Peer Review

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Hi, My unit just started implementing annual peer to peer reviews. One question is “please provide your input regarding at least one opportunity for my personal and/ or professional growth.” Our into is a mixed population of senior nurses and brand new grads. It is easy to answer that question when referring to a new nurse. I am always looking for an opportunity to teach and guide them. My question is how to conquer this when it comes to a senior nurse? I know there is always room for improvement, but I do not hover over my colleagues, especially if they have been on the unit for 20 + years to look for an area where they need to improve. Not sure why this is stressing me out so much. Any ideas or input is greatly appreciated.

Susan, NICU-RN, 17 years experience

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Ugh. I remember peer to peer reviews, and sometimes they stung a little even if you were a decent nurse with good people skills. Of course, you don't know which of your co-workers was asked to provide information, so you kind of go around for a bit wondering who said what. And then it would be your turn to do a review, and you had to come up with something you believed your colleague needed to work on. Like the OP, I didn't watch my co-workers, hoping to find a negative I could report---I had enough to do with my own job---so I usually wrote something positive, or if I couldn't do that, something noncommittal, like "Susan is quiet and doesn't seem to ask for help often." She may not have needed help, which was why I left it at that. But write a bad review, even of a co-worker I didn't like? Nope.

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I would be inclined to go to the individual and ask them for their input on what they need to improve upon but then they would know that I was the peer reviewing them!

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

I hate doing peer reviews.

The positive stuff was easy to address. If they had any blatantly negative habits or deficits, as in stuff I had witnessed that could have caused patient harm, I would be obligated to mention it.

But most of the time, if I had to write about something negative, I'd try to put the best spin possible on it. Not saying that I would lie, but perhaps tie the negative in with something positive to show that I believed the person had the potential for growth/improvement/addressing the issue.

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Specializes in ER OR LTC Code Blue Trauma Dog.
2 hours ago, sueoct79 said:

“please provide your input regarding at least one opportunity for my personal and/ or professional growth.”

"One area of opportunity for Jane's professional growth is her input to help identify new problems and developing practical solutions with her in the future."

You're welcome. ?

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Specializes in PICU.

If you have councils or working groups on your unit that work on projects and the senior nurse you review does not participte you could say

Senior nurse always has a wealth of information that She/He shares during a shift. Council/Group A would benefit greatly from their expertise and experience.

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