The landscape of learning and CPD has changed dramatically. over the past 10 years. The days of hand-writing a 12,000-word dissertation, and trying to find a plastic wallet which hasn’t' been ripped, are now just a distant memory for many learners.
The NMC's new revalidation practice promises to push the healthcare more into the 21st century than ever before. Make sure you don't get left behind, here's why it's time to give paper the push when it comes to your revalidation portfolio:
Flexibility
With an eportfolio you can be as creative (or as un-creative as you like!) it's a great way to drip feed a little bit of personality into your work. Most systems come with easily customisable titles, image, and fonts - meaning you can create a portfolio which truly reflects you and your practice.
Security
Paper can't be password protected. Given the nature of the documents stored within your eportfolio, it is important they are kept safe and secure. Using an eportfolio will ensure your work is secure and private. Most systems will only allow your work to be viewed by others if you choose to share it.
Portability
Access your work anytime, anywhere and on any device. Your e-portfolio can easily be accessed from a Tablet and Smartphone meaning you can record and update your progress as you go.
The majority of systems also include a free app, meaning you can update on the go from the staff room, back of the bus or at home on the sofa. In our world, the PebblePad app has offline working capability meaning you can continue working wherever you are – even without an internet connection!
Should you be selected to submit your portfolio to the NMC, most e-portfolios have an ‘easy export to PDF’ button meaning you can send off your portfolio in just a few clicks (no stamps required!)
Structured
Most systems come with pre-loaded templates meaning you can easily make sure you are capturing all the correct information for your revalidation. However they also make it easy to create and add other resources, should you wish too. Online and cloud-based portfolio systems also automatically tally up how many CPD hours you have completed, and how many of them were participatory.
Reuseable
Creating your portfolio online will enable you to reuse it in the future. This could be a learning tool for future appraisals, for making and updating your CV and as an excellent resource to share at any future job interviews.
Shareable
If you want to share your progress with colleagues or as part of your appraisal process, you can easily share your work online. You can share this even if your peer doesn’t use the same eportfolio system.