NURS 6003 Week 5 Professional Development Plan
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Analyze strategies for including academic activities and accomplishments into professional portfolios (D)
- Create curriculum vitae (A)
- Develop professional development goals (A)
- Align professional development goals to Walden’s social change initiatives (A)
- Construct elements of an Academic Success and Professional Development Plan (A)
Learning Resources
Burns, M. K. (2018). Creating a nursing portfolio. Ohio Nurses Review, 93(3), 16-17.
- 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 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.
- Document: APA Basics Checklist: Citations, Reference List, and Style (PDF)
- Document: Academic Success and Professional Development Plan Template (Word document)
- Document: PDP Sample Paper (PDF).
Optional Resources
- American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000
Note: If the print editions of these books are referenced here, electronic versions also may be available and may be acceptable for use in this course. If electronic versions are listed, no print versions are available.
Discussion: Strategies for Academic Portfolios
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 or 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.
Submission and Grading Information
Strategies for academic portfolios Sample Paper
Aside from the day-to-day responsibilities of nursing, having a long-term vision is critical. When clearly written out, these plans provide a road map to success. Getting to the halts along the road to success is an area of development that should be included in our profile once completed. The portfolio will then be utilized to assist us in differentiating ourselves from other qualified candidates when applying for jobs and to enable us to succeed in our profession.
The strategies that one can leverage when developing a portfolio include academic achievements and activities such as natural talent development and research, which are essential paths to professional success. Joining a reputable organization to gain essential healthcare skills and obtain appropriate qualifications, such as a degree program or master’s, is fundamental to success in any field (Bindon, 2017).
In addition to furthering my studies in this course, I have added to my intellectual portfolio by being certified in my area of the nursing profession. My knowledge of the profession has also advanced. Patients have benefited from this advancement in education as I can offer quality care that is specific to their needs. As Gaberson and Langston (2017) note, qualified nurses have been found to make more confident decisions and have more job satisfaction because of their certification.
The second strategic objective entails taking on more employment to obtain as much experience in this field as possible and performing volunteer work in the community helps considerably with the development of academic portfolios. This will give an individual a better chance of being selected when they keep track of all certificates obtained while in school or work experience with various companies and environments (Hankins, Palokas & Christian, 2021).
Since I am the facility’s content specialist, I have had the opportunity to take part in the annual nursing competency on mechanical ventilation support at my facility. This has helped me come up with fresh and unique ways to convey the information. I am able to learn more. The university’s goal of social change is to alter behavior on a global level. Both of these projects, I feel, will contribute to this objective by allowing for the advancement of nursing practice.
Advancing one’s education level to achieve more qualifications can make one competitive in the field, respected by their colleagues and gain more promotions in their work line. It also contributes to more achievements and improved performance in that unit, thus leading to improved patient outcomes.
References
- Bindon, S. L. (2017). Professional development strategies to enhance nurses’ knowledge and maintain safe practice. AORN Journal, 106(2), 99-110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aorn.2017.06.002
- Gaberson, K. B., & Langston, N. F. (2017). Nursing as knowledge work: The imperative for lifelong learning. AORN Journal, 106(2), 96-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aorn.2017.06.009
- Hankins, A., Palokas, M., & Christian, R. (2021). Advanced practice nurse professional advancement programs: a scoping review. JBI Evidence Synthesis, 19(4), 842-866. doi: 10.11124/JBIES-20-00153