Competent???

Nurses General Nursing

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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:

Specializes in ICU.

I also had to do the horrid PBDS test. I did pass but hope that I never go through that again. I did the critical care portion of it. There were 10 scenarios. If you want more info send me a PM

PBDS is a disgrace to all nurses. I haven't quite researched Dorothy de Bueno or whatever her name is, but I'm sure she is a "Dr." as in PhD and not a "MD" with a chip-on-her-shoulder manifested by proving her thesis by launching it as a test to "measure" the competency of "new" nurses.

I just don't see the need for competency testing beyond the NCLEX. If they want to measure the "competency" of RNs in practice, if they ("they"=corporate hospitals ---face it, this is a matter of $$$ spent on orienting/training, not "patient safety")

want to tailor our orientation, they should really make us recertify and take an abbreviated version of the NCLEX every x-amount of years like physicians do. I would hate to do this as the NCLEX is comprehensive of EVERY type of nursing and we pretty much master our own specialty and only know other areas of nursing by textbook/theory learned in school. I just think that if a PBDS-like test were to be administered and required of physicians, they would pitch a fit and it would be completely obliterated....but nurses have to endure this crock. Unfair!

I have to take the PBDS for a new job...I took it 3 yrs ago and passed it. I just felt uncomfortable having to write medical dx and orders as my answers. I am currently in my third semester of PA school, so I should be okay tomorrow....but only b/c I've spent the last 9 months learning the MEDICAL model. Honestly, I love the "ideal" nursing profession. But, after several years of nursing, facing PBDS 3 yrs ago, having CNOs & nurse managers bully me around, and facing so much inflexibility in scheduling (even when hired to work only three 12 hr shifts/week) and the abuse from other members of the health team, I decided to cross over to the PA field. Nursing doesn't exist anymore....Florence Nightengale would be insulted by the horrible treatment of nurses today and shove PBDS up Dorothy's rectum.

this is an old thread, are these tests still being used??

Specializes in ER, IICU, PCU, PACU, EMS.

It's still being used at the hospital where I work.

After taking the exam, I had to meet with the test administrator to determine how I scored. She told me that newer nurses do better than experienced nurses because they learn more medical information in school these days. WHAT?!!

To me, this is a contradiction. I was a paramedic for some time before becoming a nurse. In school, I had to completely change my way of thinking from the medical model to the nursing model. I passed the exam, but relied heavily on my medic way of thinking and threw in as much nursing as I could.

Why would you teach nurses to think like a nurse then test them according to the medical model of thinking?? :confused:

Specializes in Psychiatry, Case Management, also OR/OB.

We had PBDS here a few years back ... our joke was Performance Based Discrimination System. (Ha). This is not, I repeat NOT a development system or module, or whatever fancy who-ha word of the moment. IF you want to develop , and I might add KEEP, which to me is vastly more important valuable nurses, provide the teaching your d___n self. Educate your staff, on the way YOU as a manager(witless though she may be) expect them to perform for THEIR job. Not some national thing of the moment out of New Yawk, Boston, or whereever (nothing against these 2 fine cities, just an example). And I might add, if you can't develop or direct your ed department to do it for you, maybe another line of work might suit u better. Keep on pluggin, and know u have tons of support here:yeah:

Specializes in OB.
It's still being used at the hospital where I work.

After taking the exam, I had to meet with the test administrator to determine how I scored. She told me that newer nurses do better than experienced nurses because they learn more medical information in school these days. WHAT?!!

To me, this is a contradiction. I was a paramedic for some time before becoming a nurse. In school, I had to completely change my way of thinking from the medical model to the nursing model. I passed the exam, but relied heavily on my medic way of thinking and threw in as much nursing as I could.

Why would you teach nurses to think like a nurse then test them according to the medical model of thinking?? :confused:

Actually, if your PBDS is being "graded" by the corporation rather than in house, the reason your new nurses are "doing better" is because it is scored on a curve according to your years of experience.

I've taken it several times as a traveler which is even worse than as staff - if a traveler doesn't "pass" it their contract is generally cancelled and there they are - potentially several thousand miles from home with no contract (and probabaly have to be out of their housing in 48 hours). This is why I won't take a contract requiring the PBDS unless it is in my home state, despite the fact that I have no trouble passing it (I excel at BS!)

Specializes in Med/Surgical,Ambulatory /Primary Care.

PBDS what? I took the exam on 5/29/08 and failed I can't believe it ?I'm not in denial! futher more I didn't get feedback about how I failed.I was told that my agency have been notified and I can't take the test for 1 year. I'm an experience Nurse with 25 year Med/Surg unit,TRAVELER since 2005 and Ambulatory Care Center.I'm not looking forward to working in any hospitals that has this test to determine if I'm competent. This test wasn't designed for that it's an evaluation tool.What's next for nurse's If I'm to make medical diagnosis NOW !!!!

I just had the experience of taking this test. It was the most difficult, panic inducing event! Up to this point I have felt confident in my assessment skills and abilities as an RN to this point. Now I have to meet with my temporary clinical supervisor tomorrow for a 2 hour meeting before a 12 hour night shift! Apparently I bombed terribly. She wants to meet with me to "address some serious concerns" regarding my "poor performance" on this test. I did receive the PBSD dvd to view and a brief handout. But no classroom in-service on how to take this test. I feel like a total and complete failure! I am afraid!

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