ePortfolio (supported) Route Submission Checklist – updated November 2023

Introduction

This ePortfolio submission checklist has been designed to help applicants and educational supervisors ensure that the ePortfolio is complete prior to submission for verification by an ePortfolio reviewer [1].  Centre for Advancing Practice (the Centre) independent reviewers also use the checklist as part of the integrity check and by the panel to ensure quality and standardisation of submissions across applicants and education providers.

The role of the applicant

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that:

• All elements of the ePortfolio are complete and meet the requirements set out in the ePortfolio (supported) Route Applicants Guidance, available on the Applicant Notice Board.
• The evidence they want their educational supervisors to see is linked to at least one capability.
• That the evidence file names follow the Centre’s naming convention. (available on the Applicant Notice Board).
• The critical narrative is complete, has been proofread, includes appropriate references, and links to the included evidence. Each reference to the evidence should appear as a number in the text of the critical narrative with a list appearing at the end of the document (see appendix 1).
• That the core evidence determined at the Learning Needs Analysis (LNA) stage with the educational supervisor has been included, such as completed academic modules.

Education provider: supervisors and reviewers

Volume of evidence

Where an applicant has submitted significantly more evidence than the recommended e.g.:

• 2 to 3 pieces of evidence per capability, acknowledging that one piece of evidence can be linked to more than one capability and that where the evidence is particularly strong, for example a current level 7 module or structured in such a way on the portal to include a number of attachments, one piece of evidence might be sufficient.
• 4 – 6 different pieces per pillar.

Educational supervisors should review the essential evidence first if this is sufficient to a) demonstrate that a capability has been met, b) show that there has been a sufficient range, quantity, and quality of supporting evidence, then the additional documents do not need to be reviewed in depth.

Missing or incomplete evidence

When being reviewed by the education provider, if either the educational supervisor or the ePortfolio reviewer completing the verification check find missing or incomplete evidence, the ePortfolio can be returned to the applicant for completion. This process should be completed prior to the verification form being uploaded to the Centre’s SharePoint site. Once the verification form is uploaded, the ePortfolio will be subject to integrity checks prior to being reviewed/sampled by the Centre’s panel.

Submission Checklist

The following documents must be included in the ePortfolio (for examples and further detail of requirements please see ‘Applicant’s Guidance’ document, section 5.1, page 9):  

Document	Included (Y/N)	Evidence code	Peer reviewed (Y/N)
Completed LNA form.			NA
The required evidence of learning against the development plan agreed within the LNA (if required).
Critical narrative of a minimum 3,500 words up to a maximum of 5,000 words.		NA	NA
At least two critical reflective case studies related to the clinical practice pillar of a minimum 800 words each.
At least two critical reflective accounts related to the other pillars of a minimum of 800 words each.
A confirmed record that the applicant’s advanced practice competence/ clinical capabilities have been assessed as being met by an appropriate health professional.
The applicant’s current advanced practitioner job description (on headed paper).			NA
The applicant’s current curriculum vitae (upload to the ‘other evidence’ section of Portal to allow for peer review)
At least two pieces of feedback from a colleague.
At least two pieces of feedback from a patient/service user or carer.
Evidence of leadership skills (see guidance document for examples).
Summary account of team leadership episode.
Evidence of delivering education/training either formal or informal (i.e., non-certificated).
Evidence of applying research in practice.
Evidence of undertaking or significant involvement in/contribution to audit, service improvement, practice development and quality improvement.
Evidence of colleague permission to share personal details that are not publicly available.

Other questions for the applicant/educational supervisor to consider before submitting the ePortfolio for verification:

Question	Yes/No	Comment
Have all the 38 capabilities across the four pillars been met and shown in the capability matrix?
Has the essential evidence been confirmed by a peer reviewer (via the portal) as being accurate and authentic? (Peer review is not needed where the evidence has gone through a formal assessment process, or been peer reviewed prior to publication).
Has the applicant provided sufficient range, quantity, and quality of supporting evidence?
Is the evidence appropriately aligned to the right capability?
Has the ePortfolio ensured the anonymity and confidentiality of other (including parents, carers colleagues and students) and complies with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements?
Has the GDPR statement been signed by the applicant and uploaded to their Portal?
Overall does the critical narrative and supporting evidence demonstrate at the threshold level sufficient depth, breadth, synthesis and integration of learning and development to demonstrate fulfilment of the capabilities across all pillars of the multi-professional framework (Multi-professional framework for advanced clinical practice in England, 2017)

Appendix 1: Example of Critical Narrative Text with Evidence References

Evidence referencing within the text:

“The advanced Nurse practitioner is at the front of autonomous practice, I believe my case studies [E8, E9, E10], significant safeguarding event [E11], further reflections [E6, E13] and leading on care demonstrate [C6, E16] that I am working autonomously, but seek help when required, ensuring safe practice (HEE 2017, 1.2). The significant event on safeguarding [E11] specifically shows coping with unpredictable and changing events as part of my current practice, which is the required standard of an advanced nurse.

NB: Please note this is an example of referencing style, not content.

Evidence referencing at the end the critical narrative

C6: Trust 2: Advanced Nurse Practitioner Job Description and witness statement [portal weblink to evidence – job description]

E6: CR: L7 module Tripartite assessment and reflection  [portal weblink to evidence]

E8: CS: Three case studies: Neuro, Paediatric, Skin [portal weblink to evidence]

E9: CS: 74-year-old female with back pain [portal weblink to evidence]

E10: CS: 4-year-old with acute asthma [portal weblink to evidence]

E11: REFL/FB: Significant event – reflection and witness statement from senior colleague [portal weblink to evidence]

E13: REFL: Critical Reflection on Home Visit [portal weblink to evidence]

E16: REFL/Leader: Reflection on leadership skills in practice [portal weblink to evidence]

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Footnotes

[1] A ePortfolio reviewer is an educational supervisor from the same Education Provider who has not been involved in the support of the applicant in developing their ePortfolio

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank those education providers who collaborated in the development of this submission checklist.

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