Peer evals

[RN1982]

Sometimes I think people make up things about you to put in your peer eval. I just got mine yesterday so I don't know who evaluated me. To be honest, I'm not friends with everyone I work with. I don't try to be because I'm not there to be friends. I am there to do my job and care for my patients. A lot of the nurses I work with all hang out while I have a few friends at work that I will talk to outside of work. I have non-work friends as well.

To be honest, I can be quite frank and honest. I'm assertive. My voice carries. I can be a bit sarcastic and funny. I don't go out of my way to be rude and hurtful. I'm a human being for cryin' out loud. I cannot be happy 24/7. Just because I do not smile every five seconds and act bubbily does not mean I am a horrid rude person. Apparently, this is not true. I know I should listen to what my boss said "Take whats true, forget what isn't?". A lot of the peer evals, people put things in them about a person if they don't like them.

One of my peers said that I am rude and that they do not know when/if I am in a good mood. They said I raise my voice in front of patients and family and that I am rude to them. They said I do not smile at my co-workers or even my patients/families. And that I am a bad representation of my hospital and that I'm not a team player. That I will only help someone if I like them, a lot of this goes on and to be honest, it isn't just me. Perhaps, I did this in the past but as far as recently, I feel like I try to help out as much as possible. But I put my patients first because I do not want to miss anything.

Another of my peers said that I am a wonderful person to work with, but I am afraid of change. Our team has been through a lot in the last year and I recognize that this is an area I need to improve on. This particular peer also said that I help out with admissions, am a team player, will go out of my way to help even if I am busy.

To date, I've never been called into the office for being rude and nasty to a patient and/or family member. I've even asked my manager about this. No complaints from family or patients. I am far from rude and nasty and the peer's comments have hurt me. I believe I know the peer who evaluated me and we have had conflicts in the past. I made mention of this to my manager who agreed that the peer did bring it to her attention. For example, I confronted this peer about teamwork when I was busting my hump for my patient who was bleeding out. She was busy in the breakroom, screwing around and having fun with another co-worker. I admit I got frustrated and confronted her later on, only to have her tell me that I don't have great teamwork skills as well. I told her I do my best and walked away. My manager told me that when she spoke with my co-worker, she said to her "well there must be some truth to what she said because otherwise she would not have said anything"...my co-worker did admit that she could have helped me more. And I admitted to my manager that I could have asked instead of letting myself get frustrated. To date, I have not had any recent conflicts with this co-worker and we have gotten along.

I think my problem is that I try to be strong and do for my patients without having to bother my co-workers. One pointed out to me that I need to start asking for help because I don't. I am glad for his honesty and need to start asking.

Anyhow, sorry this is so long and rambling. I am just venting. I was a bit hurt by what my co-worker said in my evaluation but I know it is not true. And I've asked several co-workers of mine to be quite honest with me and tell if I have ever at any point been rude or nasty to a patient and/or family. They all said no. Mind you they work with me on a daily basis. The co-worker who evaluated me, does not. This was very eye-opening. My manager didn't have much to offer me besides the "Take what is true, forget what isn't", she didn't even interrogate me about what my peer said. I understand that peer evaluations are a way to point out things about a co-worker when one isn't comfortable saying anything but evaluations should be honest about how one really works and not full of lies.

[PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN]

Take what they say as their perceptions and work on what you can.

Like you've said, you're not there to be like, but evaluate and take some of it as constructive criticism.

And then move on and re-evaluate when you have.

Don't harbor ill feelings (waste of time) and become the team player they want and need.

Good luck.

[Indy, LPN, LVN]

My first job did peer evals. My preceptor used to adamantly state that if you can't give a good eval, don't fill the thing out. It was the nurse who is up for her annual eval's responsibility to get two people to do a peer eval, and if they didn't, then the only eval that was counted was the one management filled out. So if you got someone to do them for you, it countered and usually improved on management's score.

My current place seems to pick people at random and hand them an eval to "please do" on whomever. I did the one that I got but I might have to decline if it were someone I can't say good things about. I'm sorry you had a bad experience with the peer eval thing.

[RN1982]

Thanks, that's exactly what my boss does, randomly gives them to other employees to fill out. I provide constructive feedback to the people I have to evaluate. I feel like the person who did mine had something against me and didn't have anything nice to say. I've never been rude, never been mean, don't raise my voice. I smile to my patients and their families. How would she know if I didn't? She's not in the room with me when I am introducing myself and interacting with my patient. Everything that that particular peer said about me is absolutely not true.

[RN1982]

Anyhow, I'm trying not to harbor ill feelings but it made me sad when I read those comments. I love where I work. I provide the best care I possibly can. And it hurts me when someone who does not work with me on a daily basis, makes up lies about me and gives them to management. My manager is great though. I don't think she took much stock in it anyways. I've had never received a complaint about my behavior from coworkers, families or patients.

[enchantmentdis, BSN, RN]

You're a senior member on this site with two nursing focuses under your belt. Sorry to ask, but i'm unable to tell how long you've been a nurse?

[RN1982]

You're a senior member on this site with two nursing focuses under your belt. Sorry to ask, but i'm unable to tell how long you've been a nurse?

5 years.

[brownbook]

I can't imagine anyone who likes to be evaluated. Repeat over and over to yourself what your manager said, "take what's true, forget what isn't." Even so I can remember almost word for word stupid remarks I have received in peer evaluations!!!! As a new manager the first evaluation I wrote was reviewed by my boss. She said my praise and scores were too high!!! If you evaluate someone too high then you won't be able to show their improvement on the next evaluation? Kind of like you can't give someone an A on a test even if they got every answer correct because how can they improve!!!!! Too stupid!

[Jules A, MSN]

Personally I hate peer evaluations and think that if they are going to put any weight on them they should make the person sign their name. FWIW I have not had bad peer evaluations but they still make me bristle.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

most of us remember the bad stuff that gets written in our peer evals forever, but cannot remember the good stuff a month later. which is sad, because given the anonymous nature of peer evals at my job, people tend to use them to "get even" with someone. or to "document" improvement or poor practice or whatever. the peer eval committee goes around handing them out and saying things like "we need to document what a poor cna glenhilde is so we can do something about her," or "blossum got a really bad evaluation six months ago because of her interpersonal skills, and we need to do a follow up eval. please write something nice about her." as far as i'm concerned, those types of "peer evals" are totally useless in terms of actually evaluating someone or documenting her practice -- good or bad.

peer evals could be a valuable tool if everyone took them seriously, but i think you'd have to sign your name to them to make anyone take them seriously.

[RN1982]

Ruby you are the voice of logic and reason and I love you. I completely agree. Now had that person had the balls to sign their name, I would have taken that eval more seriously. All I got to say is...

Haters be hatin'.

[RN1982]

So yeah, I found out who the person was who evaluated me and from what I have heard she has stated that she doesn't care for me. From my previous post, you'll find out that we had a disagreement and that was the basis for her claim of not caring for me. Anyhow, I'm brushing my shoulder off and moving on. Thanks for all the advice.