An important part of being a professional is self assessment. Nurses regularly reflect on their practice and ask themselves where they’re performing well and also what they’d like to improve.
This reflection can be as simple as analyzing a situation with a challenging client earlier in the day, or thinking about how to apply a new communication strategy they learned at a lunch-and-learn session.
A more formal approach
There is also value in approaching self-assessment in a more structured way. To support this strategy, nurses registered with BCCNM complete an annual self-assessment questionnaire as part of registration renewal.
The questionnaire is based on the Professional Standards relevant to their designation and is an opportunity to complete a thorough assessment of their practice.
The questionnaires
The self-assessment questionnaires encourage nurses to think about how effectively they are meeting their Professional Standards in their practice. These questionnaires also form the basis of the colleague questionnaires, which are completed by nurses’ colleagues when they participate in multisource feedback every five years.
Additional requirement for NPs
Critical review of client documentation
NP self assessment can include a review of client documentation, with a focus on evaluating client health care management and outcomes against appropriate evidence. NPs should target practice areas related to diagnosing and treating, including prescribing, such as:
- a common and predictable diagnostic category in practice (different each year)
- a less commonly occurring diagnostic category (different each year)
- critical incidents in practice for the year
Continuous professional development
Nurses continue this reflection throughout the year by focusing on the standards that have specific relevance to their practice. For instance, a nurse working on a new unit with an unfamiliar charting system might review the Documentation practice standard to ensure they are familiar with the principles. Another might refer to the Professional Standards relevant to their designation to confirm the standards of ethical behaviour expected of nurses.
All practising registrants interested in QA support are encouraged to contact us