Peer Evals didn't go so well

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Well, we should have all known it wouldn't work from the start; but. . . We had a directive a few months ago stating our unit had to start doing peer evaluations of all unit staff (RN's, US, PCT's, management employed by our department). Our manager (whom I do respect) did apoligize at the unit meeting when she announced this saying she recognized that we didn't want to have any more paperwork to fill out related to work, but it was a mandate from on high and it had to be done. We were to give each person 2 ratings, one for clinical skills, one for interpersonal skills. It was scaled 1-5, 1=bad, 3=average, 5=excellent. They pleaded with us not to automatically grade everyone a 3, to really think these evals through and be honest and objective. Gosh, I guess I really am naive in that I just thought the biggest issue was the pain of having to fill out more paperwork.

The eval results were tallied and everyone got a cool little "confidential" envelope showing one's individual results. Now my objective at work is to "fade into the background". I don't want to be noticed, good or bad, I just want to be known as a reliable worker and from my eval results, the few comments (few is good in my book) I got were positive. Not so for SOOOO many people in the unit. Apparently many in my unit were ripped to shreds on those evals (I tried to be innocuous on my evals, giving out few comments and only positive ones). The following note was written on the dry erase board in our breakroom (shortened and edited slightly):

Regarding Peer Evals

1. Obviously they didn't work. None of the comments will go on your HR file

2. No more evals will be done until after they are discussed in a future unit meeting.

3. No negative comments, only positive comments will be permitted on future peer evals.

I guess I'm wondering; what was the point anyway? There are nurses who probably deserved some of the comments they received. We were also instructed that if any rating other than average was given, then one MUST comment on that evaluation. If they didn't want negative remarks, why did they even start this mess? Best I can figure is that the level of management I deal with didn't want to do this but were forced by higher-ups (probably to impress JCAHO who's always around the corner or influence a bid for magnet status).

I guess I'm not really looking for suggestions, just venting about this incredible and hurtful waste of time and effort done at my hospital. And this is a hospital that I mostly respect (unlike many I've worked for before). Any doubt the next eval I fill out will have only "average" ratings for everyone?

Has this process ever worked for anyone out there? I'm being serious, I might open my mouth at a unit meeting for once if I thought I had something constructive to add.

Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

If peers are not educated in doing effective reviews they have no business doing them. Reviews should never be anonomous. Even a criminal has a legal right to face his accusers. Certainly a worker deserves at least as much.

Anamonity does not insure honesty. Anamonity gives the coward and who would become vicious under cover of a hidden identity amnesty to be vindictive and hateful.

Both of these points were issues at our reviews. We were given very little instruction on how to fill these out, just what I mentioned before (must comment on anything but an average review). Also the comment spot provided was very small, maybe would fit 15-20 words if one wrote very small. So providing constructive criticism with a plan on how to improve would have been challenging in that space. Of course after the fact all the management is saying that they TOLD us to only include negative comments if we had gone to that person first. NOT, gosh I wish I had saved the written instructions we were given on filling those out. And yes, our reviews were anonymous. I go back to work Friday and it should be interesting to see how things are shaking out after a full week.

Thanks for your responses and for reading, letting me vent. Getting to vent here will let me keep my head more level and my mouth well under control.

Specializes in NICU.
We do peer evals at work. It works for us for several reasons:

1. There aren't that many of us.

2. We all like each other.

3. We MUST target one area for improvement and at least one strength.

4. Only constructive criticism is allowed, no negative comments.

Giving one area to improve is very much balanced by the strengths listed...and usually the person was pretty much aware of the weak area anyway. Having it identified by a peer as well seems to make it easier to ask for help/teaching/practice/tips.

Ours are pretty similar, but there are about a hundred of us. We each get 2 peer evals tucked into our yearly evaluation packets and it's random who gets whom. When we go for our eval, the boss has 2 about us in our folder and tells us anonymously what was said about us. We also focus on strengths and weaknesses, and also overall performance and professionalism.

Usually works pretty well, except for one year that really got me PO'ed. Someone wrote that I never listen to anyone else's opinion and always think I'm right (which is sometimes true, I admit) - BUT I accidentally saw the reviewer's name on the paper and this nurse is SOOOOOO much more of a know-it-all than I am! I wanted to shout that it was the pot calling the kettle black, but I couldn't let on that I knew who it was.

It really sounds like a lot of managers must be going to management development classes. Ideas like this get "developed" without much consideration for what they are going to tap into and the possible negative outcomes for teams.

It also sounds like the peer reviews were a good measure--just not of what the designers apparently thought it would be.

Elementary research and statistics classes anyone??? Glad I wasn't involved in that one...... (yet)

Specializes in Med/Surg.

We have peer reviews at work and last time we had one, I became very upset...there is one person at work that I have always had a personality clash with, she is a CNA but acts like she is an RN, and two times I talked with her about things she did outside of her scope of practice. After that discussion, I caught her doing one of the same things again and had to go and talk to a supervisor about it. I felt I did the right thing, especially because I talked to her about the problem first and gave her a chance to change what she was doing. Appearantly she didn't feel that way. Low and behold, who peer reviews me but her...I wanted to cry when my boss gave me a review peppered with terrible comments about how I do not work well as a team, am lazy, etc...etc...stuff I know is not true! I wish when they hand out peer reviews and they come back full of negativity, they would check into it a little more rather than slapping it on your written evaluation to haunt you forever. I cried for 3 days over this experience!!! :crying2:

I LOVE the peer review system!

It's a seriously needed reality check for those few RN's who swear up and down that they are Gods gift to nursing and treat everyone else like crap. I don't whine about the rare negative comment on my peer reviews, I do something about them.

I had to review a nurse who was a constant complainer. She complained non-stop day in and day out about everything and anything. When I noted that on her review sheet, and how it affected not only her performance on the job, but also other peoples, she went ballistic. She complained for months about how she never complains and how unfair her peer review was :rolleyes:

We have peer reviews at work and last time we had one, I became very upset...there is one person at work that I have always had a personality clash with, she is a CNA but acts like she is an RN, and two times I talked with her about things she did outside of her scope of practice. After that discussion, I caught her doing one of the same things again and had to go and talk to a supervisor about it. I felt I did the right thing, especially because I talked to her about the problem first and gave her a chance to change what she was doing. Appearantly she didn't feel that way. Low and behold, who peer reviews me but her...I wanted to cry when my boss gave me a review peppered with terrible comments about how I do not work well as a team, am lazy, etc...etc...stuff I know is not true! I wish when they hand out peer reviews and they come back full of negativity, they would check into it a little more rather than slapping it on your written evaluation to haunt you forever. I cried for 3 days over this experience!!! :crying2:

This is so not right! Even if you get a review from a direct supervisor, you have the opportunity to respond. You must respond to this. Silence means acceptance. Organize your thoughts calmly and then do it! It needs to be documented that she repeatedly acted outside the scope of her practice, and that she appeared to have difficulty taking direction from you, and that you believe that she has made these false statements in retribution, retaliation, revenge, whatever.....

I'm mad, and I don't even know you!!! :angryfire

Go get 'em!

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