Need a few nursing peer review examples to guide your own? You might need to write or give a peer review for nursing coworkers on a scheduled or as-needed basis. But it can be challenging to know what to put into a peer review and what to leave out. Check out our explainer and examples below.
What Is a Nursing Peer Review?
Peer reviews are when coworkers create an account of a team member’s work performance and behaviors. They serve several purposes: maintaining accountability among team members, affirming strengths, and pointing out areas of improvement. And while they may sound scary or punitive, nearly 60% of RNs feel that peer reviews are a positive and valuable experience for promoting growth in the workplace.
There’s more than one way to run a peer review. It’s common for several coworkers to complete reviews of a single team member and hand these reviews to a unit manager, who communicates one-on-one with the team member. On the other hand, a peer review can also include a meeting of several team members. They may be anonymous, or peers may be chosen by the nurse being reviewed.
Whatever the format, the goal is to provide non-punitive feedback so that everyone can become a better nursing professional. In order for the peer review process to meet this goal, the overall unit culture must be one of support and continuous improvement. A formalized peer review process is an essential element for a facility to achieve Magnet status.
When Are Peer Reviews Required in Nursing?
The frequency of reviews depends on your facility and unit policy, but in general, they occur on a scheduled or as-needed basis. Two common review timelines include the following:
Periodic Reviews
Peer reviews are most often delivered annually as part of a scheduled performance review. Nurses in a residency program may be reviewed more often to assess their progress. Healthcare facilities typically have a form for staff to fill out to evaluate their peers, including strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. The outcomes of these reviews may influence raises or advancement opportunities.
Incident-Related Reviews
Peer reviews can also be issue-related. For example, if a nurse has experienced multiple medical errors or is struggling to complete tasks on time, a peer review may be called for. Boards of nursing may also use peer review systems to determine the course of disciplinary action. Learn more about how to avoid losing a nursing license.
What to Include in a Nursing Peer Review
Peer reviews are professional processes that are dictated by the policies of your facility. Remember that they are meant to reflect the practice of nursing, not the characteristics of an individual. Be specific, supportive, and nonjudgmental.
In general, you should try to include areas where the nurse is doing well, and areas for improvement — focus on nursing-specific strengths and weaknesses. Examples include:
- Time management: Does the nurse consistently complete tasks in a timely manner? Are there specific tasks that take longer, or ways they could prioritize more effectively?
- Communication: Does the nurse effectively provide hand-off to the next shift? Are issues communicated to medical providers in a timely manner?
- Patient education: Does the nurse provide appropriate and timely education to patients and family members? How could their education approach improve?
- Critical thinking: Does the nurse notice and respond to subtle changes in patient condition? Are there any recommendations for improving these skills?
- Collaboration: How does the nurse work with others? Do they ask for help and offer it when appropriate?
- Competence: Does their level of knowledge and performance align with their experience? Are there any specific areas they could deepen their knowledge?
- Delegation: Does the nurse appropriately delegate tasks to assistance personnel? What tasks could they delegate next time?
- Documentation: Is their documentation thorough and accurate? Are there any areas in the chart where they can improve their documentation?
What to Leave Out of a Peer Review
What you leave out is just as important as what you include. A peer review is a professional document that may go into a person’s permanent employment file, so be intentional about how you write it. Here are some examples of what not to include in a peer review:
- Grievances: If you have an interpersonal issue with the nurse being reviewed, it’s best to leave this issue out unless it affects their work.
- Personality traits: Just because someone’s personality doesn’t align with yours doesn’t mean they’re doing a poor job. Try to respect individual differences when reviewing.
- Non-nursing issues: Problems from outside of work do not belong in a peer review, and including them can even reflect poorly on you as the reviewer.
Nursing Peer Review Examples
Facilities typically have forms that correspond to peer reviews, so follow the policy to write one. If you have specific questions about how to evaluate a peer, ask a clinical supervisor or manager.
Example 1: Nurse Monica
Today, you’re writing a peer review for Monica, a new graduate nurse who completed their residency training six months ago. Monica has made three medication errors in the last four months and is undergoing an anonymous peer review. View our nurse peer review sample for Monica below:
The focus of this review is to evaluate three incidents of medication error and determine how to support Monica in preventing errors in the future.
Strengths: Monica’s strengths include patient rapport. She introduces herself at the bedside and offers education with each medication pass and assessment. She is also a helpful team member, frequently asking others if they need assistance.
Areas for improvement: Monica can improve in time management. She often appears rushed when passing evening medications, which may be the cause of a medication error. Anticipating and delegating tasks when appropriate can help her complete them more efficiently. She can also improve her documentation accuracy. I recommend documenting a medication as “given” only after the patient has taken it, to eliminate charting errors.
Example 2: Nurse Andreas
Now let’s write a peer review for Andreas, an experienced med-surg nurse who is up for a yearly peer review. Check out a nursing peer review sample for Andreas:
The focus of this review is to evaluate Andreas’ performance and support his growth as a professional nurse.
Strengths: Andreas has strong critical thinking skills. When I have a question about a change in patient status, he is frequently the coworker I go to first. He is also very efficient and accurate, completing his assessment charting between each patient and typically before lunch.
Areas for improvement: Andreas could use his leadership skills in a variety of ways to help the unit. Volunteering to precept new nurses, serve as charge nurse, and lead a unit committee are some examples. Delegation is another area for improvement — Andreas could try to outsource tasks to other team members when appropriate.
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