NURS 6003 Discussion Strategies for Academic Portfolios

NURS 6003 Discussion Strategies for Academic Portfolios

Sample Answer for NURS 6003 Discussion Strategies for Academic Portfolios Included After Question

In the realm of marketing, a successful branding strategy is one of the most important contributors to organizational success. A solid branding strategy can help add visibility and credibility to a company’s products. 

Similarly, nurse-scholars can build a personal brand to add visibility and credibility to their work. You can begin building your brand by developing and maintaining an academic portfolio. Such an activity can help share the results of your efforts and contribute to your success. This week’s Discussion asks you to consider and share strategies for building your portfolio. 

To Prepare: 

• Reflect on strategies that you can pursue in developing portfolios or portfolio elements that focus on academic achievements. 
• Review one or more samples from your own research of resources focused on portfolio development. 

By Day 3 

Post an explanation of at least two strategies for including academic activities and accomplishments into your professional development goals. Then, explain how those goals may align with the University’s emphasis on social change. Be specific and provide examples. 

Support main post with 3 of more current, credible sources and cite source within content of posting and on a reference list in proper APA. 

By Day 6 

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days, by offering additional ideas regarding academic achievements to include or offering alternative ways of presenting the current achievements. 

Be sure to offer support from at least 2 current, credible sources in each required response to classmates’ main post and cite per APA. 

Practicum Quiz

It is essential that you understand the Practicum requirements that are necessary to complete the Master of Science in Nursing. This quiz is designed to engage you with the Practicum Manual and to help you become more familiar with the Practicum Requirements. It

will cover many of the essential topics related to the Practicum. However, it is important that you continue to learn more about the Practicum Requirements after this course is completed.

This quiz includes 10 questions in various format: true/false and multiple choice. If you score 8 or below, please retake the exam. You may retake the exam as many times as you would like to achieve the desired score. Your highest score will be recorded. To retake the quiz, click on “take test again” (this does not appear as a hyperlink but works as a hyperlink when you click on the area).

To view the questions you answered correctly and incorrectly, click on your score in the My Grades area.

To Prepare:

• Review the College of Nursing Practicum Manual found on your Walden College of Nursing Field Experience website.

By Day 7 of Week 9

Complete the quiz.

Submission and Grading Information

Submit Your Quiz by Day 7 of Week 9

Module 5 (Weeks 8–9): Professional Development Plan

Laureate Education (Producer). (2018). The Blueprint to Success [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2018). The Walden Journey to a Masters in Nursing: Your Professional Development Plan [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Learning Objectives
Students will:

Analyze strategies for including academic activities and accomplishments into professional portfolios
Develop professional development goals
Align professional development goals to Walden’s social change initiatives
Identify concepts and requirements for the MSN Practicum

Due By
Assignment
Week 8, Days 1–2
Read the Learning Resources.
Compose your initial Discussion post.
Week 8, Day 3
Deadline to post your initial Discussion post.
Week 8, Days 4–5
Compose your peer Discussion responses. (Make sure to participate in the Discussion on three different days.)
Week 8, Day 6
Last day to post Discussion responses.
Week 8, Day 7
Begin to check your knowledge with the Quiz.
Week 9, Days 1–6
Continue to check your knowledge with the Quiz.
Week 9, Day 7 Final day to complete the Quiz.

Learning Resources

Required Readings

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

Casey, D. & Egan, D. (2013). The use of professional portfolios for career enhancement. British Journal of Nursing, 15(11), 547–552.

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

Hannans, J. & Olivo, Y. (2017). Craft a positive nursing digital identity with an ePortfolio. American Nurse Today, 12(11), 48–49. Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://www.americannursetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ant11-Digital-Identity-1017a-1.pdf

Leahy, R., & Filiatrault, A. (2017). Employers’ perceptions of the benefits of employment electronic portfolios. International Journal of ePortfolio, 7(2), 217-223.

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

Walden University. (n.d.). Walden University catalog. Retrieved October 4, 2019, from https://catalog.waldenu.edu

Select College of Nursing, then Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). Review the MSN Learning Outcomes on this page.

Walden University. (n.d.). Field experience: College of Nursing: Student resources – Graduate courses. Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/fieldexperience/son/applicationprocess?preview=628dc4af1964e1228ef523827b9733ab#s-lg-box-3870501

Walden University Writing Center. (n.d.). Walden templates: Overview. Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates

Note: Download and review the College of Nursing Template by navigating to “Program-Specific Templates” and then “College of Nursing,” and selecting “College of Nursing Writing Template With Instructions.”

Document: APA Basics Checklist: Citations, Reference List, and Style (PDF)

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2018). Scholars of Change: Reis Woolen [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2018). Scholars of Change: Jackie Kundert [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2018). Scholars of Change: Joan Kempagno [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

A Sample Answer For the Assignment: NURS 6003 Discussion Strategies for Academic Portfolios

Title: NURS 6003 Discussion Strategies for Academic Portfolios

Creating professional development goals creates an organized plan for career and knowledge advancement, and outlines the steps required to attain goals. One strategy is to start by creating SMART goals, which stand for specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and timely (The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 2022). SMART goals help break down the big picture and create a clear-cut process for attaining the goal. For example, my goal is to complete the required Walden FNP courses and graduate from the Walden FNP program in 2025. This goal meets all the SMART goal requirements and gives me a clear process of how I will attain my goal, by completing all the required courses on time I will graduate with my degree in 2025.

Committing to lifelong learning ensures that practices are meeting professional standards and competencies (Shinners, Africa & Meyer, 2021). Participating in academic activities allows for knowledge and skill growth that is required for practice after graduation and allows for the care of more complex patients. This itself is a strategy that is assisting me in attaining my professional development goal of becoming a competent FNP.

Educational and clinical performance measures a nurse’s ability to perform skills proficiently and can assess if nurses are competent (Coughlin, Easter, &Geraghty, 2021). Walden’s FNP program creates a framework for nurses to become competent, knowledgeable, and skillful in areas required to become safe practicing FNPs. Completing the FNP program and graduating with my FNP will allow me to advance my work and help provide care to underserved populations in my community. Meeting the goals and outcomes of Walden’s program will give me the experience and knowledge base that is required for me to care for patients in my community, practicing with dignity and integrity, aligning with Walden’s emphasis on social change.

References:

Coughlin, V. , Easter, T. & Geraghty, G. (2021). Integrating Education and Competency for Safe Patient Care. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 37 (1), 18-21. doi: 10.1097/NND.0000000000000701.

Shinners, J. , Africa, L. & Meyer, D. (2021). The Nursing Professional Development Role in Fostering Professional Development, Leadership, and Academic Progression for New Graduate Registered Nurses. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 37 (5), 260-267. doi: 10.1097/NND.0000000000000770.

Teaching Nurses How to Create a Personal and Professional Development Plan. (2022). The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 53(10), 438-441. https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20220907-04Links to an external site.

A Sample Answer 2 For the Assignment: NURS 6003 Discussion Strategies for Academic Portfolios

Title: NURS 6003 Discussion Strategies for Academic Portfolios

I think there is potential for peer review to add value to my portfolio. Peer review is the evaluation of a document by those belonging to the same area of specialization or research as the author, with the intention of providing constructive feedback to improve science and publication (Joyce et al, 2022). Blind peer reviews like this allows for those who share the necessary knowledge base to review documents and find imperfections or mistakes in them, then returning the documents to the original author to review and make improvements. Doing this allows for impartial reviews and is a good way to strengthen and perfect documents (Peh, 2022). This could help make my portfolio look and sounds as professional as possible, this could help me with future job opportunities and employers. One disadvantage could be having a small cohort my make it difficult to keep the peer review unbiased and keep identities hidden.

References:

Joyce, E., Mcillvennan, C., Esquivel, J., Sauer, A., Correa, A., Blumer, V., Youmans, Q., Alvarez-Garcia, J., Chang, H., Overbey, J., Deych, E., Sinha, S., Morris, A., Defilippis, E., Reza, N., Code, J., Hajduczok, A., Fudim, M., Rollins, B., Vader, J., Pina, I., Teuterberg, J., Zieroth, S., Starling, R., Gulati, M., Mentz, R., Lala, A. (2022). Participating in the peer review process: The Journal of Cardiac Failure Construct. Journal of Cardiac Failure, 29(2), 181–192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cardfail.2022.11.007

Peh, W. C. G. (2022). Peer Review: Concepts, variants and controversies. Singapore Medical Journal, 63(2), 55–60. https://doi.org/10.11622/smedj.2021139

A Sample Answer 3 For the Assignment: NURS 6003 Discussion Strategies for Academic Portfolios

Title: NURS 6003 Discussion Strategies for Academic Portfolios

In my undergraduate work at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) we had to create a professional portfolio. In my final semester of nursing school we had various assignments to help us curate our professional portfolio to help us in our job interview process. Some of the sections include resume, cover letter, and academic achievements. Since then I have added to and deleted certain sections that are fitting now for my professional development as a Registered Nurse (RN).

One strategy that I find valuable to keep in my professional portfolio is certifications. Throughout my career thus far, I have completed various certifications including, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC). Having a certification section in your professional portfolio is very important because most hospitals and places of employment may require these to be completed; therefore, having your certifications with expiration dates on hand is crucial. These certifications also show my commitment to the profession as well as my skills and qualifications as a nurse (Casey & Egan, 2010). This aligns with Walden Universities emphasis on social change by transforming oneself as a scholar-practitioner so that I can effect positive social change (Walden University, 2021).

Another strategy to include in my professional portfolio are academic and professional awards and praise that I have received. An example of this is, at my current place of employment as a RN we had in each of the rooms slips that patients could fill out to called a “stargram” I have kept each of these with patient feedback and compliments. This aligns with the Universities emphasis on social change by advancing the greater good of the community. These awards and praise show my commitment to patient satisfaction and bettering the overall health and good of the community.

Overall, having a professional portfolio with various sections and strategies help to enhance and better your career. These accomplishments and activities help to develop and transform your work as a nursing professional (Burns, 2018).

References

Burns, M. K. (2018). Creating a Nursing Portfolio. Ohio Nurses Review, 93(3), 16–17. https://eds.s.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=da9df848-de36-4afc-9a6a-c325e3617747%40redis

Casey DC, & Egan D. (2010). The use of professional portfolios and profiles for career enhancement. British Journal of Community Nursing, 15(11), 547–552. https://eds.s.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=7df08451-d7bb-4f2d-bc30-ffe6a1d16033%40redis

Walden University. (2021). Social Change. Www.waldenu.edu. https://www.waldenu.edu/why-walden/social-change

NURS 6003 Discussion Strategies for Academic Portfolios Rubric Detail

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Content
Name: NURS_6003_Module05_Week08_Discussion_Rubric

Grid View
List View

Excellent Good Fair Poor
Main Posting

Points Range: 45 (45%) – 50 (50%)

Answers all parts of the discussion question(s) expectations with reflective critical analysis and synthesis of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module and current credible sources.

Supported by at least three current, credible sources.

Written clearly and concisely with no grammatical or spelling errors and fully adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style.

Points Range: 40 (40%) – 44 (44%)

Responds to the discussion question(s) and is reflective with critical analysis and synthesis of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module.

At least 75% of post has exceptional depth and breadth.

Supported by at least three credible sources.

Written clearly and concisely with one or no grammatical or spelling errors and fully adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style.

Points Range: 35 (35%) – 39 (39%)

Responds to some of the discussion question(s).

One or two criteria are not addressed or are superficially addressed.

Is somewhat lacking reflection and critical analysis and synthesis.

Somewhat represents knowledge gained from the course readings for the module.

Post is cited with two credible sources.

Written somewhat concisely; may contain more than two spelling or grammatical errors.

Contains some APA formatting errors.

Points Range: 0 (0%) – 34 (34%)

Does not respond to the discussion question(s) adequately.

Lacks depth or superficially addresses criteria.

Lacks reflection and critical analysis and synthesis.

Does not represent knowledge gained from the course readings for the module.

Contains only one or no credible sources.

Not written clearly or concisely.

Contains more than two spelling or grammatical errors.

Does not adhere to current APA manual writing rules and style.
Main Post: Timeliness

Points Range: 10 (10%) – 10 (10%)

Posts main post by day 3.

Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)

Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)

Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)
Does not post by day 3.
First Response

Points Range: 17 (17%) – 18 (18%)

Response exhibits synthesis, critical thinking, and application to practice settings.

Responds fully to questions posed by faculty.

Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by at least two scholarly sources.

Demonstrates synthesis and understanding of learning objectives.

Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues.

Responses to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed.

Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.

Points Range: 15 (15%) – 16 (16%)

Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings.

Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues.

Responses to faculty questions are answered, if posed.

Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources.

Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.

Points Range: 13 (13%) – 14 (14%)

Response is on topic and may have some depth.

Responses posted in the discussion may lack effective professional communication.

Responses to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed.

Response may lack clear, concise opinions and ideas, and a few or no credible sources are cited.

Points Range: 0 (0%) – 12 (12%)

Response may not be on topic and lacks depth.

Responses posted in the discussion lack effective professional communication.

Responses to faculty questions are missing.

No credible sources are cited.
Second Response

Points Range: 16 (16%) – 17 (17%)

Response exhibits synthesis, critical thinking, and application to practice settings.

Responds fully to questions posed by faculty.

Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by at least two scholarly sources.

Demonstrates synthesis and understanding of learning objectives.

Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues.

Responses to faculty questions are fully answered, if posed.

Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.

Points Range: 14 (14%) – 15 (15%)

Response exhibits critical thinking and application to practice settings.

Communication is professional and respectful to colleagues.

Responses to faculty questions are answered, if posed.

Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas that are supported by two or more credible sources.

Response is effectively written in standard, edited English.

Points Range: 12 (12%) – 13 (13%)

Response is on topic and may have some depth.

Responses posted in the discussion may lack effective professional communication.

Responses to faculty questions are somewhat answered, if posed.

Response may lack clear, concise opinions and ideas, and a few or no credible sources are cited.

Points Range: 0 (0%) – 11 (11%)

Response may not be on topic and lacks depth.

Responses posted in the discussion lack effective professional communication.

Responses to faculty questions are missing.

No credible sources are cited.
Participation

Points Range: 5 (5%) – 5 (5%)

Meets requirements for participation by posting on three different days.

Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)

Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)

Points Range: 0 (0%) – 0 (0%)
Does not meet requirements for participation by posting on 3 different days.
Total Points: 100
Name: NURS_6003_Module05_Week08_Discussion_Rubric

A Sample Answer 4 For the Assignment: NURS 6003 Discussion Strategies for Academic Portfolios

Title: NURS 6003 Discussion Strategies for Academic Portfolios

As a nurse or healthcare provider, it is important to set specific career goals. Professional development requires setting realistic goals (Locke & Latham, 2019). If you want to set professional development goals to advance your career, consider where you want to be in one year, five years, or ten years and how old you want to be when you retire. You will create goals for the next five and ten years. Are these proposals achievable? If not, make adjustments to prevent failure. After selecting a long-term strategy, think about how to carry it through. How do you create attainable, realistic goals that lead to success? Set both short-term and long-term objectives to advance your career.

Develop a growth strategy for your career based on the achievements of others. A fantastic strategy to develop may be to find a mentor. Look for unbiased advice from a person whose profession you respect (Meeuwissen et al., 2019). You may still learn from other people’s accomplishments if you do not know somebody who could serve as a real-life mentor (Turner-Moffatt, 2019).

By creating a creative university target, students who set objectives can better focus on the path leading to several particular accomplishments, enabling them to spend their time and resources more efficiently and find motivation in situations they might otherwise give up. An experienced mentor can determine your professional progress. Having a mentor at your side provides a subtle counterforce to the sometimes-tricky path of career growth (Tomprou et al., 2019). A mentor offers a sense of stability, helpful criticism, and an unbiased assessment of the mentee’s goals, skills, and challenges. Mentorship provides a safe setting for learning new skills and exploring weaknesses.

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Professional portfolios are becoming a very popular way for employers to evaluate a nurse is experience and progress. They are considered structured evidence that demonstrate an individual is ability to meet their profession’s standards for practice, including an indication of the professional’s vision of future growth and capacity building (Walden University, 2018)). Because of its growing importance, nurses should ensure that they keep their portfolio current and up to date. Every nursing scholar must first create a professional portfolio before moving from student to professional graduate roles. For the purpose of showcasing their accomplishments and scholarly pursuits, students must have an academic portfolio.

One of the strategic I intent to use in enhancing my portfolio is to show materials that highlight my academic achievements. Nursing scholars must incorporate their existing skills and knowledge into the development of their professional portfolios (Henderson, Davis, & Day, 2018, p.353). As a Walden master’s degree student, I would love to showcase the projects and assignments that would help show my academic activities and accomplishments that I completed so far in the program of study. The plans and tasks that would be shown would be divided into sections of individual assignments, professional development (which includes development projects and specialized research), classroom involvement, and research. It is essential that, as a scholar, I do research and understand the professional practitioner market to build a portfolio that reflects any changes in the market (Jung & Kim, 2017, p.765).

Another strategy I will employ for my professional portfolio is to keep track of all my academic achievements and activities online. According to research, using an online or electronic portfolio can help students achieve more in the classroom (Ahmed & Ward, 2019). To achieve this, I will put everything for my portfolio together in a Google Doc. With Google Doc, I can use a computer to review various parts of my documents whenever and wherever I want. Google Doc regularly saves work, so I don’t have to worry if my computer’s battery runs out of power or if my internet connection is interrupted. In all, using the strategies mentioned above will be helpful because it will show what I have accomplished and what I can contribute in any given professional situation.

References

Ahmed, E., & Ward, R. (2019). Analysis of factors influencing acceptance of personal, academic professional development e-portfolios. Computers in Human Behavior, 63.

Henderson, J., Davis, R., & Day, T. (2018). Developing portfolios to document student performance and accomplishments. NACTA Journal, 59(4), 353.

Jung, J., Kim, S. (2017) Developing a dynamic portfolio selection model with a self-adjusted rebalancing method. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 68, 765.

Walden University. (2018). Curriculum vitae guide: Build your curriculum vitae.

A Sample Answer 5 For the Assignment: NURS 6003 Discussion Strategies for Academic Portfolios

Title: NURS 6003 Discussion Strategies for Academic Portfolios

Branding is a critical aspect in professional practice. In the healthcare system, there is always the need for the healthcare professional to develop a professional brand that makes them unique. Developing a personal brand involves the incorporation of different skills and abilities in their field of specialization. Personal brand should always include both the professional and educational qualifications. Nursing scholars can always build personal brands to add creativity and visibility to their work (Tashiro et al., 2018). Building and maintaining academic portfolio is critical in ensuring the development of appropriate and effective brand. The above activity can enhance the sharing of one’s success.  

The two essential strategies that a nurse professional should include in their professional portfolio include growth and development, and the evidence-based practice work. When it comes to the professional growth and development, nursing professionals ought to include knowledge, professional goals, educational progress, as well as the general professional development (Miraglia & Asselin, 2015). Nursing professionals can evaluate their competence and at the same time, review the progress. The documentation of the evidence-based practice work indicates the level of competency and the review of the whole progress. Also, the documentation of the evidence-based practices may show the nurse’s expertise in their different field of work. The whole process may include annual performance reviews, ongoing continuation in education, reviews provided by other professionals, accreditation which may enhance further development of the career promotion. 

The above strategies used in the professional development are in line with the university’s emphasis on social change. Evidence-based practice and growth and development are often emphasized by the university in an attempt to produce competent and effective nursing professionals in different specialization.  

References 

Miraglia, R., & Asselin, M. E. (2015). Reflection as an educational strategy in nursing professional development: An integrative review. Journal for nurses in professional development, 31(2), 62-72. DOI: 10.1097/NND.0000000000000151  

Tashiro, J., Shimpuku, Y., Naruse, K., & Matsutani, M. (2018). Concept analysis of reflection in nursing professional development. Japan Journal of Nursing Science, 10(2), 170-179. DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-7924.2012.00222.x