This is a summary of your professional growth and achievements during your BSN program.    This is a summary of who you are as a professional. The other documents in the portfolio are there to support and validate what you will say about who you are and what you’ve achieved.  So it is important throughout this summary to refer the reader to specific artifacts (documents) in your portfolio as “evidence” of what you are saying. Name them. An artifact can be anything – an abstract, a task, your resume, a certificate, the Professional Reference Questionnaire.

·        It is often easiest to write this summary after you have written the other abstracts.

·        Use headings to separate items a through f.

·        Don’t worry about the length of this abstract. Most students take 3-4 pages because item B2d will take a lot of space if you list or bullet the outcomes, which we recommend.

Taskstream Directions:

2.  Complete a professional summary (suggested length of 3–4 pages) that includes the following:

a.  Explain how the specific artifacts and/or completed work in your portfolio represent you as a learner and a healthcare professional.

Rubric Prompt A2a. The candidate provides a logical explanation, with substantial detail, of how the specific artifacts in the portfolio represent the candidate as a learner and a healthcare professional. 

Refer the reader to at least two specific artifacts (documents) in your portfolio that represent you as a learner and also that show you in a professional nurse role. Identify two things that are in your portfolio for which your knowledge or skill was greatly improved as a result of the task or coursework. 

        b.  Discuss how the specific artifacts in your portfolio represent your professional strengths.

Rubric Prompt A2b. The candidate provides a logical discussion, with substantial detail, of how the specific artifacts in the portfolio represent the candidate’s professional strengths. 

State at least two professional strengths that you have. To identify these, think about how you provide care.  What is it that you do really well as a nurse? Refer the reader to specific documents in your portfolio that showcase those strengths, or describe how those strengths were needed to accomplish that work.

c.  Discuss any challenges you encountered during the progression of your program, if applicable.

Rubric Prompt A2c. The candidate provides a logical discussion, with substantial detail, of any challenges encountered during the progression or the candidate did not encounter any challenges during the progression of the program.

What are at least two challenges you experienced in getting through the BSN program? Students have described anything from not having good computer skills to personal life challenges, to time management or difficulty with specific courses.  What were yours? 

d.  Explain how your coursework helped you meet each of the nine nursing program outcomes.

Rubric Prompt A2d. The candidate provides a logical explanation, with substantial detail, of how the coursework helped meet each of the 9 nursing program outcomes. 

Bullet or number the nine BSN program outcomes found in the Nursing Conceptual Model. The link is embedded in the Course of Study.  Number or bullet them. Identify each with just a key word or two. There is no need to cut and paste the entire outcome statement. For example:   1. Effective communication.

 For each outcome, use 1-3 sentences to describe which courses, tasks or learning activities showed that you were demonstrating that outcome.  These can be from any courses in your BSN program, and do not have to be linked to the artifacts in your portfolio. For example, you could refer to DPV1 Care of +the Older Adult as an example of a course that helped you meet one of the outcomes, even though work from that course is not in the portfolio. 

The WGU Bachelor's Degree in Nursing program graduate will:

1.      Communicate effectively in oral, written, interpersonal and electronic modes.

2.      Use clinical reasoning to provide safe, quality, nursing care based on the best available evidence and ethical principles.

3.      Assume accountability for providing and ensuring safe, efficient, quality care congruent with ethical, professional, and legal standards.

4.      Synthesize theoretical, clinical, and empirical knowledge from nursing, scientific, community and humanistic disciplines within the practice of nursing.

Synthesizes theoretical and empirical knowledge drawing from the arts and sciences to understand the human experience as a social advocate, and professional nurse.

5.      Provide compassionate, patient-centered care to individuals, families, and communities from a variety of cultures across the lifespan.

6.      Apply leadership and education skills to engage others in creating and promoting a healing environment for continued self-improvement.

7.      Engage in inter-professional collaboration to improve safety and quality of healthcare.

8.      Incorporate knowledge of genomics and genethics into the care of patients, families and communities.

9.     Use information technology to communicate, mitigate error and make decisions related to the provision of patient care and support incorporation of nursing knowledge in the development of patient care technology.

e.  Analyze how you fulfilled the following roles during your program:

•  scientist

•  detective

•  manager of the healing environment

Rubric Prompt A2e. The candidate provides a plausible analysis, with substantial support, of how the given roles were fulfilled during the program.

Examine how WGU defines the three roles of professional nursing. These are in the Nursing Conceptual Model. Then devote a short paragraph to each role, again referring to specific courses tasks, or learning activities where you were demonstrating that role.

f.  Discuss how you have grown professionally since the beginning of your program.

Rubric Prompt A2f. The candidate provides a logical discussion, with substantial detail, of how the candidate has grown professionally since the beginning of the program.

Reflect on the state of your nursing skills and knowledge at the point where you entered the WGU program. What was not very strong? What knowledge did you lack?  Now, at the end of your program, which skills and knowledge have been strengthened?  Give at least two examples of your personal growth and learning that has occurred.