Nursing Portfolio Resources and Help

Nursing E-Portfolio FAQ

Q: Why do I need to create a portfolio?

• To demonstrate you met your learning outcomes
• To complete the program (required in your last class)
• Sometimes potential employers like to see your portfolio
• Some graduate schools require it in the admission process

Q: What program are we using to create our portfolios?

You are using the Google Sites program. It is a Google product for building websites

Q: Where is my portfolio after I create it?

Your portfolio is stored in your Google Drive and can be accessed either from there or from Google Sites. Both are in your UMFK Portal LaunchPad.

Q: I don’t understand why my portfolio is in two places (Sites and Google Drive). Can you explain?

Your portfolio is really only stored in Google Drive just like where all your other files are stored. However, Google created a place to show your “sites” in one place, very much like Google Docs and Google Sheets. Think of Google Drive being the file cabinet and each drawer within the file cabinet represents Docs, Sheets, and Sites.

Q: When I preview my Microsoft files in Google Drive to make sure I have the right one before I insert them into my portfolio, they don’t look right. Do I have to recreate them in the appropriate Google Apps?

No. Google Drive is just a storage place. You can trust that the Microsoft files you created and stored there are just fine. Preview mode just gives you a quick look but may not apply the correct formatting. Your file is still fine though. If you really want to be sure, download and open them on a computer that has the Microsoft applications. They will look the same as when you created them.

Q: What artifacts do I use?

• You can find a list in the portfolio guidelines (found in Appendix C).
• You can use any artifacts that show your competence in a particular area.

Q: What are artifacts?

This is what we call the documents, spreadsheets, posters, or any type of item you use in your portfolio

Q: What do I do on the front page?

Introduce yourself, add a picture, make the page welcoming, include your contact info, talk about yourself

Q: Where are the learning outcomes?

You will find the Learning Outcomes under the “Pages” header in the portfolio. On each Outcome page, you will find the Outcome description.

Q: What format should the artifacts be in?

• Mostly pdf unless you want to keep the original format, for example, you may want to have your instructors see the full PowerPoint rather than slides as a pdf.
• If you have to scan an artifact, do not scan multiple-page artifacts into individual image files (jpg, png, etc.). A multiple-page artifact, or any artifact for that matter that you need to scan, should be uploaded as a single pdf.
• Do not use .pages (Mac word doc). Convert to pdf instead.

Q: Can I use my artifacts more than once in my portfolio?

Try not to use your artifacts more than once. An exception might be a big project like the Community Health Assessment project, which could cover Teamwork and Collaboration as well as Communication.

Q: Once the artifacts are in my portfolio, then what?

Beside each artifact, write a short narrative about how the artifact demonstrates your competence, what did you learn, and how did it help you? What was your experience?

Q: How do I know if I have completed an Outcome page?

• You will have written an overall narrative
• You will have added your artifacts
• You will have written a short narrative about each artifact

Q: How many artifacts per outcome do I need?

• For BSN and Accelerated students – minimum two artifacts per Outcome
• For RN to BSN – minimum one artifact per Outcome
• All students can have more than the minimum

Q: What if I don’t have an artifact for a particular outcome?

If you don’t have an artifact, talk about how your experience helped you gain competence. How did your experience help you meet your outcome? make sure to put something. Do not leave the page blank.

Q: What do I put into the “Other” folder?

You can put such things as Certificates, Dean’s List letters, Invitation to Nursing Honor Society, BLS card, ACLS card, or other items you want to have in your portfolio but don’t quite fit into the outcomes. If you don’t put anything in it, delete the page. Don’t leave blank.

Q: Who reviews my portfolio when I am done?

• BSN and Accelerated students – the instructor for NUR497C will review your portfolio
• RN to BSN students – the instructor for NUR456 will review your portfolio
• Make sure restricted access is changed for both the portfolio and the artifacts in Google Drive so reviewers can see/access these (If you followed the instructions on the main page of the Nursing Portfolio and Resources guide, you will only need to have changed the access to the folder that the portfolio and all artifacts are in).

Q: Who do I go to for questions about the content of the portfolio?

Ask your instructor

Q: Who do I go to for technical questions?

Sofia Birden in the library sbirden@maine.edu or Leslie Kelly lesliek@maine.edu

Artifacts are not showing up in the portfolio for others

When you have some artifacts showing up and some not, the following are possible reasons and how to fix:

Reason 1: The artifact has not had the restricted access changed. 

Fix: Go into the Google Drive where your artifacts are and while using the "Share" feature, change the restricted access of your artifacts to University of Maine System. If you used your personal Google Account, you would change the restricted access to "anyone with a link" can view or "Public."

If you created a folder for all your artifacts as described in Step 1 on the main page, then you only have to change the restricted access of the folder.

Reason 2: The artifact is one created by someone else and shared with you.

Fix 1: In Google Drive, make a copy of the artifact and move it to your portfolio folder. Then, in your portfolio, delete the artifact that's there and replace it with the one you copied (that is now owned by you). Once you do this, you may need to review and republish your site.

Fix 2 (not advisable): Contact the owner of the shared artifact and ask them to change the restricted access to anyone in the University of Maine System with a link can access. This fix is not advisable because at any time the owner can delete the artifact or change the access back to restricted. 

Your portfolio is viewable by others, but not your artifacts

Reason 1: You don't have your artifacts in the same folder as your portfolio as described on the home page of this guide:

Fix 1: You can move the artifacts to the folder if you set one up based on the instructions in this guide.

Fix 2: If your artifacts are not in a folder, you can change the restricted access to each artifact so that anyone in the UMS with a link can view

Fix 3: If you didn't create a folder already, you can create one, change the restricted access to it, then move all your artifacts to the folder.

Reason 2: You haven't changed the restricted access to your artifacts

Fix: See bullets above

If you need to know how to change the restricted access, see this quick view video that shows how to change it for a folder. Same instructions apply for both artifacts and folders. You can also review the longer video found on the Videos page.

Moving from personal Google account to university account

When you try to switch from your personal account to your university account, the system still sees you in your personal account.

Reason: unknown

Fix: Log out of your personal account, then log into your university account. If you still see that you are logged into your personal account, you may be able to switch accounts while you are trying to manage your portfolio (move files, upload, etc.). You do this by clicking on your image in the top right corner of your Google Drive, and either add account if you haven't already, or switch to your other account if you already added it.

Portfolio is not accessible or missing updated content

Your portfolio is viewable for some but not for others

Reason: You have only shared your portfolio with specific people

Fix 1: Change the restricted access to your portfolio so that anyone in the UMS with a link can view

Fix 2: Move your portfolio into your folder with your artifacts and make sure the restricted access of the folder is set as in the first bullet.

You have updated your portfolio but others are not seeing the updates

Reason: You need to "Review and Publish" your portfolio

Fix: Click on the down arrow next to the Publish button and then click on "Review and publish." Doing so will allow you to see the draft, review it, and then publish the changes. It also allows others to see the updated version.

Artifacts must be downloaded to view

One or more of your artifacts must be downloaded

Reason: The artifact is too large to view within the portfolio

Fix: Replace the artifact with an image of it (such as the first page of the artifact), then click on the image to have options open above it. Within those options, a paperclip will appear. Click on the paperclip and insert the link to your artifact stored in your Google Drive. Once this is done, anyone should be able to click the link to view rather than download.

There are empty boxes on my pages

Previewing the portfolio shows there are empty boxes on some or all of the pages

Reason: There are two box templates on every portfolio page for inserting artifacts and reflections. Sometimes you only need one artifact and reflection on the page(s). If you only use one, the second one is still there and empty. 

Fix: Delete any unused boxes on the pages. 

(side-note: make sure to always preview your guide. Doing so allows you to see what your professor and others will see. You will see the empty boxes as well as any other issues that you may want to fix)

If you don't see the problem you may be having, please contact Sofia Birden or Leslie Kelly.