It's Eval Time!! Why we're unable to score all "excellent" ratings

[UM Review RN]

I came from another state so I'm loathe to tell people how to do things down here, but their system of evaluations really irritates me to no end.

On evals from other states I regularly got all "excellent" ratings. Not here.

Here, I got an all "excellent" rating and the nurse who gave me the eval was told to change her answers because "no one is perfect." And so she actually had to white out an answer and change it. I was horrified. I thought it was completely unethical of TPTB to coerce her to do this, especially on that flimsy logic.

I've since heard that statement at every single eval I've ever had and I've finally decided to give voice to my personal objection to that line of reasoning.

People, you are equating "excellent" with "perfect." They are NOT the same. There is a range of excellence that doesn't necessarily presume perfection.

So, IMO, yes you can give someone all "excellent" ratings. Excellence is excellence, after all.

What's your take on this?

[JB2007, ASN, RN]

I had a boss tell me that they were not allowed to score anyone above a certain number on the evals. Then she said that she had to go over my eval very carefully so that she could make sure that I did not score above that number, but in the process she gave me a score lower than she wanted to give me. She went on to say that I deserved to get excellants in most of the areas that I got an average in and what a great job I am doing. When I left her office I was mad, but honestly what can I do about it.

I feel your pain and I am so sorry this happened to you. I just wish there was something that could be done about it.

[sheluke]

Sounds like there should be more room or 'levels' available. There can be a solid "meets expectations" or similar to indicate someone does their job and does it adequately. There should be a level that indicates a high quality performance, while alllowing for continued improvement OR as mentioned, maintenence of the high quality performance (ie to maintain this level, goals may be to participate in x number of CEU opportunities, or to mentor or precept new staff,etc)

There are ways to fill in space on an eval for 'goals' without it meaning there are any deficiencies.

We do have a 'walk on water' level, and it is rarely given but for an absolutely incredible year, perhaps having lead a new process, program, exception outcome, etc. But that doesn't take away from the many staff who are still great at what their job is and get the 'exceeds expectations' or 'highly effective' etc that still shows they go above and beyond just knowing the job.

Oh, btw, just wanted to add, we have no actual limit or quota on how many of each to give-giving certain scores just requires documentation (WHY the person deserves that score, whether very high or very low) and that is certainly reasonable. It gives me an opportunity to put in black and white some great feedback received (thank you notes, positive comments from someone who appreciated good care, etc)

[birdgardner]

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Random thoughts: Does "excellent" equate to "perfect"? I think not. It means one is doing better than average, better than one's peers. There can still be room for improvement even if one is doing an excellent job.

__________________

But that it is what's so wrong with this. You can have a team where everyone IS excellent and rating the middle ones as average and the not-quite-as-excellent as below average is demoralizing and unjust, and if the "average" or "below" can take their skills where they will be paid and appreciated for them, they might just do that.

You don't have to grade on a curve where everyone is scoring 95 plus. Instead you should be announcing it to the skies: "Hot dog! Just look at our nurses! They're fantastic! Give them raises and foot rubs! They're all keepers!"

[Mulan]

They are right, nobody's perfect!!

That's why, when it's my turn to evaluate them, I give them a middle of the road evaluation, even though they expect to get all top of the line!

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

They are right, nobody's perfect!!

That's why, when it's my turn to evaluate them, I give them a middle of the road evaluation, even though they expect to get all top of the line!

But Mulan, the last column header on the Eval form does not say "PERFECT." It says "EXCELLENT."

Big big difference.

I never said I was perfect, just excellent.

Furthermore, I believe that if I am doing excellent work and someone cannot be honest and say so in my eval because they're ordered to refrain from giving a certain amount of high ratings, I believe that is highly unethical.

[Mulan]

I'm per diem so my eval is not tied to any pay raise. I also work minimal hours due to the working conditons.

I was told meets requirements really isn't good, "maybe if you worked more". Trying to coerce me into working more hours? Not going to work.

They are not going to fire someone for meets requirements. If a meets requirements is so bad than why are that employing that person in the first place?

At one hospital I worked, all the PRN got meets requirements. Trying to force people to work full and part time?

At this point, I don't care as long as they pay me.

This eval business, in my opinion, is just another way for them to control and keep the nurses right where they want them.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

This eval business, in my opinion, is just another way for them to control and keep the nurses right where they want them.

I have to agree with that.

[Mulan]

But Mulan, the last column header on the Eval form does not say "PERFECT." It says "EXCELLENT."

Big big difference.

I never said I was perfect, just excellent.

Furthermore, I believe that if I am doing excellent work and someone cannot be honest and say so in my eval because they're ordered to refrain from giving a certain amount of high ratings, I believe that is highly unethical.

Yeah, I understand what you're saying, but they are also saying "nobody's excellent" by saying nobody's perfect.

A lot of people do excellent work but will never get the recognition because of favoritism, money, whatever.

Unfair but usually there's nothing you can do about it, they have their mind made up and there's nothing you can do to change it.

[SchnauzersRock]

In one LTC facility I worked at years ago, the LPN's were in charge of evaluating the STNAs. I remember one eval in particular that I had done, and there were some "5" scores (they went from 1 to 5, instead of poor to excellent). In my view as the STNA's immediate supervisor, I gave them the score that I thought they should have. When the DON saw the scores I had given, she wanted me to change them to a lesser score. She was informed that the scores that I had given were never going to be changed by me, and that if she wanted them changed, she would have to be the one to evaluate the STNAs in the future. I was extremely offended that the DON thought my judgment was not sound enough to do evaluations. We were told to do these evals, and we did, and then upper management decided they weren't properly done. As a matter of fact, I wasn't the only LPN that was told to change scores, and to my knowledge, none of us altered the evals we had done. Let me just say here that whenever I did any evaluations, I had access to the personnel files of the STNAs so I could check attendance issues, call-offs, tardies, etc, anything to give me some insight as to what scores the employee would get. Based on the information in the file in front of me, and by observing the actual work done by the STNA, I feel as though I was qualified to do an accurate assessment of the employee in question.

[ShayRN]

We have one STNA where I work that always comes in 15-20 minutes early, hasn't called off in over a year and a half, and only took 1 week of vacation during that same time period. Guess what she got on ATTENDENCE ? MEETS EXPECTATIONS, OMG!!! She was so stinking hot:banghead:, I don't blame her. I have called off once in the last year and a half (when I had the flu!) And I was upset about my "meets expectations" rank for attendence. I personally think that it is so the managers can give you a higher rank next year then say, "Look at what a good manager I am, I brought her up!" Our raises are not tied to the evaluations, so as long they don't say I am lazy (which I most certainly am NOT) or a bad employee, I take them with a grain of salt.

[Mulan]

I always come in a little early, to allow for traffic, etc. so that I won't be late and can clock in as soon as it's time and can start report on time.

Guess what I got on an evaluation? "Excessive punctuality", like it was a bad thing.

You can't win.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

I recently was given an evaluation that was prefaced with "I had you rated as 'excellent' but I had to change it because we are only allowed to have a certain number of 'excellent' evals in the building." This was of course a financially driven decision.

Exactly!!!!

This limits your raise.