Introducing an online portfolio for practice placement assessment for nurses
Authors: Donaldson, I., Stainer, L. and Cooper, K.
Conference: RCSI Faculty for Nursing and Midwifery’s 40th Annual International Nursing and Midwifery Research and Education Conference, entitled Meeting the Needs of Modern Healthcare.
Dates: 23 February-3 March 2021
Abstract:Introducing an online portfolio for practice placement assessment for nurses; Ian Donaldson principal academic; Lucy Stainer senior lecturer; Karen Cooper lecturer in adult nursing at Bournemouth University.
Practice assessment in undergraduate nursing programmes is still predominantly print based. This presentation will describe the successful implementation of an Online Practice Assessment for Learning (OPAL) portfolio at Bournemouth University from 2015. The project started as a pilot for a new intake of 75 pre-registration students on the adult nursing programme, before being rolled out to approximately 1,200 pre-registration students from three fields of nursing.
OPAL was found to improve accessibility to information, consistency of feedback and clarity of documentation, and has helped to support the implementation of new student supervision and assessment standards set by the UK’s Nursing and Midwifery Council. https://www.nursingtimes.net/roles/nurse-educators/introducing-an-online-portfolio-for-practice-placement-assessments-20-01-2020 The presentation will highlight some of the benefits of introducing online assessment. These include increased quality and quantity of feedback; increased identification of future learning for student (feed forward); all comments and reviews readable and easily verified; greater flexibility as tool available 24/7 to everyone involved with student and assessment process; all documents digitally signed; increased comments by students on interviews, reflection and future learning; access for tutors to the student’s portfolio while on placement and enhanced reporting/moderation.
Moving from a paper-based system to an online practice assessment can pose several challenges but adopting a staged implementation process and using existing practice assessment documentation facilitated the process and helped ensure the project’s success. OPAL is now firmly embedded in all our undergraduate nursing programmes. It is also now being used by Midwifery and all other Allied Health Professions courses.
The University now has a secure, sustainable system that has improved accessibility, engagement and documentation, as well as saving in resources and time.
https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/35239/
Source: Manual
Introducing an online portfolio for practice placement assessments
Authors: Donaldson, I., Stainer, L. and Cooper, K.
Journal: Nursing Times
Volume: 116
Issue: 2
Pages: 59-62
ISSN: 0954-7762
Abstract:Practice assessment within nursing programmes has been predominately print-based. This paper explores the challenges learnt when implementing an Online Practice of Assessment and Learning Portfolio (OPAL) within a UK University. The project started as a pilot to 75 adult nursing students and then rolled out to approximately 1200 undergraduate pre-registration nursing students from three fields of nursing. Benefits the team found, related to accessibility, consistency of feedback and clarity of documentation. OPAL will provide an easy transition of supporting the new roles of practice supervisor, practice assessor and academic assessors - Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) Standards for future supervision and assessment - with easy access to record practice supervisor feedback and practice assessors decisions on students’ progress, proficiency and achievement.
https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/35239/
Source: BURO EPrints