PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO

The Professional Portfolio contains the four steps of Continuous Quality Improvement or CQI:

1. Self-Assessment of your learning needs,
2. Planning your learning goal,
3. Implementation of your plan, and
4. Self-Evaluation of what you have achieved.

This process is designed to encourage Members to reflect in an effort to gain more from their learning.  Although the annual random selection determines which Members must submit their Professional Portfolios for assessment, all Members are required to complete the four-step process, documenting one (1) Learning Goal every 12-months.

The College assumes that Members are learning on a regular, if not daily, basis simply by virtue of practicing.  The Portfolio provides a format for Members to track all of those day-to-day learning activities in the Learning Log.  These activities might include:

• In-services
• Grand rounds
• Re-certifications such as BCLS, NRP or PALS
• In-hospital certifications such as arterial line insertions
• Reading respiratory-related journal articles
• Online searches on respiratory-related subjects
• Conferences
• Discussion with colleagues on respiratory-related topics

Members who are randomly selected will be asked to submit their Portfolios within 45 days.  An RT who has been trained as a Portfolio Reviewer will assess Members' submissions using the objective Assessment Criteria.

For further information about the Professional Portfolio or to request a Portfolio Workshop at your workplace, please contact Carole Hamp, Manager of Quality Assurance & Member Relations at hamp@crto.on.ca.

One of the areas with which Members often struggle is the Evaluation of their learning.  If you write your Goal as, "My Goal is to learn more about COPD" it can be difficult to determine when or if you have "learned more".  By describing what you will be able to do once you have achieved your Goal it becomes much easier to evaluate.  For example, if the Goal was worded as, "My Goal is to describe and apply respiratory rehab principles as they relate to patients with COPD" you would actually be able to describe some of the principles in your Portfolio and discuss how your practice has changed/evolved as a result of applying this new knowledge.

Another helpful idea is to apply the SMART acronym to your Goal writing.  Ask yourself if your Learning Goal is:

Specific  is your Goal focused on a particular subject?
Measurable  will you know when you have achieved your learning?
Achievable  can you do what you set out to?
Relevant/Reasonable is your Goal relevant to your practice or a reasonable choice?
Timely   is the subject of your Goal a current issue?

Here are some additional examples of Learning Goals re-written using the SMART format for your reference:

• Original Goal "I want to become certified in arterial line insertion."
  
  SMART Goal "My Learning Goal is to:
  
  • "describe the indications/contraindications of arterial line insertion,
  • "list the risks of the procedure and how to reduce them, and>
  • "safely demonstrate arterial line insertion.
  
  
• Original Goal "VAP"
  
  SMART Goal "My Learning Goal is to define Ventilator Associated Pneumonia  (VAP), and subsequently describe and apply preventive measures  to decrease incidents of VAP.
  
  
• Original Goal "This year I want to complete a pulmonary function lab orientation."
  
  SMART Goal "My Learning Goal is to describe testing protocols and demonstrate competency in performing pre and post spirometry, flow volume loops and methacholine challenges in the pulmonary function lab."
  

PORT now available for all Members!

Providing one convenient and secure location for you to capture your accomplishments, the Portfolio Online for Respiratory Therapists (PORT) sets the new standard for recording your professional development activities.

To access PORT click on the link: https://www.skilsure.net/skilsure_crto/

Enter your six digit CRTO number as your USERNAME. Then enter your date of birth in a six digit format (i.e. June 24, 2010 would be 240610) as your PASSWORD.

All Members are encouraged to take advantage of this new tool! The PORT submission deadline for Members who are randomly selected this fall will be December 31. Questions or comments can be directed to Janice Carson-Golden, Communications Co-ordinator or Carole Hamp, Manager of Quality Assurance and Member Relations. Please note that either the new PORT or the older Word version of the portfolio will be acceptable for submission in the 2010 random selection.