Peer Evaluations- Venting

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

I hate peer evaluations. I hate knowing someone else is evaluating me and I hate evaluating others. I disagree with having people subjectively evaluate people when they are not the person's supervisor. My belief is that a system utilized to determine raises (and thus, financial livelihood) should be as objective as possible: use disciplinary action or lack thereof, sick calls and tardiness, and other methods of objective evaluation. If someone isn't well-liked by certain people, their annual review can be torpedoed because the system is much like a popularity contest. But what has me really tweaked this year is that the hospital decided to make peer evaluations optional rather than required. However, our unit manager never asked for our input and automatically has us doing them. If an activity is optional, shouldn't the staff have input on whether it should be done or not?

[SandraCVRN]

I hate peer evaluation in the OR. Other circulators don't know what you do routinely. Maybe talk to holding, scrubs, PACU, Anes, etc.

Our peer reviews have kind of fallen by the wayside, the only things that really go against you are tardies, call ins, etc

[MattNurse, MSN, RN]

I wouldn't want a peer review. And if it is optional I would think you would be able to opt out. My hospital doesn't do peer review. I wouldn't know what other people do on my shift. I wish I was part of the review process for CNA's though.

[VictoriaGayle]

Maybe optional means up to the supervisor?

That does sound like a bad idea.

[biancocm]

I personally don't agree with peer evaluations, they are all my hospital bases anything on. On my last review they had given my review to a couple nurses I didn't get along with on a personal level (it never effected my quality of care) and they gave me a bad review because they didn't like me outside of work. I go to work to do my job, i'm not there to be everyone's friend. Because of my review I had to have a one-on-one meeting with my supervisor every month for a year. Peer evals overlook the core skills of being a nurse and employee and turn it into a popularity contest.

[keisha e]

I agree. I hate peer review because in my hospital I last worked it turned into a witch hunt for people who didnt like each other. I believe the patient should be given evaluations and if the unit/department has a problem it may be time to do some inservice.If it is a personall issue such as call ins, showing up late then its the superviser's responsibility to address these issues.

[HikingEDRN, BSN, RN]

At my hospital, peer reviews are mandatory but we are able to choose the people we give them to (one must be a charge nurse).

[advsmuch08]

I don't care for peer reviews. I never know what to say. I feel like I don't see my coworkers interacting with patients enough to give a fair and accurate review. The few seconds I help a coworker turning or bathing a patient just isn't enough.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

I totally hate them. As a charge nurse who gives nurses admits, it's a source of pay back when it is review time.

One review said I was over paid for what little I did. Of course that was a CNA...

[LydiaNN]

I've never had one that was used in connection with detemining merit increases. I would be very upset if I did. Once, during an evaluation, my supervisor included a comment that there were staff members I didn't get along with; she was basing this on remarks from one person that in fact I didn't get along with. I told her the criticism was based on gossip, in my opinion was untrue and wouldn't hold up to scrutiny and that I would rebut the comment in my response to the evaluation. She deleted the comment, but was ***** to me ever after.

[salvadordolly]

Hate them! they always give you reviews for people you have little contact with and could not possibly review fairly! Glad the hospital I worked at finally did away with them.

[Julius Seizure]

We do anonymous peer evals and I don't mind them. I think it's a useful way to evaluate SOME things, like if the person is a team player. This isn't an after school job at the mall, we are grown-*** professionals and I think we should have the maturity to evaluate each other fairly. If anything, my coworkers err on the side of being too nice on evaluations, so it never really negatively effects anyone. Too bad everyone isn't mature enough to be fair and not catty, I suppose.

As a side note, in our unit, our manager will ask anyone, from other RNs, to the secretaries, to the RTs, to the child life staff to evaluate us, and we also might be asked to evaluate them.