Patchwork Portfolio Guidance Assignment

Structure

You can structure it how you want, this is an example:

You might do a brief introduction including key words

Explain how you found the evidence

• Include your search terms, refer to picture/table/PICO/search hits. You should include inclusion and exclusion criteria for your search. Show us how you found/ got to your key papers.

Explain how you did an appraisal

• Use appropriate appraisal tools and say why you chose it them

Your reasoned discussion

• Identify themes (topics that occur in your evidence/ key papers).
• You may weave in important findings from the evidence and important parts of the appraisal.

A brief conclusion/summary of main points from your literature review

You can use a key papers table if you wish (on blackboard in specific patch guidance folder in assignments folder), this is supporting document, counted in the words. You can include it with this patch rather than at the end. You may choose to put one in an appendix There is no set number of key papers you choose, it's about quality of your discussion not quantity (number of articles). It will depend on your idea and what evidence you've found etc. Quality is important, it's how you use the references and do your discussions, rather than focusing on how many papers.

You will be weaving the information from the articles together in a discussion rather than doing an annotated bibliography discussing them one after the other.

Themes (topics)-

You can consider the evidence in themes (common topics/ areas you've noticed coming up in the key papers) weaving in main findings from your evidence and main points from your appraisal. The themes (common topics) (if you choose to structure your discussion this way) are main areas coming up from your key papers. As you read your evidence you'll get a feel for the main threads coming up, maybe across a few pieces of evidence, main topics that are consistent, that stand out.

You may not specifically use themes (common topics) to structure your discussion, and do a overall reasoned discussion, this should have flow and structure, keep focused on the learning outcomes. You could use subheadings in the patch if you wish, it is up to you. Have a nosy at some literature/ integrative/ scoping review articles and see how they've written their discussion, these are good examples of finding the themes (topics) and discussing the evidence, weaving in critical appraisal. You will find some on BlackBoard. Do remember these are often huge pieces of work, you are writing at level 6 not doctorate level. Grey literature- grey is anything other than journal articles or books, so you could look for dissertations not published in journals, they're really interesting, there are databases on the library pages for these. You'll be discussing journal articles more in this patch. Government reports, policy, NICE guidance etc. are grey literature too, they may come more in to patch 1. This patch is a specific critical appraisal of the evidence base of your idea so is different from patch 1 which is the drivers/ reasons for your ideal change and main documents relevant. This is about the evidence showing your idea is effective/ a good one.

PICO-

the search terms tables or PICO are included in your words. You can include a PICO table or a search terms table (see literature reviews for examples).

You can write the whole portfolin in 1st person, and should in potches where you reflecting. However, more developed writing will be in third person apart from in reflection Be mindful to underpin your work with references sill to show level 6 study and meet the LOs, sometimes writing in 1st person can become very descriptive, all your own opinions Use first person in parts or all of patches 5 and 6 where you are reflecting. Saying 'the author will consider... can be clunky, so you can say, this portfolio will consider... etc.

Part 1

Learning outcomes 2 and 3

Patch 1

Identification and rationale for Idea 1000 words

Patch 1 is kind of like an introduction (although you will do a very brief introduction to the whole portfolio- see general summary above). It introduces your idea and gives a summary of main points.

Identify your project idea- What you are changing/ tweaking/ innovating/ enhancing/ What is the rationale for your idea? Give a summary of main points, what are the key improving/introducing/ bringing from one area to another?

Questions to think about: Is it to enhance quality and/ or safety of care, improve outcomes or reasons and drivers? What key documents support this. reduce risk? Is it for staff, student. patient, carer, family, organisational and/ or financial benefit? Is there a need for your idea? Is there evidence that your idea could work in practice?

You can do it as a written piece or on a powerpoint etc. Or you can use the project initiation document (PID). You don't have to use PID, it's an example. If you use it please include evidence. Not all parts will be appropriate to your idea so you don't need to include them, if using this you should include references in it just like in an essay or PowerPoint. It's https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/qsir-project-initiation-document.pdf

Patch 2

Literature review including critical appraisal of the evidence base (of your chosen Idea) 3500 words

Patch 2 is a critical appraisal of the evidence base and a really good way of meeting LO2 and showing level 6 study.

Essentially you will be doing three things:

1. Finding evidence
2. Appraising the evidence
3. Putting together a discussion on what you found from the evidence and appraisal

Patch 2 is one of the biggest patches and may seem like a lot to do, to reassure you though you've probably started doing bits already by looking for evidence when thinking about your ideas, so may have done more than you think. It could be the hardest patch, it's probably a new way of writing for you. Have a nosy at the guidance and module materials there are a load of resources on how to search the evidence base and write critically.

Tools-

You can use any critical appraisal tool/s. You can say you used CASP etc., and why (with evidence), then in the discussion you can weave in points that came up from the appraisal of the articles. So you will put together a reasoned discussion or talk about the topics you identified from the articles, key information about the articles and weave in some elements of CASP (or other tools). That's showing really good level 6 study Have a nosy at scoping reviews or literature review articles and how they do this for examples You can choose the most appropriate critical/quality appraisal checklist/ tools, one's that you can make sense of and understand, we all have our preferences.

When you're reading pieces of evidence/articles it'll usually say what type of methodology t is in the abstract, anything with interviews is usually qualitative, and anything with stats/ numbers are usually quantitative, if they are randomised control trials (RCTs) it will say, if it's both qual and quan it's probably mixed methodology. Please access the module materials to help with this. You can make reference to what's good and limited about these types of studies and reference the hierarchy of evidence.

The tools essentially get you thinking about what the strengths and weakness are (what is good and not so good- appraisal) about the articles, and not just thinking they are perfect and free from limitations. Helpfully a lot of articles have a limitation section

This is a link to CASP- https://casp-uk.net/casp-tools-checklists/ There are other tools in the module materials. Pick one you like that makes sense to you. You would do an appraisal of each key paper (piece of evidence) you've chosen.

Module materials - there are the searching evidence materials, PICO materials, critical appraisal session, links to critical appraisal tools and how to review a paper. There are materials on critical and academic writing and synthesis. Also resources on writing in the assignment folder, which will all help with this patch. Rewatch the session on how to conduct a literature review or the MAGS session for patch two to help you.

Patch 3

Application/ relevance of your idea in contemporary nursing practice (within your chosen field) 500 words

This patch is all about application to current nursing practice so it's how your idea links with practice. So what is going on in current nursing practice that links to your project, and how does your idea link in with the NMC code and proficiencies. A lot of you will link to the NMC for person centred care probably, also think about the four areas of the code, where does your idea sit, and which parts of the proficiencies, you can say which part like 2.2 etc.

You could break it up into parts if that helps, 150 words ish on each bit. But you can do it how you like. There may be cross over between these sections and that's fine.

1. How does your idea link to current nursing practice?
2. How does your idea link to NMC code and proficiencies?
3. What does it mean to be a nurse within your field in this day and age and why that is so important in relation to innovation and research, and to your project? Link to the importance of evidence based practice and research informed care.

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