University of MaryDivision of Nursing
Final Portfolio Completion Guide Sheet
Anelectronic portfolio serves as anengaging presentation of the comprehensive professional acumen of an individual. When developed as a personal webpage, the portfolio can be easily shared with current and future employers to attest to qualifications for an annual evaluation, a promotion, or new position. A well-constructed portfolio can efficiently disseminate a volume of information about both professional and academic experiences that may promote an individual on their career trajectory.
Every University of Mary graduate nursing student will complete an electronic portfolio as a program culminating activity. The portfolio requirement is introduced as part of the online graduate nursing orientation course (HUM 506 New Graduate Student Orientation). Compilation of the portfolio is time consuming, requires resourcefulness, and necessitates use of technology. Start Early!
The following portfolio assignment guide will direct students to the essential pages and core content that must be included in the portfolio. The student has the creative freedom to craft their portfolio into a dynamic personal webpage that outlines both professional and academic accomplishments. The product should be a collection of artifacts that demonstrate achievement of competencies for advanced nursing positions and evidence your commitment to lifelong learning, personal growth, and professional excellence.
Where to Begin?
There are many free website builder software options available online. Two options of web development tools that students have used successfully in the past have included WordPress and WixSite. If you are not a web developer, have a family member who is a web developer, or are very well connected with an expert in web development, the student will likely find it easiest to utilize one of the thousands of templates available through either of these applications. Feedback has suggested that WixSite may be the easier application for those possessing limited experience with webpage development. Both of these applications are available for free. Remember, with free versions it is likely that viewers will have advertisements show on your portfolio pages as they review it. The student can determine if they chose to use the free application or to upgrade. Students are responsible for any associated costs related to their webpage.
All websites have a “Home” or “Front Page”. From that page there are several active links that take the viewer to additional pages of information. The degree of ease with navigation on a webpageinfluences the level of exploration a third party will invest in a webpage. Below is a suggested format for the “Home” page of the electronic portfolio and associated pages that can be navigated to from the home page. An outline for each suggested page follows the webpage diagram. Finally, a portfolio grading rubric follows at the end of this document. As you prepare your portfolio please carefully consider the grading rubric.
Webpage Diagram
This diagram below offers a suggested format to layout content in your electronic professional portfolio. To see a visual representation of this web page layout please visit a roughly drafted example at:
Webpage Outline
- Home Page
- Content
- Professional Photo
- Greeting
- Biosketch
- Contact Information
- Links (Navigation Menu) (an additional page that would be nice but is not required would be to your personal philosophy of nursing)
- Qualifications
- Goals
- Evidence of Growth
- Highlights
- Contact Information
- Qualifications Page
- Resume
- References
- Goals Page
- Short term
- Long term
- Evidence of Growth (Content with Links or Links to individual pagesbelow)
- Professional Level (Professional Specialty Standards, QSEN)
- University Level(Servant Leadership/Benedictine Values/University of Mary Graduate Competencies)
- Programmatic Level (AACN Master’s Essentials, Program Outcomes)
- Highlights
Portfolio Grading Rubric
Criterion / Fully Met / Adequately Met / Inadequately Met / Not MetPortfolio Presentation:
- The portfolio is cleanly formatted and all required content is present.
- There are no grammatical errors.
- Appropriate use of professional images, graphics, fonts, and color create an aesthetically appearing portfolio.
- The final product is tasteful, crisp, and expertly crafted.
- The portfolio evidences a collection of diverse artifacts that demonstrate achievement of competencies for advanced nursing positions and commitment to lifelong learning, personal growth, and professional excellence.
- The portfolio is ready for distribution to current or potential employers.
0pts
Home Page Content:
- A succinct yet welcoming greeting introduces the portfolio and sets the stage for the current or future employer.
- The introduction should target the intended audience and state the purpose of the electronic portfolio.
- Contact information is clearly identified on the home page and preferably on all pages of the portfolio.
- The home page includes a navigation menu to subsequent pages and subpages of the portfolio.
- A biosketch is incorporated into the home page:
- A short, one or two-paragraph summary of YOU that offers basic information and gives the current or future employer/customer of your character.
- Limited to no more than 150 words.
- It should introduce yourself in a professional manner and may be written in first or third person. This is your “personal brand” marketing tool that can create a good first impression.
- It should grab the reader’s attention, make the reader want to meet you
0pts
Qualifications Page:Resume
The resume is consistent with professional format including a well-designed letterhead that displays the student’s name, address, email, and phone contact information. The body of the resume should have at a minimum these headings:
- Education
- Work Experience
- Licensure/Certifications
- Professional Involvement (i.e. work/organizational committee participation, professional membership)
- Honors and Awards (if applicable)
- Scholarly Activities (Publications/Presentations)
- Bulleted summary of practical experience hours completed in graduate school (Leadership Hours)
- Continuing Education
- Civic Activities (if applicable)
- Continuing Education
0pts
Goals Page Content/Quality:
The portfolio clearly evidences the author’s professional goals. Students will state a big picture goal that have associated milestone and mini goals. Smaller, shorter range goals (i.e., mini and milestone goals) support the growth opportunity toward broader, longer range professional goals (big picture goal/s). These goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely (SMART). / The criterion is fully met. 5pts / The criterion is adequately met. 3pts / The criterion is inadequately met. 1.5pts / The criterion is not met.
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Evidence of Growth Page Professional Level:
- This page of the portfolio lists the professional nursing standards respective to the role the student is pursing through advanced education:
- AONE for Nursing Leadership and Management and Dual Degree Students;
- NONPF for FNP students;
- NLN for Nurse Educator students;
- ANA for Nursing and Healthcare Informatics students
- Students may consider including a link to the respective professional nursing standard document.
- Students should upload/link multiple examples of assignments, from across their program of study, that through reflection are identified as having assisted with growth in these competencies.
- Explain for your current or future employer how these assignments provide evidence of your growth in the identified professional nursing standards.
- The narrative on this page should include an overall self-assessment of the degree of competence achieved with respect to the listed professional nursing standards, highlighting personal strengths and identifying any standard with limited or emerging competence.
- Students should share any plans for additional professional growth activities related to this set of professional nursing standards.
0pts
Evidence of Growth Page University Level:
- On this page provide a narrative, describing for a current or future employer, the servant leader and Benedictine experience at the University of Mary and the University of Mary Graduate Competences.
- Select a minimum of two Benedictine values that were of particular influence to you during your graduate education and elaborate on them.
- Substantiate for current or future employers how these values and graduate competencies have been incorporated into your education and how they will influence your contributions as an employee.
- Link a sufficient number of assignments/graduate learning experiences that evidence growth for each of the University of Mary Graduate Competencies.
0pts
Evidence of Growth Page Programmatic Level:
- This content should include a short description of the University of Mary, the anticipated degree and program major listed (i.e., MSN, Nursing Leadership and Management).
- A summary of the program of study including the total number of required credits, list of course requirements with associated course descriptions, the total number of required clinical hour expectations, and a copy of the portfolio author’s unofficial transcripts are included.
- A well written, executive summary of graduate clinical experiences, illustrates for current or future employers the students’ experiential learning activities and how these experiences factor into professional and leadership potential for positions requiring an advanced nursing degree.
- (Note: Nurse Educator students must specifically address how they have gained depth and breadth of clinical knowledge in their selected area of practice.)
- This section should include a link to the students’ clinical or leadership hours log and, for nurse practitioner students, a summative Typhon report.
- This page also lists the American Association of College of Nurse’s (AACN) Master’s Essentials or Doctorate Essentials respective to the degree the student is pursuing
- Program Outcomes are also addressed.
- Students should upload/link multiple examples of assignments, from across their program of study, that through reflection are identified as having assisted with growth in these competencies.
- Explain for your current or future employer how these assignments provide evidence of your growth in the identified professional nursing standards.
- The narrative on this page should include an overall self-assessment of the degree of competence achieved with respect to the listed Program Outcomes and Essentials.
- The written reflection should highlight personal strengths and identify any area with limited or emerging competence.
- Students should include any plans for additional professional growth activities related to this set of Program Outcomes and AACN Essentials.
0pts
Highlights Page:
Portfolio authors utilize this page to illustrate their leadership potential and scholarly aptitude. On this page, the author is encouraged to highlight individual distinguishing professional characteristics and accomplishments. A valuable artifact to include on this page would be the author’s capstone scholarly work; examples of evaluations from employers, faculty, classmates; patient appreciation notes; examples of other pertinent graduate assignments; examples of project leadership work completed as part of employment or within the community; etc. / The criterion is fully met. 10pts / The criterion is adequately met. 8pts / The criterion is inadequately met. 5pts / The criterion is not met.
0pts
Dev. 8/2010; Rev. 10/2015, 6/2016, 3/2017, 1/2018