BSNC 1020 – Professional Portfolio Assignment

What is a Professional Portfolio?

A portfolio is a collection of information that has been accumulated about a learner's past and present
experiences and accomplishments. It is not only a product, but also a process by which prior learning
experiences can be translated into learning outcomes and documented. By collecting this information
throughout your nursing education, it can help you recognize the skills and abilities you possess in
relationship to a professional career.

Why a Professional Portfolio?

A professional portfolio provides an opportunity to reflect and develop your professional identity as a
nurse. While a student in the BSN program, creating and maintaining a professional portfolio will assist
you in choosing a focus of practice in the final year of the program. Once you are a registered nurse the
professional portfolio may assist in choosing an area to practice and aid you in quality assurance which
all registered nurses must participate in as part of BCCNM registration renewal.

How to Present your Professional Portfolio?

A professional portfolio typically includes a portfolio statement, similar to a cover letter, that provides a
detailed description or a summary of the contents of the portfolio. It is meant to showcase your
professional identity in a succinct manner to help the reader understand how the portfolio represents
you as a professional.

For the BSNC 1020 assignment, you are required to submit a Word document that contains both parts of
the assignment (portfolio statement and critical self-reflection). Ensure each section has a header to
distinguish sections.

Purpose of Assignment

The goal of this assignment is to help you begin to develop your professional portfolio by having you
write a portfolio statement and critical self-reflection of developing professional nursing practice that
will form the basis of the portfolio. Over the course of your BSN program, you can continue to add to
your portfolio by including items that represent your professional identity you have formulated in your
portfolio statement. For this assignment, you will develop a portfolio statement and a critical self-
reflection of developing professional nursing practice.

The focus for this professional portfolio assignment is on how the activities and experiences in the BSNC
1020 course have contributed to developing your professionalism as a student nurse. While in a
standard professional portfolio you would discuss your strengths, skills, and competencies broadly, the
goal in a course-based professional portfolio is to highlight the strengths that have come about from
your learning in Term 1.

Your Professional Portfolio

This assignment consists of two parts: a portfolio statement and critical self-reflection of developing
professional nursing practice.

1. Portfolio Statement:
Addresses your work philosophy and link to how your philosophy guides the activities you
undertake to support your professional goals. Do not focus on a specific type of nursing you
would like to achieve (i.e., emergency nurse, pediatric nurse, etc.) but rather goals that address
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the broader aspect of professional nursing practice. Consider the following as you develop your
portfolio statement:
• What knowledge and skills do you bring to your future nursing career as a result of your
learning in the BSNC 1020 course? Be specific
• How did the BSNC 1020 course prepare you to begin to develop your professionalism as
a nursing student?
• How has the BSNC 1020 course inspired you to generate goals for your future career and
continued learning?
• Describe how the BCCNM the Standards of Practice will support your professional
philosophy. Be specific.
2. Critical Self-Reflection of Developing Professional Nursing Practice:
Reflection of learning is an intentional process of thinking, analyzing, and learning which results
in personal and professional growth. Self-reflection involves self-awareness, self-evaluation, and
critical thinking. Ensure the critical analysis aspect.
Take some time to self-reflect on the BSNC 1020 course content and your learning in Term 1.
Reflect about how this content influences you as you begin your nursing career. Consider the
following questions:
• How does learning about nursing professionalism in Term 1 in compare to your original
understanding of nursing over this past term? How is your understanding different?
Provide specific examples of how your understanding of professionalism in nursing has
changed.
• What aspects of professionalism in nursing are you most interested in developing
further? Explain your answer and link to the attributes of professionalism.
• How do you plan to critically examine your actions and experiences as a nursing student
to acquire new understandings, and develop your practice and clinical knowledge? Be
specific.
• What are some values and beliefs that you have begun to examine critically and
challenge in order to approach your nursing practice more professionally? How do you
plan to address these to improve your professionalism?
• What did you learn this past term that you will continue to use throughout your
practice, during the BSN program and after graduation? Explain your answer.

Assignment Requirements

• Length maximum of each section below (the below page maximums does not include title or
reference page in total count of pages)
o Portfolio Statement – maximum ¾ page
o Reflection of Learning – maximum of 3 ½ pages
• Assignment must adhere to APA requirements
• Submission process:
o Upload your reflection to Learning Hub in the designated assignment drop box on the due
date as per the date identified on course Learning Hub site.
o Late assignments will have 10% deducted per day. Weekends and stat holidays count the
same as weekdays.

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Marking Criteria

Review the marking criteria outlined in the assignment rubric.

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