Competent???

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Has anyone else been "tested" by "PBDS" or Performance Based Development Systems??? What was your experience? Very bad experience here! I've been a nurse for over 15 yrs, lots of competency exams, tests etc. This one was ridiculous--watched a 20 second video and had 7 minutes to make a MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS, decide what orders needed to be done 1st, 2nd etc what outcome was expected. There was one RIGHT answer!! No room for discussion!!! Now I'm being "remediated" for 6 weeks! Very humiliating. Has anyone else had a similiar experience??:confused:

I've been reading about this on another forum, I didn't know they were using it on STAFF nurses.

I thought it was only done to evaluate travel nurses.

Several travel nurses have signed contracts, packed their bags, crossed the country to an assignment; then been handed this "test." If they flunked, their "contract" was cancelled.

In the first place, I would NOT submit to this bogus piece of crap.

If you are already an employee, why the **** would they need to do this?

Don't take the test. I would not take it, just on principle alone; even if they threatened to FIRE me I wouldn't take it. That's just me; just my opinion.

Specializes in tele, stepdown/PCU, med/surg.

I took the test when I was hired for my first nursing job a few years ago. I did really well but that's because I test well and had just gotten been knee-deep in academia.

I think the test is good in some ways but don't consider useful to use as reason to fire anyone.

Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

old thread warning!!!

old thread warning!!!

and this means.................?

Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

It only means that the thread was started in 2001, last post prior to Daveddrn was 2002. The Original Poster is unlikely to see your response. That information may or may not influence the discussion. It's just an FYI.

I took this exam a few years ago for ICU. When I was called in to review the findings I made very little since. Was presented small quotes I had given, but never any reason for why it would have been wrong. I have worked ICU for 15 years. This poor presentation exam is not a real test of any nurse's knowledge.

When I asked what the instructur felt the correct answer should have been she could not tell me. She just stated that she had never taken the exam. I failed only one area and was told I would be coached for a retake.

I got one 8 hours shift by a coach. Spent perhaps the first 2 hours telling the coach how to fill in the papers. Then the remaining 6 hours helping the coach to treat his own patient. Thirty days later I sat again for the exam and again was scored low on the same section only, but since the person giving the exam kept telling me to make sure to write the basics I was then criticized on the exam for reduncancy. Well gees "damned if I do damned if I don't".

Anyway, what I was told was that when the old lady grades the exams she just works down a check off sheet. If you have it is credited, if you don't you just plain miss the question. I fould that the pathetic video scenerios were of such poor quality that I could not read the ventilator alarms. So I had no idea if I was trying to treat high airway pressure or high resp rate. Either way no one at this hospital system had a clue.

I questioned the lack of training and the lack of appropriateness to this exam and got no where. Was told to leave the position dispite having had a great track record.

Honestly, I feel shamed by the exam and wronged by not being allowed to challenge it. Who does this person writing this exam think she is by not allowing anyone to challenge her decisions. These decisions affect the lives of hard working nurses with families. What makes her so SPECIAL? I have yet to hear her name on any break through of nursing practice. Nor is she printed in any magazine as the "know all = be all" of nursing. This is truely high price we as nurses are paying for hospitals to just single out nurses.

This same hospital was considering giving the exam to all current employees and managers. It decided that no managers would take the exam as they were confident that a vast majority would not pass. The current nurse were also given exemption once the numbers of those failing as new hires were posted statiscically.

Oh, the full-staff new hires were given a prep class for the exam and extra time to complete it. Myself being PRN staff was not allow to the prep class. Gees that is just another model to move more nurses into full time positions and cut the PRN and agency high $$$ nurses out.

This exam is creating more problems than it is helping and the old lady who created it is taking it all the way to the bank at our expense. Just another example of nurses eating their own.

My opinion only!

Has anyone else been "tested" by "PBDS" or Performance Based Development Systems??? What was your experience? Very bad experience here! I've been a nurse for over 15 yrs, lots of competency exams, tests etc. This one was ridiculous--watched a 20 second video and had 7 minutes to make a MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS, decide what orders needed to be done 1st, 2nd etc what outcome was expected. There was one RIGHT answer!! No room for discussion!!! Now I'm being "remediated" for 6 weeks! Very humiliating. Has anyone else had a similiar experience??:confused:

Lol!! I had the same type of test this week.

In my hosp. their idea of remediation if you don't pass this idiotic test is to have you fill in some care plans. No classes no discussion, I have never felt so incompetent in my life and i wonder if i have made a serious mistake. How exactly does this test make sure we4 should even touch patients EVER? :madface: :rolleyes:

Haven't taken it yet, but am not looking forward to it after hearing the stories here on this board.

I took this exam a few years ago for ICU. When I was called in to review the findings I made very little since. Was presented small quotes I had given, but never any reason for why it would have been wrong. I have worked ICU for 15 years. This poor presentation exam is not a real test of any nurse's knowledge.

When I asked what the instructur felt the correct answer should have been she could not tell me. She just stated that she had never taken the exam. I failed only one area and was told I would be coached for a retake.

I got one 8 hours shift by a coach. Spent perhaps the first 2 hours telling the coach how to fill in the papers. Then the remaining 6 hours helping the coach to treat his own patient. Thirty days later I sat again for the exam and again was scored low on the same section only, but since the person giving the exam kept telling me to make sure to write the basics I was then criticized on the exam for reduncancy. Well gees "damned if I do damned if I don't".

Anyway, what I was told was that when the old lady grades the exams she just works down a check off sheet. If you have it is credited, if you don't you just plain miss the question. I fould that the pathetic video scenerios were of such poor quality that I could not read the ventilator alarms. So I had no idea if I was trying to treat high airway pressure or high resp rate. Either way no one at this hospital system had a clue.

I questioned the lack of training and the lack of appropriateness to this exam and got no where. Was told to leave the position dispite having had a great track record.

Honestly, I feel shamed by the exam and wronged by not being allowed to challenge it. Who does this person writing this exam think she is by not allowing anyone to challenge her decisions. These decisions affect the lives of hard working nurses with families. What makes her so SPECIAL? I have yet to hear her name on any break through of nursing practice. Nor is she printed in any magazine as the "know all = be all" of nursing. This is truely high price we as nurses are paying for hospitals to just single out nurses.

This same hospital was considering giving the exam to all current employees and managers. It decided that no managers would take the exam as they were confident that a vast majority would not pass. The current nurse were also given exemption once the numbers of those failing as new hires were posted statiscically.

Oh, the full-staff new hires were given a prep class for the exam and extra time to complete it. Myself being PRN staff was not allow to the prep class. Gees that is just another model to move more nurses into full time positions and cut the PRN and agency high $$$ nurses out.

This exam is creating more problems than it is helping and the old lady who created it is taking it all the way to the bank at our expense. Just another example of nurses eating their own.

My opinion only!

You can RUN and you can HIDE, but you can't run and hide from PBDS!!

Some of the people in administration can be really insulting about it, "just because you've been a nurse for 20 years", doesn't mean you can take care of these patients, that's why we give pbds.

It is insulting.

My question is how many of these people in administration have had to take it, or the nurses that have worked at a place for 20 years, that doesn't make them competent either and they don't have to take it.

If their staff is "competent" by virtue of having worked there for 20 years why is someone else not competent that's worked somewhere else for 20 years?

Those scenarios are so bad you can't really tell what the heck is going on and no, it is not like real world, real world you can make an actual assessment and look, and feel, and ask questions, and yes, I did well on it. It still makes me mad.

Specializes in Trauma ICU,Med surg,Home health,PACU.
You can RUN and you can HIDE, but you can't run and hide from PBDS!!

man...what is your problem? you have posted this ridiculous comment on several of the PBDS threads. Can't you be supportive? I guess you must have taken the test and passed with flying colors. Be nice!!

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