I'm coming up to my one year performance review. I had to rate myself on different things, performance wise, Excellent, Above Average, Satisfactory, Needs Improvement, Unacceptable.
It was hard enough for me to do that...it seems really black and white. But then I had to go and do something REAL stupid. I rated myself "excellent" on some things. In hindsight that was a pretty stupid thing to do, ya think? I've been there just a year, I HAVE NO BUSINESS SAYING I'M EXCELLENT AT JACK SQUAT!!
So...should I call my manager and ask if I can have another eval to fill out? I mean seriously, what the heck WAS I thinking? I mean yes, I'm good at some things (kissing pt buttocks without tearing their eyebrows off when they've been on the light every 2 minutes whining about any thing they can whine about). I would also say I'm pretty good about communicating with my co-workers. I've been available to switch shifts whenever anyone asks, I always offer to help when it's needed. I mean I'm not a slacker, but I think a better move would have been for me to go "satisfactory" right down the line.
What would you all suggest I do to backpedal out of this?
Excellent in kissing up to patients/managers and gettign along with co workers does not require years of expereince. When your manager goes over the evaluation with you and if needed, then you can back paddle.
I mean yes, I'm good at some things (kissing pt buttocks without tearing their eyebrows off when they've been on the light every 2 minutes whining about any thing they can whine about). I would also say I'm pretty good about communicating with my co-workers. I've been available to switch shifts whenever anyone asks, I always offer to help when it's needed.
What you've said right here is precisely what should have gone in the evidence portion of your "exceeds expectations" ratings. I'm 8 months on the job now, and just had to do my performance review too. Like you, I don't have the clinical judgement of a 20-year resource nurse, but I do have a stack of thank-you cards from patients, and even had a patient tell me she could tell how much I loved my job by the care I gave. In the age of patient satisfaction scores, "not burnt out" is a valuable part of your performance. "Plays well with others" is too, since it not only provides better care for the floor's patients, but makes for an enjoyable work environment that increases nurse retention. Give yourself some credit!
When discussing evaluations with my co-workers, they said they just put "meets expectations" on everything since the managers would add evidence for the "exceeds" categories themselves. So don't worry about it!
If you feel you excel in certain areas, leave it, but be prepared to explain why. In the end, your self eval doesn't carry that much weight. Your manager will have one to discuss with you.
It sounds like you talked to your co-workers after you filled out the survey and realized after the fact that "excellent" in evaluation terms means above-and-beyond exemplary. I don't think this warrants a panicky email from you but it's certainly something you can bring up at the start of your discussion with the manager- "I wasn't familiar with the criteria for each rating so although I believe I give excellent care, I understand that it is premature to imagine that I am achieving it in all areas of practice."
LOL, YOU ARE SOOOOOOOOO RIGHT!
It starts in school, we are sooooooo confident, then we talk to someone, and our whole thought process. . .
Well, if you're excellent in those things, you're excellent, regardless if you've just been there one year or not. Manager's like to show progress on their evals, makes them look good, but if you're good, you're good lol.
You didn't say you were excellent in everything....no worries :) Sounds like you're worrying about it too much.
I think you are over-thinking this. I am glad you are self-confident, and I can't imagine anyone would write you down for such. I certainly wouldn't. Just be the best nurse you can be, and try to fulfill your own expectations. :)))) Maybe strive for super-excellent.
I actually didn't talk to my co-workers, my dad said it in passing. I was talking (whining) about how unfair it is to make me rate myself because it puts me on the spot. To which he said "I don't know why you're making this so hard- just say you're doing 'satisfactory'...I mean you're not going to say you're 'excellent' at any of it- you haven't been on the job long enough to earn that..."
Which basically pushed me over the edge. I'll confess, I haven't let myself get over my first 6 weeks. I was doing so poorly- and I thought I was making progress until my educator pulled me aside and chewed me out for not being able to be independent after the 4 week orientation. I was frustrated because I kept asking my preceptors what I could improve on, and what I could do better. Their answers were so vague, usually "oh, you're just new...keep on truckin!" My educator told me they didn't want to hurt my feelings by telling me the truth (this fact really kinda torqued me off because it would hurt my feelings so much more if I had gotten fired for doing poorly on the job and they hadn't told me to get my s*** together). So I hold on to that...I'm doing much better, but I still get really livid at myself for mistakes, at this point I had my last preceptor tell me I was actually too hard on myself (wish I would have had him the whole time through, really he was the best one...honest feedback). So that's why I don't feel I have any right to rate myself "excellent" at anything. I'm still too wet behind the ears.
Vespertinas
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correction: although I STRIVE FOR excellent care