Nursing

Best practice: Nursing portfolios exemplify professionalism

HCPro's Weekly Update on the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®*, July 7, 2009

The University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, KS, devised a six-part strategic plan to effect culture change, which helped the organization achieve patient satisfaction rates in the 91st percentile. It also resulted in an impressive turnover rate of around 10%, a committed and engaged staff, and ANCC Magnet Recognition Program® (MRP) status in 2006.  

Professionalism was one of the six strategies contained in the nursing strategic plan, which is especially important in designated organizations under Component III: Exemplary professional practice. The hospital exemplified this by creating professional portfolios.

All nurses at the hospital create their own portfolio, which is a mechanism for them to monitor and track their professional activities throughout the year, including continuing education participation, committee involvement, research activities, or presentations they have conducted.  The portfolios are a part of the annual review process and are also used by nurses when they interview for other positions within the hospital.

"We all have them," says Tammy Peterman, RN, MS, NEA-BC, executive vice president, chief operating officer, and CNO. "And it's good to do that because you find if you look back on a five-year time period you can't remember all the things you have done to help promote the profession of nursing. But this way you can."

Source: HCPro's Advisor to the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®, July issue. Don't have a subscription? Take a look at the benefits of becoming a member of HCPro's Resource Center for the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®.

Editor's note: Do you have a best practice you would like to share? E-mail them to senior managing editor Rebecca Hendren at rhendren@hcpro.com and see your name in print!

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