Is this a Bad Evaluation?

[RaziRN]

Hi, I'm a new nurse (10 months in) and I had my first evaluation today and honestly don't know what to think of it as I have nothing to compare it to. In competency I scored a 20/25. Overall I scored an 82/100 using a numbered rating scale. That doesn't seem very good to me. In the comments section it stated that over the past year I've shown continuing improvement and am building confidence and a solid nursing foundation. It also stated that it was a pleasure to have me working on (my unit). The unit manager filled this stuff out but then had one of the charge nurses have me sign the paperwork. So there was no opportunity for me to ask why I scored a certain number and where I need to improve specifically. There were no negative statements whatsoever in the evaluation. I also got a 50 cent raise, which is good. So, to you more experienced nurses, is this a good, bad or so-so evalution? Thank you in advance for your time.

[JB2007, ASN, RN]

I think it is a good eval. You are showing improvement and growing as a nurse. That is good for a nurse only 10 month out of nursing school. If you have questions about any areas that may or may not need improvement I would call my NM and request a meeting with him/her. Keep up the good work!

[caliotter3]

I don't think they could have given you a perfect eval as a newly minted nurse. You got the raise so that makes it a good eval. You now have a baseline and should see improvement in your future scores. Congrats on surviving!

[LuLu2008]

I think it was very good. You are a keeper! And you will continue to improve.

[tyvin, BSN, RN]

OMG! Ya know it could have been worse; you could've scored in the 70's so be glad. Your score indicates you're not perfect but above average.

[itsmejuli]

Anytime you get a raise its a good eval :)

[brownbook]

Hi, I just posted this on another evaluation question.

I was a supervisor for a few years. The first evaluation I wrote my supervisor wanted to review before I gave it to the employee. I evaluated him highly. My supervisor told me I couldn't evaluate him so highly. "How can he show improvement on the next evaluation if you give him such high marks on this one!" So I had to lower all the numbers.

Absolutely ridiculous!!! Like answering all the questions correctly on a test but the teacher has to give you a B otherwise you can't improve on the next test!!!!!

Do not take evaluations to seriously. Yours was as good as it gets!!!!!!

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

Hi, I just posted this on another evaluation question.

I was a supervisor for a few years. The first evaluation I wrote my supervisor wanted to review before I gave it to the employee. I evaluated him highly. My supervisor told me I couldn't evaluate him so highly. "How can he show improvement on the next evaluation if you give him such high marks on this one!" So I had to lower all the numbers.

Absolutely ridiculous!!! Like answering all the questions correctly on a test but the teacher has to give you a B otherwise you can't improve on the next test!!!!!

Do not take evaluations to seriously. Yours was as good as it gets!!!!!!

Unfortunately I have to agree with brownbook. As a manager, my corporation has strongly stated that we are only allowed to give approx 5% of our people a fantastic evaluation. Their thinking is..most of the population is just "average" therefore most staff members should only be given average evaluations. We score multiple areas on a 1-5 basis (one = very bad & 5 = fantastic). We are to score most areas on everyone as a 3. (I think ultimately this allows them to justify the horrible raises we all get). I find this very insulting to the employee as we are fortunate to have a great group of nurses/aides. I also find this insulting to us, the managers, because if all of our employees are only average then ultimately we are doing something very wrong.

This is the same company that sends out annual employee satisfaction surveys and annual customer service surveys. Oddly enough they are very unhappy we they receive 3's on THEIR evaluations!

Don't take your evaluations to seriously, especially when all written comments are positive. You are on the right track.

[Moogie]

Hi, I just posted this on another evaluation question.

I was a supervisor for a few years. The first evaluation I wrote my supervisor wanted to review before I gave it to the employee. I evaluated him highly. My supervisor told me I couldn't evaluate him so highly. "How can he show improvement on the next evaluation if you give him such high marks on this one!" So I had to lower all the numbers.

Absolutely ridiculous!!! Like answering all the questions correctly on a test but the teacher has to give you a B otherwise you can't improve on the next test!!!!!

Do not take evaluations to seriously. Yours was as good as it gets!!!!!!

i have heard this about other facilities as well. It seems to me to be a poor way to try to motivate employees. If you know you won't be rewarded for trying to achieve excellence in practice and you get your annual raise regardless of whether you "improved" or not, it seems that this would be a disincentive to try to work harder.

I wish I could give you a dozen kudos, brownbook! You are absolutely right.

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

Don't take your evaluations to seriously, especially when all written comments are positive. You are on the right track.

Exactly. The numbers are what determines pay; the words are more reflective of your performance.

The fear of "too many good evals" is a corporate phenomenon, regardless of the industry. I've heard my husband and his work friends complain of the same issues on evals. Glowing narratives with "average" numeric ratings and no raise or ridiculously low raises that don't even keep up with inflation. He works in IT for a large corporation.

It's all about the money.

[belgarion]

Hi, I just posted this on another evaluation question.

I was a supervisor for a few years. The first evaluation I wrote my supervisor wanted to review before I gave it to the employee. I evaluated him highly. My supervisor told me I couldn't evaluate him so highly. "How can he show improvement on the next evaluation if you give him such high marks on this one!" So I had to lower all the numbers.

Absolutely ridiculous!!! Like answering all the questions correctly on a test but the teacher has to give you a B otherwise you can't improve on the next test!!!!!

Do not take evaluations to seriously. Yours was as good as it gets!!!!!!

Ran into the same thing in the "real world" as a manager. Praise an employee all you wanted but give them an "average" on the official eval. The theory was all employees should be treated equally and giving one employee a better evaluation than the others meant you were "elevating" that person's status. When I asked why bother with evaluations if that was the case I was told because they were a way to prevent discrimination suits. In other words, you couldn't give a bad eval either.

And people ask me why I have no desire to jump back into the shark pool.

[merlee]

Be happy - - you deserved a raise, and got one. You are improving and growing.

Congrats!