Aim:
The aim of this Professional Portfolio is to demonstrate your engagement and learning with the course content presented across each of the four online topics. This assessment will enable you to prepare for professional practice as a Registered nurse by meeting the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the Nursing & Midwifery Board (NMBA) requirements of providing evidence of continuing professional development for registration. The Professional Portfolio assignment consists of two parts: Part A reflective journal; and Part B continuing professional development (CPD) plan.
Part A Professional Portfolio – Reflective Journal (1500 words) This part of the assessment requires you to develop a reflective journal demonstrating your knowledge and understanding of the content offered within this course. You are required to make four journal entries in response to Topic Portfolio Questions posted in each of the four online course topics. Your evidence-based responses should be approximately 375 words each journal entry and presented using the Reflective Journaling template provided.
Part B Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Plan (equiv. 1000 words). This part of the assessment requires you to develop an individualised continuing professional development (CPD) plan for your first year of practice, as a graduate Registered nurse.
The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Registration Standard sets out the minimum requirements for CPD for nurses and midwives (NMBA 2016a). To meet this registration standard, you must complete a minimum of 20 hours of CPD per registration period (NMBA 2016a). The NMBA requires you to engage in CPD activities and encourages you to spread these activities over the course of the year (NMBA 2016b). You must keep records of your CPD for a period of five years from the date you completed the CPD (NMBA 2016a). All CPD records must be available for audit or as part of an investigation arising from a compliant (NMBA 2016a). The NMBA has developed a self-directed CPD evidence record that you can use for planning and recording your CPD (NMBA 2016c). Using the NMBA self-directed CPD evidence template, develop your CPD plan as a graduate Registered nurse. Your CPD plan should identify 20 hours of CPD. Your plan should document:
• ‘Identified learning needs’ with clear links to the Registered nurse standards for practice.
• An ‘action plan’ to meet the identified learning needs.
• The ‘type of activity’ you plan to undertake to meet the identified learning needs, the rationale for the type of activity you listed.
• A short description of the planned activity.
• A reflection statement of how the CPD activity will facilitate your transition to professional practice.
• Evidence that you will be used to demonstrate satisfactory completion of the CPD activity.
• Anticipated CPD hours each activity will take.
Overall writing and presentation
This Professional Portfolio must be saved and submitted as word documents, using the templates provided. Part A: Reflective journal must be completed using the Reflective Journaling template and presented using academic writing (i.e. sentence and paragraph structure). The use of dot-points for Part A will result in a reduction of marks. You will be assessed on the overall writing and presentation, so make sure that you follow the academic writing guidelines closely to avoid losing marks. CPD plan must be completed using the NMBA self-directed CPD evidence template.
How will I get assistance to complete this assessment?
Each of the topics delivered in this course will provide content that will give you the knowledge that you will need to successfully complete this essay. Attending the fortnightly virtual classrooms and contributing to the discussion forum activities will provide solid preparation for success in this assessment.
