As a nurse, a self-evaluation can provide a valuable opportunity to reflect on your clinical strengths, contributions, and professional development. Doing these self-assessments regularly can help you continue to grow professionally and achieve your career goals. In this article, we’ll show you how to complete this assessment with some nursing self-evaluation examples you can use for guidance.
Importance of Self-Evaluation in Nursing
Many hospitals and other healthcare facilities require nurses to do annual self-assessments. For nurses, the benefits of this yearly evaluation include:
- Reflect on strengths and weaknesses: By taking an honest look at your performance, you can acknowledge what you do well — and where you may have room for improvement.
- Identify opportunities for growth: An annual self-evaluation gives you the chance to identify new opportunities you want to pursue, like a leadership role or a nursing specialization.
- Set professional goals: While a self-evaluation often centers on what you’re already doing, it’s also an opportunity to map out your future career goals. For example, you may note that you want to continue your education with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree.
- Develop more self-awareness: Self-evaluations can help nurses increase their self-awareness and take ownership of their performance, progress, and growth.
Nursing Self-Evaluation Examples and Tips
If you’re wondering how to complete a nursing self-evaluation, it’s helpful to break it down into specific areas. Here are five elements to consider as you do this assessment, along with examples of self-evaluation for nurses in each area.
1. Clinical Skills
A self-evaluation should focus heavily on your clinical skills, or the core competencies you use to deliver patient care. Think about the essential nursing skills you use every day. These may include:
- Patient assessment
- Wound care
- Medication administration
- Patient advocacy and education
- Medical equipment
- Electronic health records
As you assess your clinical skills, consider both the strengths you bring to a nursing team and the areas where you can continue to improve. Here are a few examples:
- I complete thorough assessments by monitoring patients’ vital signs and observing their symptoms.
- I’ve improved my IV insertion technique, but I’d like to complete additional training to continue perfecting this skill.
2. Interpersonal Strengths
Besides your hard skills, a self-evaluation should also take your interpersonal strengths into account. Reflect on your ability to build trust with patients and collaborate effectively with other nurses and healthcare providers. Some other nursing soft skills to consider include:
- Patient and family communication
- Critical thinking
- Time management
- Decision making
- Empathy and compassion
These are some examples of assessing your interpersonal strengths in a nursing self-evaluation:
- I teach patients how to take medications and follow care plans using understandable language, so they don’t feel overwhelmed.
- I have an excellent bedside manner and take the time to learn about my patients beyond what’s listed on their medical charts.
3. Duties and Contributions
Your self-evaluation should highlight the responsibilities you handle and the contributions you make to a nursing team. Mention times when you’ve gone above and beyond, such as taking on additional tasks or making a real difference for patients.
Here are some examples:
- I mentored two new nurses and provided guidance as they transitioned to the pediatrics unit, which reduced onboarding time considerably.
- I support patients and their families during difficult diagnoses, making sure they understand their treatment plans while showing compassion and empathy.
4. Professional Development
In a self-assessment, you can reflect on how you’ve grown in your nursing career. For instance, you might explain how you earned a specialized certification, gained new leadership skills, or explored further education.
These examples show how you can discuss your professional development:
- I earned a certification in emergency care to expand my knowledge of providing life-saving care to critically ill or injured patients.
- I completed continuing education credits in geriatric care to learn how to address elderly patients’ needs more consistently.
5. Career Goals
Where do you want to go next in your career? Use a self-evaluation as an opportunity to outline your career goals, whether you want to earn your MSN or advance into a leadership role. Here are some examples:
- I want to enroll in an MSN program to fulfill my goal of becoming a nurse practitioner.
- I plan to specialize in pediatric care by completing additional clinical training over the next year.
Tips for Completing a Self-Evaluation in Nursing
Writing a self-evaluation doesn’t come easily for every nurse. If you find yourself staring at a blank page, follow these tips for some guidance:
- Be honest. Never exaggerate your skills, experience, or contributions. Be honest about what you’ve done well and what areas need improvement.
- Provide specific examples. As much as possible, offer specific examples to show how you’ve provided exceptional care and added value to a nursing team.
- Get feedback. Ask your nursing supervisor or colleagues for feedback about your skills and performance. Often, they will have insights that you wouldn’t otherwise consider.
- Make it a habit. Instead of evaluating yourself once a year, make it a habit to reflect on your progress regularly. Keep a running list of your strengths and achievements that you can easily reference when it’s time for another self-assessment.
Advance Your Nursing Education at West Coast University
A nursing self-evaluation can help you determine where you’re at in your career and where you want to go in the future. Taking the time to reflect on your strengths, contributions, and career goals can help you grow professionally.
If your goals include advancing your education, West Coast University offers both an RN to MSN and an MSN program for practicing nurses. Both programs combine flexible online coursework with hands-on clinical training to help you expand your skills. Depending on your interests and goals, you can choose from different nursing specialty tracks, including adult-gerontology care, nurse leadership, family nurse practitioner, and more.
Don’t wait to take the next step in your nursing career. Schedule an information session to learn more about WCU’s advanced nursing programs!
WCU provides career guidance and assistance but cannot guarantee employment. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or position of the school or of any instructor or student.
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