Portfolio of Practice Year 1
Introduction for First Practice Placement
The City University Portfolio of Practice is designed to enable the student
to demonstrate achievement of the NMC Proficiencies [2004]. It is
designed to help apply theoretical knowledge to the practice area.
The Year 1 Portfolio is divided into 20 Activities, which are sub-divided [2a,
2b, 2c, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b and so on]. Students can complete al or part of an
activity, with final completion in their subsequent placement experiences.
This will demonstrate continuous development and competency of the
student.
The mentor in the placement area will need to document within the
mentor comments pages, guidance on how the student will need to
progress to enable a final signing off for an activity. This action plan will
help identify the future learning needs of the student and act as a guide
for subsequent mentors.
The mentor or co mentor can sign the comments box with suggestions for
future development.
As a first placement it maybe possible that a total activity will be signed
off, but other activities may only be partially completed and finally
completed within subsequent placement experiences.
Student guidelines state that all activities MUST be completed by the end
of Year 1 and will need to be undertaken several times prior to assessment
in order to demonstrate:



Understanding.
Application.
Acquisition of skills.
Students should aim to undertake each activity a minimum of 6 times
under supervision PRIOR to a formal assessment by the mentor which will
then be documented.
Year 1 students also have to read and undertake activities from their
Clinical Nursing Skills Workbook. [A separate workbook which each
student will have]
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The student assessment process will also need to reflect the Professional
and Practice Behaviour Framework [Parker, 2004]. This tool indicates the
expectations of a Year 1 student in relation to the NMC proficiencies. It
can be found at the beginning of the Portfolio of Practice. The framework
incorporates:






Professional Behaviour.
Teamwork.
Student interest, Motivation & Enthusiasm.
Requests for help.
Application of theory to practice.
Communication.
Further information regarding this framework can be found in ‘Guidelines
for Mentors Supervising Student Nurses & Midwives Undertaking their
Portfolio
of
Practice
Assessment’
[Dimmock,
2006]
or
on
www.city.ac.uk/sonm/practice-education/informationforpracticestaff
Portfolio Activities Summarised
Professional & Ethical Practice
Activity 1 - NMC
1A: NMC Role of the council.
1B: Code of conduct. The student will need to select 4 issues mentioned in
the code and BRIEFLY discuss their relevance to them.
Activity 2 - Confidentiality [after 2 weeks on placement]
2A: Care for 2-3 different patients.
2B: Confidentiality, with whom may you discuss the patients’ conditions.
2C: Treating patients in a fair and equitable manner.
2D: Documentation and who contributes to patient records.
2E: Legal implications and record keeping.
2F: Breaching confidentiality and why.
2G: Reflection of experience and what you have learnt.
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Care Delivery
Activity 3 and 4 - Accessing Health Care
3 and 4: Select patient in your care. Introduce yourself, ask about
patient’s experience of healthcare, find out who has access to records,
and ask patient why they think they are in hospital.
3A 4A: Write about patient’s condition referring to biology notes.
3B: Under supervision record TPR, BP and document.
4B: List nursing care planned.
3C: List 4 ways that aspects of the patient is documented.
4C: Observations and why necessary.
3D: List normal values of TPR and BP
4D: How are they recorded?
3E: Clinical Nursing and Skills Workbook - Observations
3/4F: Reflection and lessons learnt.
Activity 5 - Universal Precautions
5: Introduce yourself.
5A: Assist in patient care.
5B: Infection risks.
5C: Explain universal precautions.
5D: Clinical Nursing Skills Workbook - Prevention of Cross infection
5E: Reflection and lessons learnt.
Activity 6 - Manual handling
6: Introduce yourself.
6A: Manual handling risk assessment.
6B: Clinical Nursing Skills Workbook - Moving and Handling
6C: Immobility risk assessment.
6D: Reflection and lessons learnt.
Activity 7 – Nutrition
7: Introduce yourself. Assist in nutrition
7A: Nutrition for patients.
7B: Weigh patient.
7C: Why weigh?
7D: Urinalysis and record.
7E: Clinical Nursing Skills Workbook - Eating and Drinking
7F: Reflection and lessons learnt.
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Activity 8 – Hygiene
8: Assist in patients hygiene needs.
8A: Why is hygiene important?
8B: Factors affecting personal hygiene.
8F: Clinical Nursing Skills Workbook - Hygiene, bed making and bed rest.
8G: Reflection and lessons learnt.
Activity 9 - Elimination
9: Assist patient with elimination needs
9A: Urine and faeces investigations.
9B: Clinical Nursing Skills Workbook - Elimination of Urine and Faeces.
9C: Knowing patients elimination habits.
9D: Maintaining patients’ dignity and privacy.
9E: Reflection and lessons learnt.
Activity 10 - Cultural Differences
10A: Cultural needs of patient.
10B: Identify cultural needs and what are the differences?
10C: Specific dietary needs for 2 of these cultures.
10D: Reflection and lessons learnt.
Activity 11 - Medication and Signs and Symptoms
11A: Describe your patients’ condition.
11B: What are the symptoms?
11C: List patients’ medication.
11D: How is medication administered and nurses role.
11E: Recording administration.
11F: Select 2 drugs and reasons for prescribing.
11G: Reflection and lessons learnt.
Activity 12 - Communication Skills
12A: List your communication skills you are using.
12B: Other methods of communication.
12C: Communication amongst the team and others
12D: Reflection and lessons learnt.
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Activity 13 - Interpersonal skills
13A: Answering the telephone.
13B: Recording information.
13C: What information do you not give over the telephone?
13D: Other communication used.
13E: Reflection and lessons learnt.
Care Management
Activity 14 - Assessment and Discharge
14A: Why patient has been admitted referring to biology.
14B: Social assessment.
14C: Discharge planning and referrals.
14D: Patients psychological needs.
14E: Reflection and lessons learnt.
Activity 15 - Nursing Care
15A: Why does patient require care?
15B: Describe patients’ condition referring to biology.
15C: Attend a multidisciplinary meeting.
15D: Describe patients nursing care.
15E: Describe medical care and treatment.
15F: Reflection and lessons learnt.
Activity 16 - Emergency Situations
16A: Clinical Nursing Skills Workbook - Cardiopulmonary resuscitation CPR
16B: Where is resuscitation equipment?
16C: What is emergency number and role of student?
16D: What equipment does the trolley contain and why.
16E: Students role in an emergency situation.
16F: Signs and symptoms of a deteriorating patient.
16G: Reflection and lessons learnt.
Activity 17 - Administration of Medication
17A: Administer oral medication to 6 patients.
17B: Policy and procedures for drug administration.
17C: Disposal of sharps.
17D: Risk assessment in disposal of sharps.
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17E: Drug calculations.
17F: How you calculate drugs.
17G: Reflection and lessons learnt.
Activity 18 - European Computer Driving Licence
18: Complete ECDL pack.
18D: Provide mentor with copy of ECDL certificate.
Personal & Professional Development
Activity 19 - Interprofessional Practice.
19A: Care delivered by other disciplines of nursing in relation to patient
care.
19B: Outside factors affecting the welfare of the patient.
19C: Discuss with other students how their programme differs.
Activity 20 - Personal Development
20A: Areas of learning to be improved.
20B: New learning for year 2 and action plan.
20C: How did you seek help from mentors and assessors?
These guidance notes are to be used in conjunction with ‘Guidelines for
Mentors Supervising Student Nurses & Midwives Undertaking their Portfolio
of Practice Assessment’ [Dimmock,2006].
Adapted from guidelines developed by Anne Levington, Practice
Facilitator, Independent Sector.
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