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NURS 6003 Discussion Strategies for Academic Portfolios 1

NURS 6003 Discussion Strategies for Academic Portfolios 1

NURS 6003 Discussion Strategies for Academic Portfolios 1

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Throughout the course of my time in nursing school, I have participated in a wide range of academic activities and earned a variety of academic successes, which I have included in my personal nursing portfolio. These accomplishments and efforts not only align with the University’s emphasis on social change but also indicate my commitment to furthering my professional development.

Taking Part in Research Projects

Taking part in research projects is an excellent method for me to improve my abilities as a nurse and to make a contribution to the area of nursing. By participating in research projects, I am able to expand my knowledge of the healthcare system, increase my capacity for critical thinking and analysis, and work in conjunction with other healthcare professionals. These research projects can also help to bring about social change by providing insights into new and innovative approaches to improve healthcare delivery as well as access to healthcare services.

Participating in Professional Conferences

Participating in professional conferences is another fantastic opportunity for me to improve my abilities as a nurse and keep up to date on the most recent advancements in the industry. By going to professional conferences, I am able to make connections with other people who work in the healthcare industry, get knowledge about emerging tendencies and technology, and improve my comprehension of the healthcare system. This knowledge can then be put to use to bring about social change by pushing for higher resources and improved access to medical care for those who are in need.

Looking for Opportunities to Lead

Looking for opportunities to lead is a terrific way for me to build my professional abilities and show that I am committed to social change. By taking on leadership responsibilities, I am able to improve my knowledge of the healthcare system, hone my abilities in communication and organization, and work in conjunction with other professionals working in the healthcare industry. These chances for leadership can also help to bring about social change by lobbying for additional resources and better access to healthcare for people who are in need.

These accomplishments and efforts not only align with the University’s emphasis on social change but also indicate my commitment to furthering my professional development. I am able to improve my understanding of the healthcare system, develop my critical thinking and analytical skills, and work more effectively with other healthcare professionals if I take part in research projects, go to professional conferences, and look for opportunities to take on leadership roles. This knowledge can then be put

As a critical care nurse advancing my career to becoming an acute care nurse practitioner, it is necessary to take a second to reflect on goal setting because it’s essential to choose the ones that I want to achieve. Therefore, the first step to developing a professional plan is to take a serious look at what I would like my nursing philosophy to be. This plan would include a complete understanding of what my values, beliefs, and inspirations are and what motivates me to want to be in this specific field of nursing. In addition, It is also necessary to conduct extensive research on the particular advanced nursing position I would be considering. Finally, when looking into a job opportunity, it’s essential to understand the qualifications required, such as education and certification, years of experience, and the cost of tuition and books.

Findings show that religious engagement among students declines during college, but their spirituality shows substantial growth. “Students become more caring, more tolerant, more connected with others, and more actively engaged in a spiritual quest.” (“Cultivating the Spirit – Spirituality in Higher Education”) The authors also found that spiritual growth enhances other outcomes, such as academic performance, psychological well-being, leadership development, and satisfaction with college. The study also identified a number of college activities that contribute to students’ spiritual growth. Some of these–study abroad, interdisciplinary studies, and service learning–appear to be effective because they expose students to new and diverse people, cultures, and ideas. Spiritual development is also enhanced if students engage in “inner work” through activities such as meditation or self-reflection, or if their professors actively encourage them to explore questions of meaning and purpose. (“Cultivating the Spirit – Spirituality in Higher (Alexander W, 2010)”). By raising public awareness of the key role that spirituality plays in student learning and development, by alerting academic administrators, faculty, and curriculum committees to the importance of spiritual development, and by identifying strategies for enhancing that development, this work encourages institutions to give greater priority to these spiritual aspects of students’ educational and professional development.

As we experience social change, knowledge is most useful when used for the greater good. Students, alumni, and faculty dedicate themselves to improving the human and social situation by developing and implementing ideas that benefit individuals, communities, organizations, and society as a whole (Walden University, n.d.). As nurses make advancements in their careers, it is important to remember this because it will pave our future paths as nurse practitioners. Furthermore, there are many academic activities to take advantage of to help us accomplish this. Some of these activities include leadership education, team-building, and advanced simulations. I would consider these are transferable skills that will help me during my time here at Walden and beyond. As I prepare my professional development goals, it would also be beneficial to find a mentor to help guide me, someone whose career I have admired and who can offer unbiased advice along the way.

The Institute of Physics informs us that having a mentor not only helps you develop new skills and have a better grasp of your career path. It also gives us stability, constructive feedback, and an objective view of our goals, strengths, and obstacles (Robbins, 2021).
Healthcare is getting more complex and demanding every day, so the importance of being a certified nurse is becoming more necessary because it indicates a higher level of understanding. One of the professional Organizations I affiliate with is the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). Being board certified will not only strengthen us into being ethical scholar-practitioners, but it also proves to patients, employers, and the general public that a nurse’s knowledge meets national requirements and demonstrates a solid commitment to patient safety. (AACN, 2021).

References

American Association Of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). (2021). Board Certification.https://www.aacn.org/certification?tab=First-Time%20Certification.
Robbins, T. (2021). 8 Effective Professional Development Strategies. Robbins Research International, Inc. https://www.tonyrobbins.com/business/professional-development-strategies/.
Walden University. (n.d.). Vision, Mission, and Goals. https://catalog.waldenu.edu/content.php?catoid=181&navoid=66193.

Greetings, fellow Walden Colleagues; I have been a registered nurse for the past 14 years and presently enrolled in the Adult and Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program. Foremost, I believe that the curriculum set out by Walden will satisfy the necessary academic requirements I need for certification as an Adult and Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner. In addition, Walden’s vision, mission, and social change initiatives can satisfy my professional and academic goals and path in becoming a scholar-practitioner.

I chose to major in Adult and Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner because of the desire to provide care to individuals across the human life span. Walden School of Nursing envisions the same, “contributions of nursing and its’ related disciplines at Walden will be seen as a source of education to satisfy the need for nursing services for every individual throughout their life span at an individual, societal, and global level. (Walden University, 2015).

In an ever-changing society, nurses would face situations requiring a critical thinking approach to finding a resolution. One of my professional goals is to be a critical thinker, in which I can provide valid and applicable solutions to different clinical and social situations that may arise. After reading Walden’s Vision statement, I believe they can help me attain my professional goal to be a critical thinker. “Walden believes that knowledge gained at the institution would allow students to affect solutions to societal challenges and by extension global society” (Walden University, 2018).

        Incorporation of Social Initiative/Change

No one individual is a team, nor can they individually affect social change. Therefore, I believe that communication and interaction with other professionals will improve my professional goal of affecting social change. Walden University affords social and professional networking through its student café initiatives, discussions, and projects. In addition, Walden School of Nursing holds my same belief of “positive social change can lead to an improvement in both the human and social conditions” (Walden University, 2015).

Additionally, due to the nursing field’s dynamic changes, there will always be a continuous expansion of knowledge. Therefore, “Both the development and maintenance of professional networking relationship would allow for ideas and information exchange to keep nurses knowledge base relevant” (Schmitt, n.d.).

References

Schmitt, K. (n.d.). 5 reasons nurses should engage in professional networking. BluePipes Blog.

https://blog.bluepipes.com/5-reasons-nurses-should-take-professional-networking-seriously/

Walden University. (2018, March). Vision, mission, and goals. Walden University – Acalog     ACMS™. https://catalog.waldenu.edu/content.php?catoid=153&navoid=49950

Walden University. (2015, March). School of nursing mission and vision. Walden University –

Acalog ACMS™. https://catalog.waldenu.edu/content.php?catoid=117&navoid=32441

Thank you for your question! One of the websites I could use to display my professional portfolio is LinkedIn. LinkedIn (n.d.) is a professional networking site designed to help people make business connections, share their experiences and resumes, and find jobs. An area of a LinkedIn profile is devoted to showcasing a person’s work is referred to as a LinkedIn portfolio. Viewers of my profile can explore my portfolio, which includes samples of my work. This gives them an opportunity to better understand my personality. I can also share various media types, including photographs, audio illustrations, videos, presentations, and reports. When I link to my work, I can import content from a web page or various content sources, including Twitter, YouTube, Sound Cloud, Scribd, and Slide Share. Additionally, I can upload any files I wish to share with the public, including PDF, Power Point, Word, and Open Office files.

Many users use the site to expand their professional networks and seek out career prospects. As a result, the jobs area of the site is a beneficial resource for locating and applying for jobs. Furthermore, there are settings on LinkedIn that allow me to notify recruiters that I am actively job seeking.

Reference

LinkedIn (n.d.) Convert Your LinkedIn Profile Into An Online Portfolio.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/convert-your-linkedin-profile-online-portfolio-hannah-morgan

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I think sharing your portfolio on Linkedin is a wonderful way to “introduce” yourself to potential colleagues and managers. As nurses, we don’t often think it’s necessary to promote ourselves, but as we to advance our education, we have to be willing to showcase our strengths and accomplishments (Wittman-Price, 2012). In this dayand age, I think designing an e-portfolio is the best way to market yourself. An e-portfolio can be apersonal blog, a website that highlights your work, or even a PowerPoint. If you’re like me this can seem daunting! I’m not technically advanced at all. on top of Linkedin there are other websites too like Wix.com it is so simple to use and navigate. Designing an e-portfolio can be as simple or as creative as we want, and Wix makes it so fun.Great post!
Qasim
Refrences
ReferencesWittman-Price, R. (2012) Fast facts for developing a nursing academic portfolio: What you really need to know in a nutshell.Springer Pub. Co. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohostcom.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat06423a&AN=wal.EBC3035205&site=edslive&scope=site
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RE: Discussion – Week 8

COLLAPSE

Top of Form

There are many strategies for incorporating academic activity and accomplishments into my professional development goals. First, it is essential to adopt a goal evolution mindset. As we grow and learn, our goals will evolve. Academic activities and accomplishments should constantly contribute to professional development goals. It is essential to determine what steps must be taken to achieve professional development goals (Walden University, LLC, 2018). Modern-day advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) must develop a portfolio of evidence of professional development activities and achievements and how they contribute to professional practice as a visual representation of their experience, strengths, abilities, and skills (Casey & Egan, 2013). The benefits of portfolios include skill development, promoting active learning, improved clinical competency, and improved academic assessment and achievement (Dehkordi & Ghiasvandian, 2019). The portfolio will represent who I am, what I am passionate about, and the strengths I have obtained during my education at Walden University.

A strategy I could use to include academic activities and accomplishments in my professional development is to join professional nursing organizations. It is crucial to serve the community and profession (Walden University, LLC, 2018). I could connect with various professional organizations to participate in activities aligned with my career goals (Hannans & Olivo, 2017). Professional organization bring nurses together and empowers nurses to have a voice (Walden University, LLC, 2018). Nurses can also become certified in areas that may contribute to their professional development goals. The American Nurses Credentialing Center outlines steps for APRNs to expand their focus to meet expanded practice roles (Melander et al., 2020).

Another strategy is to record specific moments where I used my education and research to change a patient’s life. Casey and Egan (2013) suggested regularly accounting for incidents that have occurred in practice and using these instances in a portfolio, showcasing the application of knowledge learned. Collecting patient accounts evidencing competence in advanced practice will highlight academic activities contributing to professional development goals. Portions of my portfolio will highlight educational activities and accomplishments contributing to my professional development goals (Casey & Egan, 2013). I could specifically select evidence highlighting a skill I have obtained throughout my education. Nurses can also attend seminars and apply the knowledge learned in practice (Casey & Egan, 2013). I will attend conferences specific to my areas of interest, including aesthetic nursing, healthcare access in underprivileged communities, and healthcare policy. Clear ideas of education and certification must help you meet your professional development goals (Walden University, LLC, 2018).

Walden University is committed to social change by empowering change-makers, building communities, and maximizing social change outcomes (Walden University, 2022). Serving the community will align the University’s social change goals with my own. I want to affect positive change by improving access to care, especially in underserved and underprivileged communities, minimizing the healthcare disparity gap. I also want to promote social change through healthcare policy. By joining professional organizations that promote my development in these areas, I will develop from a student to a change-maker. The knowledge I gain throughout the Walden University program will assist me in making that possible.

References

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

Dehkordi, L. M., Ghiasvandian, S. (2019). Application of Portfolio in Nursing Education and Assessment of Learning. Journal of Medical Education and Development, 14(2), 136–143.

RE: Discussion – Week 8 Initial Post

This is insightful. Professional development in nursing refers to the entire process of improving practice through continuing education and training. Being current in terms of the provision of healthcare services is a key component of professional development. Professional development entails different approaches including enhancement of educational and work experiences (Robbins, 2021). For acute care nurses professional development should involve understanding of personal values, inspirations, and beliefs. Besides, it is necessary for the healthcare professionals to conduct extensive research on their particular areas of practice. Delivery of quality care requires adjustment in knowledge and skills, this calls for professional adjustments in different areas of practice (Walden University, n.d). To enhance competency in the provision of healthcare services, there is the need for nurses to advance their educational qualification in order to gain relevant certifications (McCoy, 2019). Educational processes should also involve engagement in research and evidence-based practice. While advancing educational processes, it is necessary for the nurses to maintain high level of academic integrity.

References

McCoy, C. (2019). Professional development in rural nursing: Challenges and opportunities. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 40(3), 128-131. https://journals.healio.com/doi/abs/10.3928/00220124-20090301-08
Robbins, T. (2021). 8 Effective Professional Development Strategies. Robbins Research International, Inc. https://www.tonyrobbins.com/business/professional-development-strategies/.
Walden University. (n.d.). Vision, Mission, and Goals. https://catalog.waldenu.edu/content.php?catoid=181&navoid=66193.

Professional development is a concept for career-based nurses.  In professional development, nurses take the steps necessary to advance their practice through education, volunteering, networking, attending seminars, and gaining credentials.  Nurses should keep a portfolio to document their achievements to market themselves for professional organizations and jobs in professional development.  Portfolios are a way of charting your progress and achievements in nursing.  According to an article by Margaret Burns (2018), there are two different types of portfolios, one that showcases the nurse’s specific achievements and another that is broader than documents everything the nurse has accomplished. A specified portfolio of accomplishment is more conducive for job and professional organization applications, while the more common portfolio keeps track of the nurse’s clinical, educational, and volunteer experiences (p. 15).

For my undergraduate degree, a nursing portfolio was required to be completed before graduating.  I constructed my portfolio on a website and included my background, current nursing position, future goals, and artifacts from each of my courses that people who reviewed my portfolio could read.  I have used this portfolio during interviews, especially for travel nursing agencies, because it encompasses all of my time and experiences as a nurse.

Travel Nursing Experience

My first strategy for building a sound portfolio is to document my experience as a nurse.  To do this, I have joined a travel nursing agency to become a temporary nurse at different facilities.   I have a background in medical-surgical, intermediate, and critical care nursing so that I can float between these three disciplines at various facilities.  This will help articulate my vast experience as a nurse when I become a nurse practitioner and apply for a job.  Each hospital organization is set up differently, so I will learn their competencies, nursing workflow, and different management styles of disease processes.  In future practice, I will be able to use these skills when I manage a patient’s plan of care.  An article by Jan Daubener (2001) provides anecdotes from different travel nurses to explain the pros and cons of the career field.  One account from a nurse demonstrated their increased competency and comfort level managing critical drips and ventilators in an ICU that differed from their home unit.  As such, the nurse was adaptable and learned the processes at the new hospital he traveled to and was successful.  As a result, he gained more experience and comfort level handling a different management style and could use this knowledge in future travel contracts. Traveling to new agencies means that I will have to be comfortable with not knowing everything and adapt quickly to new situations.  This measurement of self-assessment relates to a critical aspect of nursing portfolio development.

In an article by Casey and Egan (2010):

Evidence used within the portfolio can be used to undertake a personal review of where a practitioner currently is in terms of their development and consider where they want to be.  A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis can be a simple but useful tool to analyze professional strengths, skills, knowledge, and ability) and weaknesses (areas for development.) These can then be considered in the context of the opportunities for development and the potential threats or barriers to development (p. 550).

Travel nursing will require me to constantly assess my current knowledge and experience level, narrow down what I need to improve, and then reflect on what I have learned.  This skill will be used constantly in my future practice as a nurse practitioner.

professional Certifications

My next strategy for constructing a solid portfolio of my nursing practice is to gain credentials or competencies in my chosen practice area.  Currently, I am pursuing a specialization in acute care practice for adults and geriatrics.  My eventual goal is to work as a nurse practitioner in endocrinology and diabetes management. One specific nursing credential I am actively trying to achieve is certified diabetes educator (CDE).  This is awarded to nurses who have the required amount of hours managing and counseling patients on diabetes and successfully passing the proctored exam. If I have this credential, it will represent my interest and passion for diabetes management and supply me with the knowledge necessary to make critical decisions when managing this disease.  According to an article presented on the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (2019), certified nurses gain more respect, possess increased knowledge and competency, have more job opportunities, are more reliable and make fewer errors, decrease healthcare costs, and provide better patient outcomes, (pp. 2-3).  By gaining a credential, shows my commitment to the profession and drive to advance my knowledge.

Social Change

My strategies to obtain my goals of nursing excellence relate to Walden University’s social change initiative.  According to Walden University (2021), “ …Walden supports positive social change through the development of principled, knowledgeable, and ethical scholar-practitioners, who are and will become civic and professional role models by advancing the betterment of society” (para. 6).  My experience from different nursing facilities and my credentials from my CDE exam will allow me to have an advanced perspective on nursing.  I will have more knowledge and experience caring for patients, be more credible based on my certifications, and be able to transition into the nurse practitioner role where I can use my knowledge to act ethically and advance the health of my community, thus creating positive social change.

Conclusion

Nurses use professional portfolios to showcase the critical aspects of their career journey as proof for career development.  A strong portfolio will give a background of nursing experience, education level, credentials, and letters of recommendation so that employers and professional organizations can assess the nurse’s abilities.  By gaining expertise from travel nursing and achieving certifications, I can add these to my portfolio as evidence of my nursing expertise to eventually create positive social change.

References

American Association of Neuroscience Nurses. (2019). Impact of nursing certification on nurses, healthcare employers and patients [PDF]. American association of neuroscience nurses. Retrieved October 17, 2021, from https://aann.org/uploads/Meetings/2020/WhitePaper_ACU_Certification.pdf

Burns, M. K. (2018). Creating a nursing portfolio. Ohio Nurses Review93(3), 16–17. Retrieved October 17, 2021, from https://doi.org/https://eds-b-ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=4ee231f2-c0ff-440a-9d82-4c18e2e9ee28%40sessionmgr102

Casey, D., & Egan, D. (2010). The use of professional portfolios and profiles for career enhancement. British Journal of Community Nursing15(11), 547–552. Retrieved October 17, 2021, from

Daubener, J. (2001). A look at travel nursing: Two sides to the coin. Journal of Emergency Nursing27(5), 507–510. Retrieved October 17, 2021, from https://doi.org/10.1067/men.2001.118574

Walden University. (2021). Mission, vision, and goals. Walden University catalog. Retrieved 2021, from https://catalog.waldenu.edu/content.php?catoid=181&navoid=66193

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Name: NURS_6003_Module01_Week01_Discussion_Rubric

Excellent Good Fair Poor
Main Posting
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.

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.

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.

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
10 (10%) – 10 (10%)
Posts main post by day 3.
0 (0%) – 0 (0%)
0 (0%) – 0 (0%)
0 (0%) – 0 (0%)
Does not post by day 3.
First Response
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.

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.

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.

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
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.

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.

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.

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
5 (5%) – 5 (5%)
Meets requirements for participation by posting on three different days.
0 (0%) – 0 (0%)
0 (0%) – 0 (0%)