my first year, my first evaluation

[labrador4122, RN]

Wow, what a year it has been, I have been an RN at my current job as a new grad for this year.

and little things you find out during your year review that I had no clue about that I will definitely watch out for next year.

For team work I got a 2/5 which I totally don't understand-- because any time anyone needs help, I am there to give the pt's pain meds, hang IV fluids, change beds, transfer pts, take patients to the OR, translate, change dirty pts's > all for patients that are not mine!! when I do a favor I do it right for my fellow co-workers, I don't give a med without passing it through the scanner first like my other co-workers do!! "Hey N***Y, I gave xanax for you, here is the shell for the pill, you have to scan it"

I started out really liking my job-- but I had it already, I am gonna finish my BSN and look for something somewhere else!

[athena55, BSN, RN]

Gee, sorry to hear that your evaluation was NOT what you would have expected.

Were you able to defend yourself? I mean, were you able to give examples of when you were, indeed, a team player? I would have, if allowed, given exact details of the things I do for others, oftentimes when they might not have been aware! Of course, "hindsight is 20/20"

Who gave this evaluation? Your Chief or Head Nurse? I have sometimes heard of Nurses who work a shift other than days and unless a co-worker says something the Nurse Manager/Head Nurse/Chief Nurse hasn't a clue as to how they really function on their shift. Just another example when we, in addition to doing everything else, must be a Self Advocate.

athena

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

my first evaluation sucked! i was the first bsn grad the hospital had ever hired; ususally they hired their own diploma grads. so my skills right out of school weren't what they expected. nor was the job what i expected.

that said, did you ask your evaluater why you got the 2/5 in teamwork? it could be that they didn't know you very well, and weren't aware of all the extras you do to help out. or it could be that everyone gets a 2/5 their first year because you're new and you have a lot of questions and the more experienced nurses have to keep an eye out on you and your patients. or maybe you've been an excellent team worker for 3 or 4 months (since you started getting it together) but their policy demands that you be performing at a 4/5 or whatever level for 6 months before they can give you that mark. i'd ask for things i can do to work on improving that score, and then re-evaluate in 6 months or so.

and remember, they're evaluating you on the same tool they'd use to evaluate someone who's been out of school for 20 years. surely you don't expect that you'd be performing on a par with a 20 year veteren your first year out of school!

[labrador4122, RN]

well, in my evaluation, I glanced at the 2/5 but my nurse manager did not emphasize on it.

and you all are so right, I need to be a self-advocate too! next time I will speak up and ask who is saying that I am not a team player and what not.

Nursing is a really tough career. sometimes I wish I could of chosen something else.

[Jules A, MSN]

Nursing is a tough career. Maybe I'm mixing you up with someone else but I thought you posted about struggling so this wasn't a surprise. I hope you find something that suits you better.