The NET2013 conference for heath professionals from across
the world was a fitting event at which I was able to talk about for the first
time, the recently announced acquisition of a majority share holding in this company
by the VIA partnership.
At the conference it was clear that there was substantial
interest in the presentation of the e-AoPP e-portfolio we have developed with
Southampton University, for the assessment of nurses, midwives and other health
care professionals when they are on placement. This interest was generated by
the early results from the roll out of the system which indicates that users
are finding it easy to use and difficulties accessing the system have been
overstated not least because of the range of devices being used to access it. The
quality of assessments are being enhanced because practice educators have more
time to reflect on their judgements and tutors are alerted when target dates in
the placement are not being met.
The e-AoPP also has an innovative way of capturing feedback
from other professionals and patients. They are invited by student nurse/midwife
to make a comment by e-mail and this is then seamlessly added to the correct
section in the portfolio.
The delivery of the project comes at a time when there is a national
interest in creating records of competence and linking these to the
introduction of national standards. There has been an announcement from the
Nursing and Midwifery Council today, confirming that nurses and midwives will
be required to gather and submit their evidence of their professional
development online.
As a result we find ourselves back at the place where the
company first started, which is to be engaged with a project that has the
potential to make a significant impact on the care delivered by nurses and
midwives.
Over 10 years ago we were contracted to deliver what became recognised
then, as the largest e-portfolio project in the world, which was the Learning
Zone created for the Royal College of Nursing. It was a visionary project designed
to enable nurses to meet their regulatory requirement. For various external and
internal reasons its impact was not as great as first hoped. Being involved in
the work with Southampton and seeing its potential has brought us back to what
has often felt like unfinished business.
At the time we created the Learning Zone we had access to
the resources of our then parent company Axia Netmedia Corporation. It is therefore
fitting, as we stand on the brink of developing similar work, we have again
formed a partnership with a larger company and we now finally have the
opportunity to close the circle.
