Has there ever been a time when you received negative feedback, and how did you handle it?

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Receiving negative feedback can be discouraging, but it doesn't have to be something that leaves you feeling incapable of doing your job. The important thing to remember when answering this question is don't talk negatively about the person who gave you the feedback. Rather state what was said and how you grew from the event.

"I once received negative feedback when I was working the ER. One of my patient's mother was very upset that her child was not being treated as quickly as she thought and she complained to my supervisor that I was not doing my job. After talking with the supervisor, I asked if I could spend some extra time with the patient and his mother so that she could experience the good care that we give. Fear and uncertainty is often a reason that people lash out. Sometimes a gentle word is all that one needs to help relieve a stressful situation."

"I remember when I first began my nursing career, I thought I had to do everything for everyone. I ended up taking on too many tasks and falling behind with my assignments. One of my supervisors told me that a patient had complained because I seemed too rushed and asked for a new nurse to be assigned to her. I was so embarrassed because I didn't want anyone to feel like I couldn't do my job. I apologized to the supervisor and to my patient and explained that I had taken on some extra assignments, but that I didn't mean to make her feel neglected. When I apologized, the patient agreed to let me continue caring for her. I learned from that experience that it's ok to want to give more, but that I should not stretch myself too thin and risk compromising patient care."

"I am sure that anyone who works in the healthcare industry for any amount of time will learn that receiving negative feedback is not always a truly 'negative' thing. People respond to situations differently. I recall I once received a negative rating on one of my evaluations. It was a disheartening experience because I really pride myself on doing good work. I scheduled a time to sit and talk with my supervisor and understand his point of view with regard to the negative rating and made a plan of action to improve on the issue."

Anonymous Answer

"I experienced this recently while doing my precepting experience. I was busy completing many orders on a patient that was septic. An ICU nurse came to start an IV on my patient and pulled me aside saying that the patient's room was a mess and that I should do a better job of making sure rooms are cleaned up. He said that if that patient had to be coded or a rapid response needed to be called the team wouldn't want to worry about moving stuff out of the way while trying to bring all their equipment in there to care for the patient. This was a time for me to reflect on the feedback and realize the importance of making sure patients' rooms are cleaned up and free of clutter. At the time I was so busy caring for the patient that I didn't even notice the messy room but now I make sure rooms are cleaned up when I start my shift."