End of Semester Evaluations

[colleen10]

Hi there,

I only have two more weeks of school and then I will have my first semester under my belt.

During out last "clinical" day we will meet with our instructor and she will go over an evaluation with us. We are also to bring to the table a self evaluation.

Do any of you do this?

What would you comment on for your self evaluation?

I guess the biggest thing for me is that I am extremely uncomfortable giving PO Meds.

If I have a patient who is to receive an injection along with their other meds. I have no problem drawing up the injection and giving it. But PO Meds throw me for a loop.

I guess a lot of it has to do with patients that have a multitude of drugs, ie. 9, 10, 11 meds. all at once. Then the name of the drug on the MAR is always the brand name, while the name on the packet is generic.

Then, I seem to get easily confused with d/c drugs and the way things are written on the MAR compared to the Kardex and/or the chart and doctors orders. Like during one clinical there were so many meds that two MAR sheets were used. The first three meds on the MAR were marked to be d/c but on the second MAR sheet the meds. appeared again and were not marked to be d/c. And it wasn't that they were d/c and then a new dosage was ordered. They were duplicates.

It often takes pharmacy a couple of days to quit sending up drugs that are d/c. Not that I would ever trust Pharmacy to tell me if a drug was still in use or d/c but it can get confusing when you have a drug that is d/c but it still shows up in the patients med drawer, especially if there is a question as to whether or not the med. truly is d/c. I asked my instructor about it and she said she did not know and to ask the RN for the patient. When I asked the RN assigned to the patient why they were duplicated she said she did not know and to not administer them as they were d/c. In the midst of all of this I forgot to initial the MAR for one of the drugs that I administered. Luckily, the RN was there with me while I was getting the meds together and knew that I had given it.

I guess I just feel like a goober as this is something we were checked off for back in Week 7 and something that should be under control. I mean, it sounds so simple, just check that you have the grug, it's the right dosage, put it in the cup, give it to the right patient and just put your initials in the MAR.

[rpbear]

We have to do a self eval at the end of each rotation too. Ours is written though it is not face to face. I ususally write something that I should have done better, like prioritizing.

Don't feel bad about the meds. I think the day you feel totaly comforatble is the day you are going to make a mistake because you are not going to be concentrating. The meds will get easier the more times you pass them. The names will start to sink in. It is only your first semester, nobody expects you to know everything yet!

It sounds like you are aware of your week points, that is good because now you know where to concentrate! You are doing great! You made it though your first semester be proud of yourself!!!!

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Colleen,

It sounds like your end of semester process is the same as ours - we meet with our clinical instructor and get their evaluation of our work, and submit our own previously-prepared self-evaluation.

The eval form is used each week throughout the semester - every week the instructor notes strengths and weaknesses, and satisfactory/unsatisfactory performance on skills, and we review it the following week. We students also do a weekly clinical "reflection" - what we did well, what went not so well, and our feelings on the experience.

I agree with the other poster - you seem to have a very good handle on your strengths and weaknesses (i.e., the example of not being comfortable with PO meds yet). So it shouldn't be a big deal. At my school they have stressed that the idea of all classroom and clinical experiences is growth - not necessarily getting it perfect the first time. If you can self-eval realistically, and show growth over time, I think that's what's really important. Also, I don't know what your forms look like, but ours are fairly brief - unless a student is having major difficulty, it's not necessary to undergo and/or write up a detailed psychoanalysis.

I'm also finishing my first semester - we don't do any meds until January, so I'm jealous! Take care.

Leigh

[colleen10]

Thanks for your support guys! I really appreciate it.

Do you guys mind sharing what "areas" are listed on your self eval to fill out? We just have to come up with strengths/weaknesses, we don't have a form or anything to follow.

So far the only things I have thought of are communication (with patients and staff, fellow students, etc.), team work, organization, preparedness, task oriented things like Med. Pass, injections, dressing changes, etc.

If you can think of anything else, please let me know.

Thanks,

Col

[LeesieBug]

So far the only things I have thought of are communication (with patients and staff, fellow students, etc.), team work, organization, preparedness, task oriented things like Med. Pass, injections, dressing changes, etc.

Let's see.....how about medical asepsis, body mechanics, working efficiently, professionalism...ROM, transfer, ambulation.

We just had to write a "journal" entry, telling about which skills we feel comfortable with at this point, and which we do not.

I don't know how our clinical instructor is going to evaluate us, because she is the most absent minded woman I have ever met!:chuckle

The other day, a few hours after we had a half hour discussion about my client's meds for the next clinical, she e-mailed me telling me to be ready to give meds for so-and-so next next clinical. Said she couldn't remember if we discussed it.