Student nurses’ knowledge, skills and attitudes towards the use of portfolios in a school of nursing

Aims. The aims of this study are to examine the knowledge, skills and attitudes of student nurses about the value and purpose of portfolios and their relevance for professional development. Background. Portfolios have become an integral aspect of student centred learning within nursing. The literature is generally positive about the benefits of portfolios but questions remain about their effective implementation. Method. A questionnaire was used to survey student nurses about the use of portfolios as a learning tool. The questionnaire was developed specifically for this study and was structured around a knowledge skills and attitude framework. Results. The sample was 413 preregistration student nurses in one school of nursing in the UK across course, year of study and branch of nursing. The main findings reveal that students are unclear but positive about the purpose and use of portfolios. Specifically, academic tutors do not provide sufficient direction in the development of their portfolios. There is also evidence that students found portfolios more useful for exploring the ‘art’ of nursing, rather than the ‘technical’ skills of nursing. Students also reported that they would welcome a dedicated portfolio module. Conclusion. Students struggle with what is useful about portfolios and are unsure about its purpose. Nonetheless, they are positive towards portfolios as a learning tool and seem to acknowledge the usefulness of portfolios for professional development. Relevance to clinical practice. The importance of portfolios for professional development is now being emphasized but how academic tutors and clinical mentors support their development remains unclear. This study provides understanding about what support students would value.