then if you choose to sharesome extracts from your portfolio with others, for example atyour annual appraisal/development review or job interview, youcan easily select the specific material required from your opensection.

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I am not good at expressing myself on paper.

Developing your personal portfolio does not require you toproduce huge pieces of academic work, but you need to expressyour thoughts and feelings in a way that can be easily read andunderstood by others. Writing reflective pieces is not somethingthat comes easily or naturally to some but it is a way of thinkingand doing that can be learned. You might find that theDevelopment Framework Guide to Reflection, and examples ofpractitioners’ reflective pieces, help get you started. These will beavailable early in 2006 on the ‘nipecdf’ website. Remember youshould not rely solely on written pieces to express yourself – apicture could speak volumes!

Do I need more than one portfolio?

Absolutely not. You do not need to develop one portfolio for aspecialist practice course you are undertaking, another one for theNMC and a different one for your appraisal/development review.You only need to develop and maintain one portfolio and from allthe material in this one, you can generate different profiles for allthese different purposes and create your CV.

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What do I do if I am asked for verification of evidence?

For most of the portfolio entries that you will be making, selfverification will be sufficient, though at times you will be gatheringevidence which is verified, e.g. your annual appraisal. There maybe times, however, when you will be required to have yourevidence formally verified e.g. for academic accreditation. It is,therefore, a good idea – as part of your portfolio building – if youare gathering a wide range of evidence which is self-, peer- andemployer-verified. This should be carefully stored and used forthis purpose.

12. Glossary of terms

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Glossary of terms

Competency Framework Describes a range of work activities that individuals need to demonstrate in order to do their jobs effectively.

Knowledge and Skills Describes the knowledge and skills Framework (KSF) which NHS staff need to apply in

their work in order to deliver quality services. It supports personal development and career progression linked to annual development reviews and personal development plans.

KSF post outline A KSF post outline sets out the dimensions and levels that apply to a particular post in the NHS/HPSS (DOH 2004).

Learning sets Groups of people who meet regularlyto work together using a structured format. Each member of the group isfacilitated and supported by other members in solving his/her issues andproblems (Weinstein 1999).

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360 degree feedback 360 degree feedback is a staff development instrument used in the workplace to develop staff by assessing their strengths and weaknesses through “the systematic collection and feedback of performance data on an individual or group, derived from a number of the stakeholders in their performance”, such as managers, peers and direct reports (Ward, 1997).

Reflective Diary A useful aid to personal reflection; it provides a structured format for documenting and reviewing your reflections on practice and is valuableevidence to show that learning has occurred (Johns 1994).

Clinical Supervision A practice-focused professional relationship that enables you to reflect on your practice with the support of a skilled supervisor. Through reflection you can further develop your skills, knowledge and enhance your understanding of your own practice (NMC 2004).

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Supervision of Midwifery Provides a statutory framework, Practice ensuring that practicing midwives

maintain and develop their skill base and competence, enabling them to provide optimum care to childbearingwomen and their families (NBNI 2000). The statutory requirements are laid down in the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001. The requirements of the regulatory body, Nursing and Midwifery Council, are set out in the Midwives’ Rules and Standards (NMC 2004).

Testimonial A written or spoken tribute to a person, praising his/her qualities and achievements.

13. References and Bibliography

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References and Bibliography

References

Boud D, K. R., Walker, D. (1985). Reflection: turning experienceinto learning. Kogan Page London.

Brown, R. A. (1992). Portfolio Development and Profiling forNurses. Lancaster, Quay Publishing.

Department of Health (1999). Agenda for Change, Modernisingthe NHS Pay system. DoH.

Department of Health (2004). The NHS Knowledge and SkillsFramework (NHS KSF) and the Development Review Process.DoH.

Gibbs, G. (1988). Learning by doing: A guide to teaching andlearning methods. Oxford, Further Education Unit Macmillan.

Institute of Healthcare Management (2004). Developing throughPartnership: CPD Portfolio for Healthcare Managers. LondonIHM.

Johns, C. (1996). “Using a reflective model of nursing and guidedreflection.” Nursing Standard 11(2): 34-38.

Mezirow, J. (1981). “A critical theory of adult learning andeducation.” Adult Education 32(1): 2-24.

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National Board for Northern Ireland (2000). Supervision ofMidwifery Practice: Guidelines for Local Supervising Authoritiesand Supervisors of Midwives. London, NMC.

Nursing and Midwifery Council (2001). “Clinical Supervision.”London NMC.

Nursing and Midwifery Council (2004). The NMC code ofprofessional conduct: standards for conduct, performance andethics. London, NMC.

Nursing and Midwifery Council (2004). “Midwives rules andstandards.” London, NMC.

Nursing and Midwifery Council (2004). The PREP Handbook.London, NMC.

Ward, P. (1997). Managing for Performance, 360 Degree FeedbackModel. Available at http://www.newcastle.edu.au/services/hrm/m4p/360degree_model.htm

Weinstein, K. (1999). Action Learning. Aldershot, GowerPublishing Limited.

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Bibliography

Haskesley-Brown, R. (1998). “Portfolio Opportunities.” PracticeNursing 9(13): 28-30.

Hull, C., Redfern, L. (1996). Profiles and portfolios: A guide fornurses and midwives. Houndsmills, Macmillan Press LTD.

Humphries, D., Masterson, A. (2000). Developing new ClinicalRoles. A Guide for Health Professionals. Edinburgh, ChurchillLivingstone.

Hunt, L., Wright, C., Redfern, J., Wright, E. (1995). “A portfolio tobe proud of.” Nursing Standard 9(35).

Jasper, M. (1995). “The potential of the professional portfolio fornursing.” Journal of Clinical Nursing 4(4): 249 – 255.

Kelly, J. (1995). “The really useful guide to portfolios and profiles.”Nursing Standard 9(32): 3-8.

Machado, F. (1999). Portfolio based learning. Available athttp://www.abersychan.demon.co.uk/pblearning.htm

Moyers, P. (2003). “Portfolios: Why are they so important to yourprofessional development?” OT Practice 8(5): 9-10.

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National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing andMidwifery (2003). Guidelines for Portfolio Development forNurses and Midwives. Dublin, National Council for theProfessional Development of Nursing and Midwifery.

Pietroni, R. (2001). The Toolbox for Portfolio Development: apractical guide for the primary healthcare team. Oxford, RadcliffMedical Press.

Post-graduate Medical Deans (2002). Liberating Learning: A practical guide for learners and teachers to postgraduatemedical education and the European Time Directive. Available at http://www.copmed.org.uk/publications/LiberatingLearning

Royal College of Nursing (2005). Learning Zone ProfessionalDevelopment. Available at http://www.rcn.org.uk

Scholes, J., Webb, C, Gray, M., Endacott, R., Miller, C., Jasper, M.,McMullan, M. (2003). “Making portfolios work in practice.”Journal of Advanced Nursing 46(6): 595-603.

University of Manchester Institute of Science and TechnologyTeaching and Learning Support Centre (2004). ProfessionalDevelopment Portfolio, www.umist.ac.uk/talsc

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