How to Ask for Feedback (Nursing)

00:00 So many times we focus on giving feedback. Let's talk about how to ask for feedback.

00:09 You get feedback from your patient satisfaction scores.

00:14 You make a feedback in your performance review. What about feedback within your team? Here are a few ways that you can effectively ask for feedback within your team.

00:28 First, identify microopportunities for feedback.

00:34 If your first time asking for feedback is "Please give me feedback as a nurse" then the question will likely be too vague for specific results.

00:45 Instead, find small opportunities to ask for feedback.

00:51 This could be after working with the patient, dealing with a challenging situation, or practicing a new skill.

00:59 These are prime opportunities for you to request feedback from other people in the room.

01:07 You can practice positive responses for feedback and build trust with the feedback giver.

01:14 If a person sees that you respond in a healthy manner to feedback in a micro situation, they are more likely to give you effective feedback in larger situations in the future.

01:29 When asking for feedback, use open-ended questions.

01:34 Close questions are any questions that have a yes or no response.

01:40 Rather than "Am I a good nurse?" which can be too vague and lead to a yes or no response, instead ask questions such as "How can I be better at this? What are some of the strengths? What could I do better here?" These lead to more specific and expanded answers with powerful content for you to improve as a healthcare professional.

02:11 Use open-ended questions. Finally, ask for both constructive and encouraging feedback.

02:21 Too often, professionals focus only on the areas for improvement.

02:27 There is an excellent book entitled "Go Put Your Strengths to Work by Marcus Buckingham." That discusses the idea of stewarding your focus and energy to manage the areas of weakness.

02:42 Then, spending the other times building your areas of strength.

02:48 This does not mean to neglect our areas of weakness.

02:52 It means that we should not let our areas of weakness dominate our focus.

02:59 Concentrate on the areas in which you thrive and manage the weaknesses.

03:06 This is what is so powerful about having a diverse team.

03:12 There are people with different strengths and struggles and you can work together to be a more well-rounded and strong team.

03:23 By asking for feedback, you can clarify the areas where you add value and the areas where you need to manage to provide excellent patient care.

03:34 So, here's what I want you to do.

03:37 Identify one opportunity in your workday today where you can ask for honest feedback with your team to improve as a healthcare professional.