How can I demonstrate that I have achieved competence in the skills required prior to graduation? What evidence do I need to provide?
We require the following evidence to demonstrate your competence:
Sign-off Sheets from the Competencies Handbook which you receive at the start of Year 4 and Final Year:
We ask that you scan (or take a high quality digital image with phone or tablet) and upload the appropriate sign off sheets to your eFolio. The sign-off sheets require signatures and the professional registration numbers of the staff doing the sign off. When this number is not available we request that you add the person’s job title, ward or department and setting (Hospital or Trust) so that they can be contacted if necessary.
In addition we ask that you complete any external modules detailed on the appropriate sign off sheets (e.g. for Blood transfusion). Please print off the certificate issued at end of module or take a screen shot of results page and upload this together with your sign off sheet to your eFolio. Instructions on how to access theses modules can be found on the approprate sign off sheet.
You will also receive certificates (both paper and electronic) for on-line Trust Induction modules, BLS and on-line learning modules; you can upload these where appropriate if you wish but it is not compulsory. These can act as additional evidence to demonstrate that you have achieved skills and add some external validity to an eFolio skill marked as ‘Competent’.
Reflections are not compulsory, but are valuable to include.
Reflections on your experiences gaining competence can include context, learning points and perhaps future learning needs for that skill. Why not describe what you have done and experienced as far as possible and upload anything that you feel is relevant where you can.
You may find it helpful to include these in addition to the sign-off sheets as it helps to give a more detailed picture of your learning journey and helps you prepare for future practice.
You could describe and reflect on a clinical encounter in which you undertook which resulted in you being signed off as competent. For example, if you have clerked a patient, gained IV access, taken blood and sent this off to the labs, set up fluids (all the tasks you will need to perform as a Foundation doctor), you could describe this, briefly commenting on any difficult or challenging aspects, or learning points for the future. This is sometimes described as ‘naturally occurring evidence’ – it is simply a means of capturing your learning experience and making it explicit. You may also choose to scan and upload an anonymised ECG which you have performed, discussing some aspect of taking and interpreting it. Ask yourself which aspects you found challenging, and consider why that might have been. This is far more useful than a ‘tick box’ list as we hope you will agree and a more educational approach, which offsets the tendency of ‘tick box culture’. We would like to encourage a culture of independent thought, reasoning and reflection.
Many students in the past have provided some excellent entries which were both descriptive and reflective. Practising this skill will help prepare you for the ePortfolio you will use during Foundation Training. Further information about reflection and examples of good effective practice can be found in the Resources Section or in appropriate FAQs.