Writing your NQP portfolio: hacks and tips

Time certainly has flown since my last article in the January issue, and I am now 5 months into my job with the London Ambulance Service. During these months, I have completed exams, courses and an operational placement, easing me into the new responsibilities of being a paramedic. But no amount of study or caffeine can help prepare you for shift work.

In order to assist newly qualified paramedics (NQPs) with personal development and confidence in our new role as a paramedic, a 2-year consolidation period was created in the form of our gradual completion of a portfolio. This portfolio was compiled by multiple organisations within the UK ambulance service and allows NQPs to evidence practice through reflection and learning outcomes. Completion allows the NQP to become a Band 6 paramedic. I am still getting to grips with it but have already learned a few valuable lessons, which I hope will aid any NQP or students who are about to graduate.