Peer Review

[sueoct79]

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

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

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.

[caliotter3]

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!

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

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.

[Crash_Cart]

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. ?

[RNNPICU, BSN, RN]

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.