Any suggestions to actually make "Peer Review" work?

Indy, LPN, LVN · Sep 17, 2007

Well if the comments submitted were handled by someone other than the person who controls your raise, it might make a difference. For example, I wouldn't agree to do a peer review on someone if I couldn't say positive things; we have to work together so I'd bow out.

But if the reviews were done in such a way that all the coworkers were peer reviewing her, it'd be interesting. Of course in large departments that could in itself be a monster to coordinate. In small departments, like less than a dozen employees, it might be doable. Even then, you'd have to ask fewer questions so it would take up less time.

pghfoxfan · Sep 19, 2007

I'm bumping this in hopes that I can get more advice. Please

Altra, BSN, RN · Sep 19, 2007

I'm glad you brought this up, OP, and I'm going to give this some thought.

At this point I'm disillusioned with the peer review process as it can result, just to give one example, in a handful of comments about a coworker that run the gamut from "this person is the next Mother Theresa" to the opposite extreme, and where is the value of that, really ...?

Perhaps a system in which 2-4 peers were randomly chosen for each employee's performance review and asked to provide feedback based on a rating system, without the personal comments ... but with the vast bulk of the performance evaluation being completed by the manager with whom responsibility for the employee's performance rests. Maybe this would eliminate the pointless, embarassing paper documentations of people's petty personality conflicts.

GeminiTwinRN, BSN · Sep 19, 2007

I hope you get some good suggestions. I don't like peer reviews.

Rnandsoccermom · Sep 19, 2007

One place I worked at did peer review. We were instructed to give 3 reviews to people we worked our shift with and three people that followed us. The manager and assistant also did one.

There were specific questions about skills and behavior with a 1-5 rating, a three being average. If your rated someone less or more you had to give SPECIFIC reasons as to why you answered what you did. It was pretty fair being that 8 people reviewed you and had to answer for what they put down.

pghfoxfan · Sep 19, 2007

I think that this is important that if you say something, especially a negative mark, that you back it with an explanation. To me, it makes it more valid. This also goes for positive comments.

I'm a big proponent in, if you have a complaint about something, you shouldn't say it unless you can come up with, at least one way to change it for the better. Any suggestion. We can all complain about things but very few of us ever try to actually make a change.

I felt like I just rambled on. Sorry

pghfoxfan · Sep 20, 2007

It makes me wonder why the "Magnet" people are so pro peer review when in reality, we know it is rarely done honestly.

frez · Sep 20, 2007

we do peer evals where i work and i am honest when i do their evals. I feel it isnt helping anyone by lying about how the person is doing one way or the other. If i have any constructive criticism i also make to make sure to bring up their positive aspects also. I also dont attack their character or personality just job performance. I feel that everyone has some positive aspects to them. The director doesnt show the person who said what on the evals either so it is anonymous and she expects everyone to list an area of improvement for the evals that you do. No one is perfect I know I have areas where I could improve and I am constantly working on that aspect. I dislike the peer evals big time also. I personally think that evals should completely be up to management to deal with but you gotta do what you gotta do.

Frez

Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN · Sep 20, 2007

We do peer reviews where I work, and I think the biggest problem is that the person being review picks who to review them. So of course, most people pick their best buddy who would never say anything bad about them. I picked someone that while I get along well with her, we do have our differences and I knew she would give me an honest review. How can I improve my poor areas if I don't know where they are? One nurse I know when she does a review just checks off everything as "satisfactory" because its the easiet way to do a review.

I think peer reviews would work better is the manager came up to someone and said "Please do a review on Jane". And Jane doesn't know that you are the one reviewing.

allnurses Guide · Sep 20, 2007

I don't like Peer Reviews at all. For all the reasons mentioned.

I think the supervisor needs to do the annual eval.

steph

pghfoxfan · Sep 21, 2007

Maybe anonymous peer review would work better in a large group. I work in a group of 4-6 people. It is not so hard to figure out who is reviewing you.