Providing feedback to a nurse colleague as part of BCCNM's QA Program should be a straightforward and positive experience. It won't take more than a few minutes, and it can help the nurse improve their practice.
Those invited to provide feedback will receive an invitation (view sample invite) via email to complete an online questionnaire on their nurse colleague's observable behaviours.
The questions are based on the nurse's professional standards and mirror the self-assessment questionnaires nurses complete every year. The questionnaire should take 10-15 minutes to complete and the results will be reflected to the nurse in a confidential, anonymous report that aggregates feedback from multiple colleagues.
A few important things
Multisource feedback is NOT for reporting concerns about a nurse's practice. A health-care professional who has serious concerns about the practice of a colleague should refer to
Duty to Report practice standard or make a report to their manager or supervisor. They can also
submit a complaint to BCCNM.
The responses to the feedback questionnaire are anonymous and confidential, meaning that neither QA staff nor the nurse being reviewed will know which responses came from which colleague, unless the colleague provides feedback that identifies themselves.
Free-text comments will be included unedited in the comprehensive, anonymized report the nurse receives.
Giving effective feedback
As part of the multisource feedback process, nurses are expected to seek feedback from both nurse and non-nurse colleagues. Colleagues who are approached by a nurse should be candid in their feedback and ensure they include written feedback in the open-text portions of the questionnaire, in addition to the Likert scale rating. Comments help nurses identify their strengths and areas for improvement.
Simple, straightforward, and practical feedback is constructive and provides insight into a behaviour the nurse likely is unaware of.
For instance, instead of:
Nurse J is great at everything and I love working with her.
Identifying specific strengths and areas to improve is more helpful:
I really value Nurse J's willingness to explain complex procedures to her clients. Sometimes, though, she doesn't pause to see if they have questions as she goes along, so I'd like to see her do that more.
A few other tips
A colleague's unique perspective gives them the ability to both highlight their colleague's strengths and areas they may need to improve in, so provide feedback that is both constructive and honest.
The feedback questionnaire is based on the professional standards and focuses on observable behaviour. Colleagues should focus their feedback on behaviours they have observed related to the indicators.
Colleagues who haven't seen the nurse perform a certain behaviour or who are unsure can select ''Not Applicable"—there is no requirement to rate each behaviour.
Remember that all comments will be seen by the nurse unedited and as they are written (anonymously).
Privacy notice
The BCCNM Quality Assurance program is about protecting the public through assisting nurses in the continual development of professional behaviours that reflect the professional standards.
Any information that colleagues provide through the feedback questionnaire is protected under the Health Professions Act and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Colleague feedback will be provided to the nurse who has requested it in aggregate form only.
FAQs
- Will my colleague be able to see my responses?
Yes; however, your name (or any other identifying data) will not be attached to your responses. In addition, feedback reports include a minimum of three colleagues respond, so it is unlikely the nurse will know who gave which responses.
However, your comments will be included exactly as you write them, so be careful not to include details that indicate your identity.
- I have some major concerns about this nurse that I think BCCNM needs to be aware of. Should I use this questionnaire to let you know?
No. The multisource feedback process is used to give your observations on your colleague's practice to help them identify where they are meeting standards and where they can improve. The multisource feedback process and the questionnaires are not designed to report serious concerns about a nurse's practice.
If you have any serious concerns about a nurse's fitness to practice, you should report your concerns to your manager or to BCCNM.
You can also refer to the Duty to Report practice standard.
- I told a colleague I'd complete an assessment, but I've changed my mind. What should I do?
You are under no obligation to complete an assessment. Simply decline the invitation when you receive it. If you're comfortable doing so, let your colleague know that you will not be providing the feedback, so they can invite someone else, as they require several colleagues to provide feedback to receive a report.