As a child, one of my greatest career dreams has been to establish myself professionally in the field of offering health and social care. Since childhood, the concept of helping people had always attracted me immensely in the childhood. I have grown up in a small town where people helping others had been the foundation of the society I lived in. My family has always encouraged me to lend a helping hand to everyone whenever it is needed all my life. I believe this had given me the courage and support to nurture the dream of turning my habit of helping others into a profession or respect and dignity (Brouwer et al., 2017). Nursing had attracted me since I understood I wanted to proceed forward in the career of helping others and saving lives. Clinical nursing educators are the professionals who combine their clinical expertise and passion for education into a respectful profession in the health care industry. This profession has attracted me to no end and hence, this portfolio will help me develop a path for myself to attain this professional role in Australia (Clark, 2017).
This portfolio will showcase and represent my achievements, both academic and professional, in order to be able to develop myself as a clinical educator in the Australian health care system, by first pursuing the graduate diploma in nursing, followed by a masters and then doing a bridging program which will help me get the registration for the post of clinical nurse educator. I would also like to develop a working practice while pursuing my degree regarding working in the Australian health care system so that I can devote my very best to the profession that I am choosing to pursue.
A portfolio can be defined as the culmination or collection of the individual abilities, self-expression, and experiences. The portfolio helps the individual to reflect on their own learning experience, enhancing the personal awareness with respect to learning needs and strategies to address those needs (Cadd, 2016). Portfolio can be acknowledged as providing an actual evidence of the experiences and achievements gathered through lifetime. There is mounting evidence that suggests that portfolio is a very useful tool to help the individuals go forward in the professional field that has been chosen by me. Researchers are of the opinion that the portfolio has a strong and very important role in facilitating the career growth of an individual. It has to be mentioned in this context that the portfolio allows the living and changing collection of the records which helps in reflecting the exact accomplishments, skills, experiences, and attributes (Kim & Yazdian, 2014).
The importance of a portfolio is extreme in the life of a professional. It has to be mentioned in this context that each and every professional field in the present day scenario is becoming very competitive, with the massive rise in the population and rising competition in the professional fields, each and every candidate has to be one step ahead in convincing the employers or the university authorities to provide them the chance forsaking all others. The portfolio in this case works excellently as a potent tool to convince the authorities why the candidate has the most potential and is the most deserving candidate. Hence, the portfolio acts as an professional artefact that allows the individual to showcase all the achievements and experience that he or she has gained to prove themselves as the best candidate for the opportunity that they are looking to pursue. Along with that, the importance of the portfolio is also extreme in gaining the personal awareness and ideation regarding their own personal skillset and competencies so that they can be confident when approaching the employers or the university authorities (Bagheri & Ghaffari, 2017).
It has to be mentioned here that the portfolio can never take the place of the resume, it is just the attractive portion of the resume which helps the individual to showcase some of his or her best talents to get to the position. As mentioned by Cadd (2016), the personal information that an individual incorporates into the professional portfolio is indicative of the abilities that the individual has developed to market him- or herself optimally and successfully to the employers, industries, colleges and universities. Another very important fact about the portfolio is that, if prepared accurately and attractively, portfolios can set the candidate apart from the array of other applications, for both professional and academic opportunities. It has to be mentioned in this context that the in this case, I am attempting to pursue graduate diploma in nursing as a first step of the process. With the aim of establishing myself in the Australian health care industry, the portfolio is an extremely important aspect for me. Hence, I have attempted to develop most attractive and creative portfolio so that I can showcase to the authorities that I am a deserving candidate for the diploma that I have applied for.
Portfolios can be of various types and each type addresses the differential requirements that it serves. On a more elaborative note, there are three major types of portfolios, a student portfolio, professional portfolio and project portfolio. Firstly, the student portfolio is associated with academic settings (Cadd, 2016). This portfolio design demonstrates knowledge attained in the given class or throughout the academic career of the individual. The student portfolio design is extremely helpful for the individuals who are planning on continuing their educational career beyond the undergraduate or graduate level. Along with that, the student portfolio are also extremely helpful for the students who want to pursue higher education in any prestigious Ivy League universities or colleges or any institution overseas. The second type of portfolio design is the project portfolio, which is both useful on the academic and professional front as well. This design is not as creative or simple as the student portfolio and is far more systematic. It showcases the efforts or steps that has been taken to complete the specific project or any other independent study. This particular portfolio is the most effective and efficient for the individuals that have applied for any grant or are involved in any business dealings to showcase the applicative benefits or success of the project so that is can be either proceeded forward or replicated in a large scale. The last portfolio design is the professional portfolio, which is the most effective in the professional setting. This particular design is associated with demonstrating the skills, background, accomplishments and experiences of the individual top the employers. This is another very creative and versatile portfolio design which generally encompasses a large number of artefacts and attractive elements so that it can catch the attention of the employers instantaneously in the array of other portfolios. There is also an additional portfolio design which is gaining rapid popularity which is the online portfolio or the e-portfolio. It is also useful in both the professional and academic setting (Bagheri & Ghaffari, 2017). The benefits associated with this particular portfolio design is that it enables the credentials shared by the candidate to be more easily accessible via the internet. In this case, I will also be taking the assistance of the e-portfolio design to apply for the diploma of nursing in Australia.
Description:
This portfolio showcases my personal achievements and experiences to the authorities of the university so that I can be selected for pursuing the diploma in nursing (Smith & Roberts, 2015). I would like to mention the fact that my career goal is to become a clinical nurse educator and this diploma is the first step for me to make the dream into a reality. I would like to mention in this account that I have been a good academic student all my life and I have always achieved satisfactory marks in my secondary, higher secondary and Baccalaureate degree of nursing exam. On a more elaborative note, I would like to mention that I have gotten more than 70% of marks in the Baccalaureate degree of nursing exam which I believe had been a great achievement for me. Post graduating I had the opportunity to work in a local clinic as a staff nurse and I have gained a lot of experience for the year that I had worked in there. I had learned a variety of applicative practice skills while working in the clinic such as handling patients, addressing the demands of the patients and their family members, providing effective care interventions and also collaborating or co-operating with the rest of the care staff members in the health care facility. Based on my academic records and the experience that I have had, I can state that I am a deserving candidate for the diploma that I have applied for.
First and foremost, I would like to state that I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that I have had which has helped me gain the experience and expertise to apply for this course. I would like to mention the fact that providing help and supportive assistance to the sick and ailing had been a passion for me. Hence, this opportunity to take the first step towards becoming a clinical nurse educator is a euphoric moment for me. I would like to further mention the fact that although this had been a very ecstatic moment for me, yet the nervousness and uncertainty is also present in my subconscious. Exploring more, the fear and uncertainty is not just associated with immigration or leaving my family and loved ones behind, the fear is also associated with the complexities I will overcome in the acculturation procedure, the language barrier and accustoming process with the completely different Australian health care system. However, I believe that with the strength of my academic records, good English proficiency, and experience for working in a community clinic for a year, I would be successful in overcoming all hardships.
Evaluation:
The evaluation is the section of the Gibbs reflection cycle which provides the individual with opportunity to reflect on the good and bad aspects of the entire experience (Tanaka, Okamoto & Koide, 2018). In this case, I would have to mention I have mostly good experiences to highlight. First and foremost, I would like to highlight the fact that my academic records have been pristine all my life and I have been a dedicated and sincere student all my life. The dedication and sincerity is a very important aspect of the professional attributes of a nurse. Furthermore, a clinical nurse educator is an individual who is associated with being responsible for preparing and mentoring current and future generations of nurses. Hence, dedication and sincerity is a very important trait that an aspirant nursing profession must have. Along with that, I have been praised as a hardworking and co-operative employee with very good leadership competences in my previous workplace. It has to be mentioned in this context that clinical nurse educators have a pivotal role in strengthening and improving the nursing workforce, and in many instances1 they have to serve as positive role models to motivate the employees and provide leadership in order to implement evidence-based practice in to the clinical scenario. Hence, I believe that I possess both good communication and leadership styles along with being extremely dedicated, hard-working and sincere employee as well, which indicates I will be a good nurse.
In terms of analysis of the experience that I have had, I would like to mention that I possess almost all of the skills that is required to study further to attain the career of professional clinical nurse educator in the Australian health care industry. Australian health care industry is one of the most flourishing health care industry with innovative technologies being implemented to improve practice standards and care quality. There is mounting evidence that suggests that the Australian health care industry is one of the most flourishing industries to settle down in as a professional with immense career growth opportunities. Hence, I believe that my career as a clinical nurse educator will be a turning point in my life, which is why I require this opportunity desperately. Along with that, I am also a deserving candidate as I already have had a year- long professional experience of working in a clinic. The most important challenge for transitioning nurses is the gap between theoretical and practical knowledge, fortunately for me my experience has been able to bridge the gap effectively, setting me apart from many other applicants (Dalton, 2014).
Conclusion and Action plan:
On a concluding note, I can confidently state that I possess all the necessary skills to develop myself into a competent nurse and then grow as a clinical nurse educator. I would also like to hereby commit that I would be equally dedicated and hardworking to bring out my best while studying in Australia and will be an efficient clinical nurse educator when I start practice in the future. Although, one drawback that I have is that I have no basic idea about the Australian health care system, the practice principles and legislations. I would hence conduct extensive research to gather as much knowledge or information as possible to be able to adjust to the Australian health care system perfectly (Grealish et al., 2018).
The nurses have to go through five interdependent stages of development according to the stages of clinical competence by Benner. These stages are Novice, Advance beginner, Competent, Proficient and Expert. The first stage is the novice or the beginner, and this stage is characterized by absolute lack of experience. The second stage is the advanced beginners which refers to the individuals that have certain level of experience, and can be able to provide marginally acceptable performances. The third stage of development is the competent stage which refers to the individuals that are associated with nursing professional that have experience of at least 2 to 3 years and has a clear ideation regarding the his or her actions in terms of long-range goals or plans. The fourth stage of development according to this framework is the proficient stage which refers to the stage where the nurse can perceive situations as a whole rather than in terms of segmented parts or aspects, and performance is guided by maxims. The last and fifth development stage is the expert performer which is associated with a job role where an individual as both higher level of experience and skill set which enables the professional to have the ability rise above the analytic principles namely rule, guideline and maxim to connect her or his understanding of the situation to an appropriate action (Monaghan, 2015).
In terms of my career development, I would like to state that I still am in the novice stage or the beginner stage, even though I have had an experience of one year of working in a community clinic of my hometown. I would like to mention here that there are various factors associated with me designating myself as the novice. First and foremost, my experience had been only of a year which might have given me a few core practice skills, is not enough to help me carry out care practices like diagnosis and making clinical judgments independently. Along with that, it also has to be considered here that my knowledge and understanding of the Australian health care system is negligible and hence even though I know certain core professional skills, without guidance and supervision I will not be able to complete any care activity on my own (Huisman?de Waal et al., 2018). Hence, I believe I fall under the first stage of the Benner’s stages of clinical competence which is novice and this diploma will help me proceed forward in my career successfully and effectively.
Brief Biography:
Introduction of an individual has a potent impact on the first impression that is developed regarding the individual. Hence to introduce myself, I am Bhawandeep Kaur Brar and I belong to Punjab by birth. Since the childhood, I have been brought up looking at my parents and grandparents looking after people that were sick, ailing or vulnerable. My upbringing has developed a passion in me to spend my life providing care, assistance and support to the sick and ailing, which is why I have chosen to pursue a career in nursing. I have done a Bachelor’s degree in nursing and I also have the experience of working in the local community clinic for a year after obtaining the degree. My future goal is to become a clinical nurse educator practicing in Australia.
I believe hobbies reflect the personal interests and personality traits of an individual. I have many hobbies, however the most important hobby of mine which takes up most of my leisure time is reading. Along with that, my other hobbies include writing, dancing, singing and painting.
I have finished both my secondary level education and higher secondary level education from PSEB in my hometown in Punjab.
I have completed my baccalaureate degree in Nursing Science from an esteemed university in Punjab as well.
I have also completed an internship of 1 year in a local community clinic as a staff nurse.
My vision is to develop a society where health care is provided to each and every individual of the society in terms of need and requirements not race, gender, or socio-economic status. Along with that, my vision also includes revolutionizing the health care education system where each and every deserving aspirant nurse has equal opportunity to pursue a course in health care, and the curriculum is improved in terms of recent needs and health care priorities.
My mission is to provide safe and effective health care to each and every individual devoid of any disparity or discrimination. My second mission is to improve my skills and knowledge and progress through my career, so that I gain the opportunity to become a clinical nurse educator in Australia.
The nursing philosophies that I firmly believe in encompasses equality and respect in health care, and each individual in the society should be given equal access to health care. I also believe that cultural diversity should be respected at all circumstances in the health care environment and patient dignity and identity should be respected at all costs.
My future career development plan consists of becoming a clinical nurse educator within the span of 5 to 7 years in Australia. I would further like to mention the fact that as I do not have any clear idea regarding the Australian health care system, the practice standards, key competencies and legislative policy frameworks, my first step in the career development will be to pursue the graduate diploma in nursing within the next 2 years. Followed by which I would be applying for the registration which is a fundamental element of nursing practice in Australia. For which I would first complete my Master’s degree in nursing right after graduating from the diploma course. After obtaining both by diploma and Master’s degree from the university of Australia, I would be quickly enrolling myself in a bridging program which would be the final step making me eligible for the registration to practice as a nurse in the Australian health care system. Obtaining the registration will be an extreme achievement for me as it will take me several steps closer to achieving my dream to practice as a clinical nurse educator in Australia (Kenny, Reeve & Hall, 2016). It has to be mentioned in this context that a clinical nurse educator has to possess diverse knowledge and expertise in each and every aspect of patient care planning and implementation (O’hagan etv al., 2014). The academic degrees will equip me with the theoretical knowledge and understanding and the bridging program will help me develop practice skills and knowledge, so that I can be an efficient and dedicated nurse educator in the future (Raymond et al., 2018). Along with my university education, I would also be engaging myself in different communication and culturally competent care programs, so that I can enhance my communication and culturally competent care skills as well. Lastly, I also hope to be able to engage myself in any not for profit care home or organization so that I can lend a helping hand to vulnerable communities in my free time while in Australia.
References:
Alligood, M. R. (2017). Nursing Theorists and Their Work-E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences., 13(5), 93.
Bagheri, M. S., & Ghaffari, M. (2017). Exploring English for Specific Purposes Teachers’ Attitude towards Electronic-Portfolio Assessment. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research, 4(4), 261-272.
Brouwer, R., Jones, C. T., Benner, J., Casey, B., & Neidecker, M. V. (2016). Academic Preparation in Clinical Research. Clinical Researcher. 8(4), 206.
Cadd, M. (2016). The electronic portfolio as assessment tool and more: The Drake University model. IALLT Journal of Language Learning Technologies, 42(1).
Clark, C. (2017). Creating & sustaining civility in nursing education. Sigma Theta Tau.
Dalton, L. (2014). Nursing education, regulation and standards in Australia. In 13th Annual Conference of the Association of Indonesian Nurses Education Centre (AINEC).
Grealish, L., van de Mortel, T., Brown, C., Frommolt, V., Grafton, E., Havell, M., … & Armit, L. (2018). Redesigning clinical education for nursing students and newly qualified nurses: A quality improvement study. Nurse education in practice, 33, 84-89.
Howatson-Jones, L. (2016). Reflective practice in nursing. Learning Matters.
Huisman?de Waal, G., Feo, R., Vermeulen, H., & Heinen, M. (2018). Students’ perspectives on basic nursing care education. Journal of clinical nursing, 27(11-12), 2450-2459.
Kenny, P., Reeve, R., & Hall, J. (2016). Satisfaction with nursing education, job satisfaction, and work intentions of new graduate nurses. Nurse education today, 36, 230-235.
Kim, Y., & Yazdian, L. S. (2014). Portfolio assessment and quality teaching. Theory Into Practice, 53(3), 220-227.
Lejonqvist, G. B., Eriksson, K., & Meretoja, R. (2016). Evaluating clinical competence during nursing education: A comprehensive integrative literature review. International journal of nursing practice, 22(2), 142-151.
Monaghan, T. (2015). A critical analysis of the literature and theoretical perspectives on theory–practice gap amongst newly qualified nurses within the United Kingdom. Nurse Education Today, 35(8), e1-e7. , 103.
O’hagan, S., Manias, E., Elder, C., Pill, J., Woodward?Kron, R., McNamara, T., … & McColl, G. (2014). What counts as effective communication in nursing? Evidence from nurse educators’ and clinicians’ feedback on nurse interactions with simulated patients. Journal of advanced nursing, 70(6), 1344-1355.
Raymond, C., Profetto-McGrath, J., Myrick, F., & Strean, W. B. (2018). Nurse educators’ critical thinking: A mixed methods exploration. Nurse Education Today, 66, 117-122.
Smith, J., & Roberts, R. (2015). Reflective practice. Vital Signs for Nurses: An Introduction to Clinical Observations, 222-230.
Tanaka, M., Okamoto, R., & Koide, K. (2018). Relationship between Reflective Practice Skills and Volume of Writing in a Reflective Journal. Health, 10(03), 283.
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