Co-design of an e-portfolio for a postgraduate nursing program: A participatory action research study

Background: Work-integrated learning (WIL) is widely used in nursing education to support the application of theory to practice.In a postgraduate critical care nursing program, an electronic portfolio (e-portfolio) was used to guide WIL and clinical assessment; however, the need to improve the e-portfolio through codesign with users was recognised.Aim: To co-design an e-portfolio for a critical care nursing program that meets the needs and expectations of all stakeholders.Methods: The mixed-methods study used a participatory action research approach across four phases: observe, reflect, plan, and act.A survey explored student and assessor perceptions of usability, relevance, and learning experience with the e-portfolio.Results were discussed in focus groups using Claims, Concerns, and Issues, with thematic analysis of qualitative data.Findings: A total of 46 nurses responded to the survey (n = 31 students, n = 15 assessors).Most agreed that the e-portfolio was easy to use, relevant to specialty practice, and supported learning.Challenges included access, unclear instructions, and uncertainty about assessment expectations.Five focus group themes were as follows: barriers and enablers to use, clear and relevant clinical objectives and assessment expectations, flexibility for teaching and learning, operating the e-portfolio, and assessor support.Recommendations included improving access, instructions, clinical objectives, and assessor training.Discussion: Participants highlighted the value of the e-portfolio as a learning tool for postgraduate critical care nurses, although technological issues remained a key challenge.Conclusion: Participatory action research enabled the co-design of an e-portfolio that better addressed stakeholder needs within a postgraduate critical care nursing program, while identifying considerations for implementation.