ALSO SEE PART 2

College of Physiotherapists of New Brunswick 

PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO FOR PHYSIOTHERAPISTS

An Introductory Guide - Part 1

What is Competence? 

A cluster of related knowledge, attitudes, and skills that:
affects a major part of one's roles or responsibilities; 
correlates with performance on the job;
can be measured, against well-accepted standards; and
can be improved, via training and development.1

What is Continuing Competence? 

A dynamic process requiring:
lifelong learning;
incorporation of new skills and knowledge into your practice; and 
ongoing evaluation.

It promotes professional accountability and individual responsibility.


What is a Professional Portfolio?

It is a tool or a component of continuing competency which allows the collection of tangible evidence of competency and continuing competency.



CPTNB will continue to research and discuss various professional portfolio programs to determine the best approach for N.B. registrants. We will not be regularly collecting or reviewing them until and if, at some time in future, they become a component of an approved continuing competency program. We will be evaluating the experiences from other Colleges and information from our own registrants to determine how structured or unstructured the portfolio will be, as well as how, and how frequently, they may be reviewed. 


Annually and concurrently with licence renewals, each registrant will be required to declare they are collecting relevant information and maintaining their individual professional portfolio.




1. S.B. Parry, "Just What is a Competency"? Training, 35(4): pp.58-64 (1998) 
How do I get started? 

You should start to:

1. Identify, 

2. Collect, and 

3. Document

relevant materials that provide evidence of your competency as a physiotherapist, using your own judgement and following what the CPTNB suggests in its communications. 

You should choose a method of collection and a place to keep your portfolio. 

Examples: in binders, files, or a combination of electronic and hard copies; at home or at work. Ensure it can remain secure and confidential but readily accessible by you.

Make it a habit. At least annually, be sure to reflect, select and update it, but make it a habit to collect evidence and add notes, throughout the year. 

When am I required to develop a portfolio?

You are required to start by January, 2006. 


What does the CPTNB expect as the initial, minimal contents? 

At a minimum, your portfolio should include:

1. An updated, résumé or curriculum vitae (CV) 
2. A record of relevant professional development opportunities such as courses, workshops, presentations, reading, research, case scenarios and 
3. Documentation proving your participation/involvement.

You may also choose to include at the outset, such components as:

4. Learning Plan or Goals
5. Self-reflection components.

Review the accompanying pages to assist in developing your résumé and portfolio. 


We will provide further information in future communications. You are welcome to contact us and encouraged to discuss the portfolio among yours colleagues.
Professional Portfolio Contents - Examples

1. Credentials - PT degree, certifications (Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, Hand Therapy)
2. Professional registration certificate (CPTNB Licence/Membership Card)
3. Professional association membership card
4. Professional liability insurance certificate
5. Letters of Reference 
6. Job Description & Practice Setting Description
7. Résumé
a. Physiotherapy Professional Skills Development courses
b. Complementary Therapy Skills Development
c. Conferences attended
d. Workshops attended
e. Educational Institutes attended
f. Visiting lectures/teleconferences/telehealth/inservice education rounds attended
g. Committee work description 
8. Course certificates 
9. Student evaluation forms
10. Performance review
11. Chart audit scores
12. Cards/letters of appreciation from patients and employers
13. Journal articles reviewed
14. Notes re new program recently launched
15. Copy of the College's annual licence renewal form(s)

Writing Your Résumé
A résumé is a method of highlighting your skills, competencies and accomplishments and should be revised on a regular basis. Résumés may be created for different purposes depending on your career goals. You may already have a résumé, in which case you may simply place it in your portfolio. If you don't have one, some common types of résumés are decribed and a format for creating a résumé is provided. Be sure to highlight your accomplishments! 

The three most common types of résumés are:

1 Chronological
The easiest to read and most user friendly, this type records your education and work experiences in a chronological format, starting with the most recent and working backwards. It is a good choice if you are looking for a position similar to the one you currently hold. It is not recommended if you have gaps in your work history or you are changing careers.

2 Functional/Reverse Functional
This type of résumé is used to emphasize transferable skills rather than specific employment settings which may include gaps in employment. It is a good choice if you are looking for a career change or are a self-employed person and want to focus on competencies.

This résumé should be built around competency areas, e.g., clinical skills, professional leadership roles, administration roles, research roles, education roles, combinations of PT knowledge and skills with other competencies such as computer applications. A brief career summary as well as an education summary should also be included in this résumé.

3 Combination
Similar in format to the chronological, this résumé places more emphasis on recent experience. It is also easier to organize if you have had several different types of jobs.

10 Tips for developing an effective résumé:

1. Consider who your audience will be. Make your résumé user friendly and targeted!
2. Describe your key strengths. What do you do well? What makes you unique? Which of your competencies do you want to highlight? 
3. Emphasize and highlight your major accountabilities. What aspects of your position do you want to emphasize?
4. Describe accomplishments, not responsibilities. What have you done in the past gives employers clues and expectations about what you can do for them now and in the future. Use action verbs and highlight your competencies. 
5. Quantify your accomplishments wherever possible - use numbers, dollar figures, and percentages to dramatize your accomplishments and convey their significance. Describe patient caseloads, treatment timeframes, number of projects, number of subordinates or team members, profits/revenues, cost savings, time savings and so on.
6. Limit the scope of your résumé to the past 10 years. In general people want to know where you are and what your career focus is right now, along with some of the accomplishments that got you there. 
7. Keep all your statements short and easily understood. Look for ways to economize on words, for example using bulleted points that pack punch and can be easily absorbed by the reader.
8. In designing your résumé, use a lot of white space. It makes the document simpler to read and navigate. Also, it is better to minimize underlined words, words in all capital letters and italics as this formatting tends to be distracting. (Some word processing programs include résumé templates.)
9. Draft your résumé first, then revise it several times. All good writing happens in the rewriting. It is also a good idea to have objective colleagues review it for you.
10. Remember that like your portfolio, your résumé is a work in progress. Don't hesitate to revise your résumé to fit your objectives if they shift or change as you move forward in your career.


CPTNB thanks the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario for sharing this information.