Purposes and Definition

The purposes of a Portfolio are to do the following:

• Provide a repository for your educational and professional accomplishments
• Document your educational progression and growth throughout the program
• Evaluate your achievement of program learning outcomes
• Project a professional image through the organization and presentation of the material
• Communicate accomplishments to colleagues and the professional community
• NURS 6600: Capstone Synthesis Practicum

Documentation and Evidence

Your Professional Portfolio will contain the following documentation and evidence*:

• Program of Study
• A Professional Development Plan (PDP)
• A current Curriculum Vitae (CV)/Résumé
• Portfolio Assignments from each of the courses
• Continuing Education (CE), if applicable
• NURS 6600: Capstone Synthesis Practicum
• Other Non-Electronic Documents, if applicable
• End of Program Outcome Evidence Chart
• Final Reflection

*See the Portfolio Sections and Formatting Guidelines (below) for details about each of these items to be included in your Portfolio.

Evidence Collection and Documentation Storage

At the beginning of the MSN program, you should have initiated the process of collecting evidence and storing materials and information in an organized way. In preparation for assembling your Professional Portfolio, you may wish to complete the following:

• Set up computer and paper files related to each section of your Portfolio, as indicated in the Portfolio Template. For example, you may have a computer file with documentation of your CE activities and a paper file containing the actual. NURS 6600: Capstone Synthesis Practicum.

certificates.

• Organize course files into the categories that help you to analyze your learning and development (papers, journal, reflections, professional development, course assignments, etc.). For example, you might save all your journal entries in one file and identify a selection of these entries to demonstrate your growth over time.

NURS 6600: Capstone Synthesis Practicum Sections and Formatting Guidelines

Your Professional Portfolio consists of one document, with specified sections.

Save a version of the Portfolio Template to create your Professional Portfolio document.

Prior to copying and pasting the NURS 6600: Capstone Synthesis Practicum assignments into your saved version of the Portfolio Template, review the Portfolio Assignment from each of your prior courses and make the following adjustments:

• If there are any Instructor comments in an assignment, address the comments and then delete the notations to create a clean version of the assignment. Be sure the Track Changes function is turned off in the document.
• Proofread each assignment to ensure that it is free of typographical, grammatical, structural, or punctuation errors. In some cases, this will mean correcting errors in your original document.
• Reformat each assignment using the guidelines below and as modeled in the Portfolio Template:

o Update the title page of each Portfolio Assignment to match the template specifications.

o If the NURS 6600: Capstone Synthesis Practicum assignment is in a format other than Word (e.g., PowerPoint or Excel), save it as a Word document, if possible, so that you can integrate it into your Portfolio document. If that is not possible, you may need to save an assignment as an image file to be included in your portfolio or list the item in Table 2 (Other Non-Electronic Documents).

o Use Times New Roman font (12 point) throughout.

o Ensure that each assignment is double-spaced throughout. (If necessary, select all or highlight the area to be updated, click on Format, Paragraph, and then select Line Spacing: Double.)

In your saved version of the NURS 6600: Capstone Synthesis Practicum Portfolio Template, be sure to address the following:

• The first page of your Portfolio document (the cover page) should include all the information listed in the Portfolio Template, including your NURS 6600 section number, date of Portfolio submission, your full name, address, telephone number, e­mail address, your current position title (i.e. ICU Nurse, etc.), agency, and the city and state where you work. Be sure to follow the format presented in the Portfolio Template.
• You may update the Table of Contents manually once you have inserted all the sections of the Portfolio. If you use the functionality in Word to create your Table of Contents automatically, be sure to follow the wording and sequencing indicated in the Portfolio Template.
• Paste your Program of Study. This was initiated in NURS 6001 and may need to be revised/updated.
• Paste your Professional Development Plan. This plan, which was initiated in NURS 6001, should be reviewed and refined/updated as necessary.
• Paste a copy of your Curriculum Vitae (CV)/Résumé. The Portfolio Template includes formatting/sequencing suggestions.
• After you have properly formatted all of the assignments as indicated above, carefully paste each one in chronological order (including the course number on the assignment title page). Reminder: If necessary, documents may be included in your Portfolio as images or may be listed in Table 2.

Foundation Requirements

NURS 6001: Week 5: Professional Development Plan

Graduate Nursing Leadership & Management Portfolio Requirements

• In Table 1 (Continuing Education), you may list and describe any Continuing Education (CE) course(s) you have completed during your academic journey (typically during the last two years). NURS 6600: Capstone Synthesis Practicum. It is not necessary to scan CE certificates. Note: Inclusion of CE credits is optional and not a required element of your Professional
• In Table 2 (Other Non-Electronic Documents), list documents for which you do not have electronic versions.
• Pictures, significant notes, communications from colleagues, or any other artifacts may be included to demonstrate how you have grown throughout your academic For example, if you conducted a workshop on hospice care, you might include a copy of the website information, an image of the brochure, and a scan of participant evaluation results. Use Word documents whenever possible; include scanned copies of original documents and/or write a brief description as necessary. NURS 6600: Capstone Synthesis Practicum.

• Type in the required information to complete the End of Program Outcomes Evidence Chart.
• Complete the Final Reflection.
• Ensure that your Portfolio has a professional appearance by confirming the following:

o The date of submission/completion is indicated on each item included in your Portfolio, as appropriate

o The font and font size (Time New Roman, 12 point) is consistent throughout the document (do not use all caps)

o The margins on the document are standard: APA style indicates 1” on all four sides; while your portfolio may vary slightly from these specifications, it must be consistent and reflect a scholarly appearance. NURS 6600: Capstone Synthesis Practicum.

o The Portfolio document includes page numbers at the top right corner. The page numbers are automatically formatted in the Portfolio Template. If necessary, you can adjust or add automatically formatted page numbers to your Word document by selecting Insert, Page Number in the tool bar and then selecting Top of Page, alignment Right

o Images are used sparingly and only as needed, since including images can make the size of your Portfolio difficult to upload/download

Q&A

Why am I being asked to develop a comprehensive Portfolio? The Walden MSN Program Faculty believe a Portfolio:

• Promotes the synthesis of knowledge: To become a competent leader in the profession and your selected specialization, you need to synthesize a great deal of information from a variety of sources. Creating a Portfolio provides the structure for thinking about and communicating these interconnections.
• Promotes reflective thought: One hallmark of graduate education is the ability to think analytically and engage in self-assessment. Creating the Portfolio allows you to evaluate and demonstrate the achievements in acquiring advance nursing and specialty knowledge. NURS 6600: Capstone Synthesis Practicum.

• Provides evidence that assignment, course, and program learning outcomes have been met: The Portfolio reflects the different ways in which you have met the outcomes.

Is my Portfolio graded?

The individual assignments and parts of the Portfolio are graded throughout the program. The Final Portfolio is graded at various points during the curriculum, and compilation of the Portfolio is due at the end of the program in NURS 6600. The NURS 6600: Capstone Synthesis Practicum grading rubric is included in NURS 6600.

When is my Portfolio due?

Parts of the Portfolio are due as you complete assignments, projects, courses, and reflect on your growth and program experiences. The Portfolio will contain all the pieces of evidence that support your attainment of the learning and program outcomes. The Final Portfolio should be sent as a Word document to your assigned Faculty Member by Day 3 of Week 11 of NURS 6600.

What are the contents of the Portfolio?

Portfolios are individual creations, and will not look exactly alike. The Portfolio is organized into sections so that specific types of information and evidence can be extracted when needed. NURS 6600: Capstone Synthesis Practicum Data collection and research activities, related to organizational and program goals, are part of the content.

Portfolio Term Definitions

Program Outcomes – Statements that predict what learners will have gained as a result of the learning process; they are linked to the knowledge, understanding, skills, capabilities, and values that a student will have gained after completing the program.

Learning Objectives – Statements that predict what learners should have gained as a result of the learning process, stated as course objectives. There are course objectives and program learning outcomes.

Descriptive Statements – Statements that are intended to give the reader a mental image of something experienced (such as a scene, person, or sensation), “what is,” or “fact.” Descriptive statements can predict a future state of affairs.

Résumé – A brief account of one’s professional or work experience and qualifications.

Reflection – Statements describing your personal and professional growth in specific areas.

Evidence – Basis for belief or disbelief, or knowledge on which to base belief.

Growth – Personal progression from simple to more complex as the basis for “the growth of a culture.”

Journal – A written, narrative record of observations, ideas, and insights that are recorded on a regular basis, while they are still fresh. NURS 6600: Capstone Synthesis Practicum. A journal allows you to store thoughts about interconnections between separate courses and document meaningful experiences, thoughts, and feelings about the process of becoming a master’s prepared nurse.

Submitting Your Portfolio

Resources:

Bennett, A. M. (2008). Creating a professional portfolio. Retrieved from http://journals.lww.com/nursing/fulltext/2008/09000/creatingaprofessionalportfolio.45 .aspx

Casey, D. C., & Egan, D. (2010). The use of professional portfolios and profiles for career enhancement. British Journal Of Community Nursing, 15(11), 547–552. NURS 6600: Capstone Synthesis Practicum.