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?

[vamedic4, EMT-P]

Ohhh...this just happened to me as well. Instead of "consistently exceeds expectations", as in most of my other 13 evals, I get some lame "meets expectations" from my employer, along with a paltry raise.

Administrators have a problem calling excellent work exactly what it is. That, my friends, is the business side of health care. Never mind that your NM is probably making almost 6 figures if not that much and isn't around very often.

[workingforskies]

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.

Actually, you can. It's called voting with your feet. The evaluation system at Vanderbilt was one of the (many) reasons I left that hospital.

The hospital I work at now has an interesting system. Those that do not meet expectations are dismissed in the normal, progressive discipline process per PnP. The rest are given a 3% raise.

[Mulan]

Actually, you can. It's called voting with your feet. The evaluation system at Vanderbilt was one of the (many) reasons I left that hospital.

The hospital I work at now has an interesting system. Those that do not meet expectations are dismissed in the normal, progressive discipline process per PnP. The rest are given a 3% raise.

Not everyone wants to vote with their feet.

There may be other reasons for wanting to stay at a certain place.

Also, some have limited options as far as available places to work.

[nurseaboveboard]

Nothing, I repeat NOTHING, I repeat NO THING...can make me madder than this subject right here! My poor husband has to listen to some of these posts containing complete stupidity... then I get him mad! Mulan's post about "excessive punctuality" puts me in mind of one review I got. I had NEVER missed a day, and NEVER punched in late, and was told, "I really had to fight to give you a 5 in this catagory." I mean, what do you do with that? I have been through 26 years of evaluation processes, and always come out thinking (even with a great eval), what a bunch of bogus crap! I just have a very low tolerance for it! Thanks for listening, and hats off to all of us...WE ROCK!!!

[Dolce, RN]

I have heard it said that it takes 10 positive comments to make up for 1 negative comment. An evaluation shouldn't have an equal number of positives and negatives just in order to appear "balanced." If I got a report with equal number of "areas for improvement" as positive comments I would be extremely discouraged. I take the slightest suggestion on an evaluation very seriously. I think if a nurse is practicing compassionately and competently, is well respected, acts as a preceptor, and provides good patient care she should be given an "excellent" rating. Of course there are areas for improvement! But, that does not take away from an excellent rating. Some managers just don't think.

[mauxtav8r]

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

You can't win.

This is soooooo twilight zone.

[aeauooo]

I just received my annual eval and was satisfied to have "meets expectations" in all of the categories except teamwork, in which I had been evaluated as 'exceeds expectations.' The only comment that was written was something to the effect of, "I don't really know this guy." I was told that most of the charge nurses knew me as a guy who shows up on time and gets the job done and frankly, that how I want to be known (I think the only other thing my coworkers really know about me is that I have an amazing wife whom I continuously boast about!). I'm happy to fly under the radar.

I moved to this city to work on my MPH and so far I'm pulling straight A's (I was a little ticked off about the A- I got in epidemiology last semester). This job pays the rent. I like the people I work with, but I'm not developing attachments to anyone because I don't plan to be here past the end of this year.

So I guess it's what you're looking for. I'm getting my hours of neuroscience nursing practice towards my CNRN recertification - that's all I really want to take away from this job other than a paycheck. My letters of reference for this period in my life will come from my professors.